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Man dies after being shot by deputy in Rock Hill

The York County sheriff said a deputy shot T. Malik Benjamin after the suspect allegedly drove his stolen vehicle toward the deputy.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A man shot by York County Sheriff's Office deputies Tuesday has died of his injuries, county sheriff Kevin Tolson said Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 25-year-old T. Malik Benjamin, is accused of leading sheriff's deputies on a 24-minute pursuit Tuesday that reach speeds upwards of 90 mph, according to Tolson.

Benjamin is accused of fleeing deputies after he was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement said the vehicle had been stolen out of Charlotte and located in the Baxter Village area of Fort Mill.

The pursuit traveled from Fort Mill into Rock Hill, where the chase entered the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy on Cherry Road near Winthrop University. It was in this parking lot where Benjamin was shot.

Tolson defended the actions of his deputies Wednesday saying the deputies "did what they had to do" after Benjamin allegedly drove the stolen vehicle towards a deputy.

Tolson released dashcam video Wednesday that shows the moment Benjamin's vehicle appears to slam into a deputy's vehicle. The deputy was stepping out of his vehicle as the stolen vehicle came toward him.

Tolson's video indicated three shots were fired. Tolson said Tuesday the deputy then drew their gun and fired three times, hitting the suspect at least once.

Benjamin was taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.

Authorities said Tuesday this was the second of two law enforcement vehicles Benjamin allegedly hit during the pursuit.

Tolson said no deputies were injured during the shooting or pursuit.

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Per office policy, Tolson said the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been contacted to conduct an investigation into the officer-involved shooting. An internal investigation is also starting to see if the use of force was in line with policy.

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