Joshua Kevin Burbage
SLED Investigates Officer-Involved Shooting
UNION – The S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer-involved shooting and has charged a Winnsboro man with assaulting a police officer after a high-speed chase through Union County Friday afternoon.
Joshua Kevin Burbage, 28, formerly of Winnsboro and whose most recent address was reported as 3300 Sweet Springs Drive, Lexington, was arrested Friday and charged by the Union County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) with failure to stop for a blue light, third offense; driving under suspension, fourth offense; and violation of the Habitual Traffic Offender Act. A spokesperson for SLED said Monday that SLED is also charging Burbage with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature on a police officer.
According to the UCSO, the incident began when Union Public Safety officers responded to a report of shoplifting in progress at the Walmart on the N. Duncan Bypass. As officers arrived, they spotted the suspected shoplifter, identified as Burbage, fleeing the parking lot in a Ford F-250 pickup truck. Officers gave chase, but soon lost sight of the vehicle. UCSO deputies picked up the chase on Industrial Park Road near the Union Post Office and followed as Burbage headed south on S. Duncan Bypass, crossing Whitmire Highway and onto Beltline Road.
Just past the Hawkins Road junction on Beltline Road, Burbage stopped in the middle of the road, threw the F-250 in reverse and backed over the hood of the Union County deputy’s patrol car. The impact spun the squad car around 45 degrees, exposing its passenger side to the F-250. Burbage rammed the patrol car a second time, bashing the tailgate into the passenger side of the car. The deputy then stepped out of the cruiser, drew his service weapon and fired at the F-250. Burbage sped away, but backup units made contact with him on S.C. 215 near Lablaw Road.
With speeds reaching up to 100 miles an hour, the chase entered the town of Carlisle where Burbage made a hard right onto S.C. 72, crossing into oncoming traffic and heading toward Newberry. The F-250, meanwhile, was losing air in its left front tire and the chase began to slow. Near the intersection of Tuckertown Road, Burbage came to a stop and was apprehended by deputies.
As they were handcuffing him, deputies noticed Burbage had been shot through the thumb on his right hand. Burbage was transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center where he was treated and released into custody. Burbage was, at press time, still being held in the Union County Detention Center.
According to SLED records, Burbage has a list of prior arrests dating back to March 8, 2004 when he was picked up for grand larceny by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). Burbage was also charged with shoplifting in December of 2005 by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, petty larceny in August of 2008 by the FCSO, grand larceny in July of 2009 by the Winnsboro Department of Public Safety (WDPS), burglary and unlawful neglect of a child in December of 2009 by the FCSO, and shoplifting charges in July of 2011 and September of this year by the WDPS and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, respectively. In between, he has no fewer than six driving under suspension charges.
