Greenwood Police Officer Don “DJ” Keller died Monday after a crash during a police pursuit, according to the Greenwood Police Department and the City of Greenwood.
Officials confirmed Keller’s death during a Tuesday morning press conference.
Greenwood Police Chief T.J. Chaudoin said Keller was responding to assist officers during a traffic stop involving a 15-year-old driver. According to investigators, the driver fledin an attempt to evade law enforcement and crossed into oncoming traffic before colliding head-on with Keller’s patrol vehicle near the intersection of East Cambridge Avenue and Ames Street South.
Chaudoin said investigators believe the teenager had previously been involved in several shooting-related incidents.
Two passengers, ages 17 and 18, were also inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. All three occupants were taken to the hospital. Authorities have not released the conditions of the driver or the rear-seat passenger. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the third passenger was released from the hospital Tuesday and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
During the press conference, Chaudoin said he reviewed video footage of the incident and defended Keller’s actions.
“That officer did nothing wrong,” Chaudoin said. “He was just serving our community, doing what I asked.”
Keller, a military veteran, served three years with the Greenwood Police Department.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
