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Jeron Laren McCants. Dorchester County Sheriff's Office/Provided
SUMMERVILLE — A manhunt through a residential community led to the capture of a 34-year-old man who authorities say escaped custody while getting treatment at a hospital.
Summerville police officers detained Jeron Laren McCants the afternoon of Aug. 9 during a traffic stop. They checked his ID and discovered he had an arrest warrant in Dorchester County, Lt. Rick Carson said.
Jeron Laren McCants. Dorchester County Sheriff's Office/Provided
A Dorchester deputy escorted McCants to the Summerville Medical Center around 6 p.m. before the suspect could be booked into the Dorchester County jail, according to a deputy's incident report.
McCants said he had been "struck multiple times in the face (and) head" by Summerville officers and that he had lost consciousness, the report states, but the deputy had not seen "any physical manifestation of injury" matching McCants' story. Summerville police did not immediately respond to questions from a reporter.
"He stated he felt lightheaded, dizziness and claimed of having a headache," the report states.
Hospital staff asked that McCants' handcuffs be moved to the front so they could examine the man and administer any treatment, Carson said.
When McCants went to get an X-ray, he "took the opportunity … to flee the hospital," Carson said. A massive manhunt ensued.
Dorchester County deputies and Summerville police officers fanned out across the area, filled with single-family homes. Details remain "sketchy," Carson said, but McCants reportedly traveled into the Quail Arbor V neighborhood off Old Trolley Road.
Authorities pursued him on foot, but McCants stole a "blue box truck," Carson said. Dorchester County deputies then conducted a low-speed pursuit, chasing the suspect through the neighborhood until they stopped on Racquet Lane, just off Honeysuckle Lane — about a mile from the hospital.
One Summerville police officer reported a minor injury to a finger, Carson said.
McCants was taken back into custody and returned to the hospital for any treatment before being cleared for the jail, Carson said.
The incident report said McCants suffered new injuries while being re-arrested. "Minor cuts and scratches," Carson described them.
McCants has been charged with failure to stop for blue lights, escape and grand larceny.
Call Jocelyn Grzeszczak at 843-323-9175. Follow her on Twitter at @jocgrz.
Jocelyn Grzeszczak covers crime and public safety in the Charleston area. She previously wrote breaking news and features for Newsweek and The News-Press.
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