Dashcam video shows man jumping into Lake Greenwood

Laurens County Sheriff's deputies faced a dramatic scene on Wednesday when a Cross Hill man jumped over a bridge and into Lake Greenwood in an effort to elude authorities who stopped him in connection with a stolen vehicle.

Jerry James Brown, 35, of South Lake Forest Drive, was arrested and charged with failure to stop for a blue light, receiving stolen goods, unlawful carrying of a firearm and driving under suspension, the sheriff's office said in a news release on Friday.

The incident began when sheriff's deputies received a service call at the Mansfield Campground in reference to people who were using on-site shower facilities without permission. Complainants provided a tag number for the vehicle, which traced back as stolen in Greenwood.

Deputies tried to pull the car over but the driver refused to stop. After authorities disabled the vehicle, the driver jumped off a bridge on Todd Quarter Road in Waterloo and into Lake Greenwood.

Although he remained in sight of deputies, who surrounded him along the bank, the man refused to get out of the water. Officials called the state Department of Natural Resources but were able to pull him to safety after nearby residents offered their boat to assist.

The man was examined on scene by emergency medical service personnel and then booked into the Johnson Detention Center.

Dashcam video, released to media outlets Friday by the sheriff's office, shows a police SUV crossing lanes to disable the car by striking its rear panel about 10:20 p.m. The vehicle spins around and a man jumps out and into the lake face first.

"Several citizens in the area came out to make sure our guys were OK, and one person allowed us to use their boat to apprehend this criminal. I can't thank these people enough, and it's a perfect example of our community coming together to put these criminals behind bars where they belong," Sheriff Don Reynolds said in a statement.
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