Teenager dies in officer-involved shooting during traffic stop near Clements Ferry Road

A 17-year-old teenager was shot and killed during a traffic stop involving a Berkeley County Sheriff's deputy Tuesday night near the intersection of Clements Ferry Road and Rivers Reach Drive.

In a press release, Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said his office was notified by a local hospital at 10:22 p.m. Tuesday night, "in reference to a victim that was brought into the emergency room with fatal injuries from a shooting that involved a Berkeley County Sheriff's deputy."

The victim has been identified as Tyren J. Kinloch, a 17-year-old from Wando.

According to the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, deputies were conducting an investigation Tuesday evening in the area that led to the traffic stop – and during the course of the stop – shots were fired.

No deputies were injured.

In a late-night press conference, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said deputies "were out here investigating a rash of violent crimes in the area (including) shooting into the dwellings; that's what led to this confrontation tonight."

Lewis said there had been "several incidents over the last couple of months," which prompted detectives to patrol the area. "As a result of that, this is related to the incident," he said.

Lewis noted, "We have all the occupants that were in the vehicle as well." 

No additional information has been released. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the coroner's office are investigating.