During a traffic stop police make several discoveries that lead to multiple felony charges (2024)

NOW HERE’S CAROL AND NIGEL WYFF NEWS FOUR AT SIX STARTS RIGHT NOW A HOMECOMING MONTHS IN THE MAKING. YOU KNOW HE’S STILL GOING TO BE RECOVERING. BUT WE’RE JUST GLAD TO HAVE HIM HOME AFTER BEING SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN UPSTATE. DEPUTY HUSBAND AND HERO IS FINALLY HOME WITH A BIG COMMUNITY WELCOME. TURNING UP THE HEAT. SOME OF US WILL GET CLOSE TO 90 DEGREES THIS WEEK WITH GROWING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. BRAND NEW TIMING, A MAJOR CHANGE TO HOW AN UPSTATE CITY WILL BE PROTECTED. I’M CARLOS FLORES WITH HOW BELTON PLANS TO TAKE CARE OF ITS PEOPLE AFTER THEY DISSOLVE THEIR POLICE FORCE. ONLY ON WYFF NEWS FOUR. WHEN I WALKED ACROSS THE STAGE, I JUST KIND OF HAD THE FEELING OF LIKE IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. A 50 OVER 50 CHANCE OF SURVIVAL AFTER AN UPSTATE BOY WAS ATTACKED BY A DOG. NOW, MORE THAN A DECADE LATER, HE’S ACHIEVING A MAJOR LIFE MILESTONE. WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT AT SIX. FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY HAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED SHE WILL BE VOTING FOR FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. HALEY DROPPED OUT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE TWO MONTHS AGO, BUT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY ENDORSE TRUMP. TRUMP HAS NOT BEEN PERFECT ON THESE POLICIES. I’VE MADE THAT CLEAR. MANY, MANY TIMES. BUT BIDEN HAS BEEN A CATASTROPHE. SO I WILL BE VOTING FOR TRUMP. THE FORMER GOVERNOR MADE THE COMMENTS DURING AN EVENT AT THE HUDSON INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON. HALEY WENT ON TO ENCOURAGE TRUMP TO WORK HARD TO WIN SUPPORT FROM THOSE WHO BACKED HER. BOTH CANDIDATES WERE SHARPLY CRITICAL OF EACH OTHER DURING THEIR PRIMARY CAMPAIGNS. THE NBC NIGHTLY NEWS WILL HAVE MORE FROM NIKKI HALEY’S COMMENTS COMING UP AT 630. WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE SO, SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK. MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AFTER BEING SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY, OCONEE COUNTY DEPUTY CORPORAL LUCAS WATTS IS HOME. PEOPLE LINED THE HIGHWAY 11 BRIDGE OVER INTERSTATE 85 AS HE RETURNED FROM ATLANTA TODAY. CORPORAL WATTS WAS SHOT DURING A TRAFFIC STOP BACK IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR. HER PEYTON FURTADO WAS THERE THE DAY HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL, AND SHE CONTINUES HER COVERAGE WITH CORPORAL WATTS. HOMECOMING, WHILE DEPUTY WATTS CROSSED THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE TODAY, HE HASN’T CROSSED THE FINISH LINE JUST YET. BUT WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE SO, SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK. WEDNESDAY, CROWDS OF FIRST RESPONDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WELCOMED WATTS WITH WAVES AND CHEERS, FLAGS AND SIGNS. WE’VE BEEN PRAYING FOR HIM AND PRAISE GOD FOR ALL THE ANSWERED PRAYERS. HUNDREDS HONORING THE HERO’S HOMECOMING NEAR THE GEORGIA SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER AND CLOSER TO HOME, HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT HAS BEEN INJURED TO THIS DEGREE. UM, AND IN IN OCONEE COUNTY. AND SO THIS WAS A HUGE DEAL FOR US. WATTS HASN’T BEEN HOME SINCE NOVEMBER 16TH, WHEN HE WAS SHOT DURING AN ATTEMPTED TRAFFIC STOP. IT’S A DAY. JOSEPH CROOKES, THE FIRST EMT ON SITE, WON’T SOON FORGET. I HOPE HE’S RECOVERING WELL AND I HOPE HE EMBRACES HIS FAMILY BECAUSE THAT’S ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT. WHENEVER