Suspect in North Charleston Officer’s Shooting Now Dead

William Tracy Patterson

(WCIV) – The Charleston County Coroner’s Office has confirmed a 34-year-old man hospitalized at Trident Hospital following a shootout with police has died.

William Tracy Patterson died last night. An autopsy is scheduled for later today.

Police and neighbors say it started with Patterson driving erratically through the Northwood Estates neighborhood of North Charleston.

“The guy was vrooming and he hit a mailbox here on the corner, and he turned around and did a 360 in someone’s yard. Then he hit a pole, and he took off then he went into the house,” one resident said.

That’s when police say Patterson ran up into the second story of the home and pointed a rifle at the responding officers. As they tried to talk him down, Patterson opened fire and hit Officer Wayne Pavlischek. Officials say Pavlischek was saved by his bullet proof vest.

After an hour of trying to talk the Patterson down, police say he opened the front door and continued firing, police said.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said police have dealt with the Patterson in the past and called the incident a “sad state of affairs.”

“We’ve been through so much in the last year with people giving our officers undeserved rhetoric. They do such a good job, put their life on the line. This is just an example of that. Our guys can get shot any day, and unfortunately no one sings their praises like they used to,” Summey said. “It tears me up. These people are trying to make life better for the citizens of North Charleston, and it’s scary.”

Patterson has two previous arrests in Charleston County. The most recent was on June 27 of this year.

SLED is handling the investigation.