Rock Hill man charged with attempted murder of 2 deputies; linked to murder suspect.
A Rock Hill man believed to be a driver in connection with a fatal shooting early Monday has been charged with trying to kill two York County deputies with his car.
Quintonio Bernard Porter, 27, is charged with attempted murder of two deputies who stopped Porter Monday in Rock Hill, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office.
Porter was driving a car believed to be part of a homicide investigation after the fatal shooting, Faris said. Porter had picked up the shooting suspect, then dropped the suspect off with someone else, Faris said. The shooting suspect later turned himself in at the sheriff’s office.
The traffic stop happened in front of a busy commercial strip south of Interstate 77 Exit 82, Faris said. No one was hurt.
Deputies seeking evidence in the fatal shooting attempted to made a felony traffic stop on the car Porter was driving on Cherry Road, Faris said. Porter then used his vehicle to try and run over both deputies, Faris said. Porter struck two deputies’ patrol vehicles, Faris said.
The officers had to run from Porter’s vehicle to escape, Faris said.
Porter also is charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of drugs with intent to distribute, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after investigators at the scene found drugs and a gun in the car, Faris said.
The incidents are not related to any protests going on in York County or anywhere else, Faris said.
The attempted murder charges were brought against Porter in connection with the two deputies as victims, after deputies sought guidance from prosecutors, said Willy Thompson, 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor.
“Based on the evidence presented to us, we advised police that there was probable cause to seek attempted murder warrants against the defendant,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the deputies had instituted a legal felony traffic stop on Porter’s car because the suspect in the earlier killing had been in the car. Investigators wanted to see if there was evidence linked to the earlier shooting, Thompson said.
Because it was a felony traffic stop, the deputies had gotten out of their vehicles and drawn their guns, Thompson said. No shots were fired.
“The deputies showed restraint and did not fire their weapons during the incident,” Thompson said. “Even though they legally at the time would have been within their rights to use force to protect themselves.”
Porter is being held without bond at the York County jail.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 1:40 PM.