I SEEN HIM LAYING ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF ME WAS HIS WIFE AND KID. WATTS HAS BEEN IN GEORGIA EVER SINCE, WHERE HE GOT A PROSTHETIC EYE AND UNDERWENT REHABILITATION. DESPITE THE CHEERS, THE 27 YEAR OLD HUSBAND AND FATHER STILL HAS A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY. I THINK YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE ABLE TO TO SIT IN YOUR CHAIR, WHEN YOU’RE ABLE TO SLEEP IN YOUR BED, YOUR OWN BED, UH, WHEN YOU’RE THERE IN THOSE FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS, UH, MY HOPE AND PRAYER IS, IS THAT THAT WILL FURTHER ACCELERATE LUCAS’S RECOVERY. BUT ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN, WATTS WILL HAVE THE COMMUNITY’S UNWAVERING PRAYERS AND SUPPORT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. WE SPOKE WITH DEPUTY WATTS COWORKERS TODAY. THEY TELL US LUCAS ALREADY WANTS TO START BACK TO WORK WHEN THAT START DATE IS. ONLY TIME WILL TELL IN OCONEE COUNTY, I’M PEYTON FURTADO FOR WYFF NEWS FOUR. IT’S SO NICE THAT HE’S HOME. LET’S TURN TO WEATHER NOW. A LIVE LOOK FROM OUR LAKE HARTWELL SKYCAM. YEAH, IT WAS ANOTHER GREAT DAY OUT THERE TODAY. AND CHRIS, YOU’RE GOING TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL FOR THIS WEEK BECAUSE IT’S BEEN REALLY NICE ESPECIALLY. DO YOU LIKE THE HEAT YOU KNOW. YEAH. IT’S HOT, IT’S HUMID. BUT AT LEAST WE’RE DRY RIGHT NOW. THINK OF JULY OR AUGUST. YEAH THAT’S BE A LOT WORSE. THAT’S RIGHT, THAT’S RIGHT. THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE FOR US THOUGH, INCLUDING THAT HUMIDITY BUILDING AND BUILDING STORM CHANCES AS WELL. LET ME SHOW YOU HOW CLOSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY TO OUR AREA. YOU CAN PLAY CONNECT THE DOTS FROM TEXAS TO ARKANSAS INTO TENNESSEE, BUT NOT FOR OUR AREA. EVEN BOONE UP TOWARD WATAUGA COUNTY. GETTING SOME STORMS. WE ARE DRY AS YOU SEE ACROSS THE SEVERE THREATS. THAT’S WHERE IT’S HIGHEST BACK THROUGH TEXAS, INTO ARKANSAS. TOMORROW, THOUGH, THAT THREAT IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO HOME AS WE HAVE A LOW END LEVEL. ONE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS THAT FRONT’S RIGHT ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS. YOU GOT A STORM UP TOWARD THE VIRGINIA NORTH CAROLINA STATE LINE. OTHER THAN THAT, WE ARE DRY. LET ME SHOW YOU LIVE SUPER DOPPLER FOUR SCANNING OUR AREA, NOT PICKING UP ON ANY RAIN. AND WE’RE GOING TO SEE A NICE NIGHT TAKE SHAPE IN GREENVILLE. WE’VE GOT THE SUN SHINING, BUT BOY, IT’S HOT. 83 DEGREES WEST. SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 11MPH. THESE TEMPERATURES ACTUALLY VERY CLOSE TO WHERE WE SHOULD BE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. BUT WE INCH UP EACH DAY THIS WEEK WHERE WE GET CLOSE TO 90 BY THE WEEKEND. SO OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS, SLOWLY SETTLING DOWN TO AROUND 72 DEGREES OR SO TOMORROW. A BETTER CHANCE FOR THOSE STORMS. I’VE GOT A NEW COMPUTER MODEL THAT TIMES IT OUT FOR US COMING UP HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. THANK YOU, CHRIS BELTON, CITY LEADERS ARE WORKING TO DISSOLVE THE POLICE FORCE AND HAVE THE ANDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TAKE OVER. CARLOS FLORES IS LIVE IN BELTON. AFTER SPEAKING WITH CITY LEADERS ON WHAT LED THEM TO MAKE THIS DECISION, CARLOS. THAT’S RIGHT. THE ANDERSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAYS THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SOME TIME. AND AND SAYS IT ACTUALLY ADDRESSES A PROBLEM THAT MANY SMALL TOWNS FACE. NOW, ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED, THE BELTON POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD DISSOLVE, BUT