Charleston police release body camera footage of January police shooting in West Ashley (2024)

WEST ASHLEY— Charleston police released body camera footage and more information about a shooting that stemmed from an officer's attempt to stop a possible robbery suspect.

The veteran patrol officer and the suspect shot at each other during a foot chase off Ashley River Road on Jan. 21. Christopher Leon Hampton, 43,was wounded in the arm, and the officer suffered minor injuries when he threw himself to the ground as a shot was fired at him, according to the information the department posted on YouTube on May 22.

The officer,Senior Police Officer Taylor Schwartz of the patrol team, was found to have followed all department protocols and will not face charges as a result of shooting at Hampton, 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson wrote in a letter informing the department after she reviewed the video evidence.

A critical incident briefing video uploaded to YouTube provides more details about the shooting.

Officers initially responded to the Walgreens on Ashley River Road just after 6:40 p.m. fora call about a suspicious person and possible armed robbery suspect. When Schwartz arrived on scene, he saw a person matching the suspect's description walking through the parking lot of the Walgreens and later running toward the rear of the building, according to the critical incident briefing.

Schwartz, who was hired at CPD in June 2017, followed the man, later identified as Hampton, in his patrol vehicle before running after him near 4 Carriage Lane.

Body camera footage beginning just after six minutes into the video shows what happened next.

Schwartz chased the man, ordering him numerous times to get on the ground.

"Get on the ground, get on the ground, get on the ground now, get on the (expletive) ground, get on the ground!" the officer shouts as he runs after Hampton.

Hampton instead grabbed at his waistband as he fled. He then dropped what looked like a handgun and bent over to pick it up.

As Hampton reached for what he dropped, Schwartz "reasonably believe(d) that Mr. Hampton posed an imminent threat of great bodily injury or death to him or any innocent bystanders," according to Lt. Anthony Gibson, who is speaking in the video.

Schwartz fired at Hampton four quick times. Hampton fired back once. Schwartz fired his gun again as Hampton fled the scene.

Hampton was located 10 minutes later, hiding in a grassy culvert behind Home Team Barbeque, and was arrested without further incident. In the path where he ran, a black .357-caliber handgun was found.

Hampton suffered a gunshot wound to his arm. Schwartz was not hit by a bullet, but he injured his hand dodging the shot. Neither person's injury was life-threatening, Gibson said.

Hampton has been charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. An investigation determined he was not involved in the West Ashley armed robberies he was initially thought to be a suspect of.

Wilson notified the Charleston Police Department on April 17 that no charges would be filed against Schwartz for his involvement in the shooting, according to the critical incident report.

"I find that Officer Schwartz was justified shooting Hampton," her office's letter to the police said, according to the video.