THOSE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT LOSE THEIR JOBS, BUT INSTEAD BECOME DEPUTIES. NOW, MAYOR ELEANOR DAWN, WITH THE CITY OF BELTON, SAYS THEY HAVE. THEY OFTEN LOSE EMPLOYEES TO THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, SO THIS FIXES THAT PROBLEM, SHE SAYS. IT ALSO GIVES THE PEOPLE OF BELTON AROUND THE CLOCK COVERAGE THEY DESERVE, AND THE AGREEMENT SAYS AROUND TEN DEPUTIES WILL BE ALLOTTED TO THE CITY, INCLUDING EIGHT DEPUTIES, ONE SERGEANT AND ONE LIEUTENANT. OF THE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH TODAY, MANY FELT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE MOVE. I DON’T THINK I DON’T SEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. IT’S GOING TO BE THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE STATIONED HERE. AND SO SO WE HAVEN’T HAD A PROBLEM AT ALL. I MEAN, WE’VE BEEN WE’VE BEEN BLESSED. WE REALLY HAVE. BUT, UH, IT’LL WORK OUT GOOD. I DON’T SEE IT. I DON’T SEE ANYTHING. ANY NEGATIVES TO IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. NOW, THE ANDERSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, RUSTY BURNS, SAYS IT WILL COST THE CITY OF BELTON AROUND $100,000 A MONTH IF THE SWITCH WERE TO HAPPEN. NOW, THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE COULD BE TAKING OVER AS SOON AS JULY 1ST. BUT FOR NOW, LIVE IN BELTON. CARLOS FLORES, WYFF NEWS FOUR. CARLOS THANK YOU. WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW A CRASH TONIGHT OUT OF ANDERSON COUNTY. WE’RE TOLD IT HAPPENED ON JOE BLACK ROAD. EXCLUSIVE SKY4 VIDEO SHOWS US THREE VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH. OFFICIALS TELL US 12 PEOPLE WERE INJURED. WE ALSO KNOW A MEDICAL HELICOPTER WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. NO OTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED. STAY WITH WYFF NEWS FOUR. AS WE LEARN MORE. SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BANNED GENDER CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS. YESTERDAY, GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER SIGNED A BILL THAT BARS PHYSICIANS FROM PROVIDING HORMONE TREATMENT PUBERTY BLOCKERS AND SURGERIES TO PATIENTS UNDER 18. THE BILL MAKES IT TAKES EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. THOSE ALREADY UNDERGOING TREATMENTS CAN CONTINUE IF DOCTORS BELIEVE STOPPING THEM IMMEDIATELY WOULD CAUSE HARM. TURNING TO COMMITMENT 2024 COVERAGE TONIGHT, WE HAVE LEARNED SEVERAL RACES IN THE GEORGIA PRIMARY WILL GO TO A RUNOFF. IT WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 18TH FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR ELBERT COUNTY SHERIFF. DARREN SCARBOROUGH WILL FACE DERECHO REVIOUS GIBBS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. THERE ARE SEVERAL RUNOFFS FOR REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS FOR COMMISSIONER AT LARGE. DISTRICT ONE TYLER OWENBY WILL FACE WANDA THOMPSON FOR COMMISSIONER AT LARGE. DISTRICT TWO, COREY PULLIAM WILL FACE SAM FREEMAN IN THE COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON RACE. COURTNEY LONG IS CHALLENGED BY JOE GREEN AND FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF SCOTT ANDREWS WILL FACE BRIAN STOVALL IN STEPHENS COUNTY. THE COMMISSIONER BOARD POST THREE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION WILL BE BETWEEN JAMES ADDISON AND CRAIG OGLESBY. RIGHT NOW IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY, A BRIDGE IS CLOSED AFTER D.O.T. OFFICIALS DEEMED IT UNSAFE. EXCLUSIVE SKY4 VIDEO OF THE CLOSURE ON CANON’S CAMPGROUND ROAD. WE ARE TOLD AFTER INSPECTION, OFFICIALS FOUND THE BRIDGE WAS UNSAFE FOR TRAVEL. IT WILL STAY CLOSED UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED. THEY DID NOT RELEASE