Police chased 3 suspects and the locked down 3 schools in Lexington County.
South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers on Interstate 20 tried to pull over a car with a license plate violation around 7:45 am Friday.
The driver got away from troopers and got off I-20 at Exit 51 on Longs Pond Road, SCHP Trooper David Jones said.
The driver kept going on Longs Pond Road until he crossed Nazareth Road.
3 suspects jumped out.
1 suspect was immediately arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. The other 2 evaded police for several hours, causing an all-out manhunt in the area.
Troopers called in the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for backup when the search began on foot.
A SLED helicopter and K-9 deputies were also involved in the search.
Jones said neighbors tried to help police, as well, telling them where the suspects had been and offering them water and food.
Around 1 pm, police called off the manhunt, but said patrol cars would remain in the neighborhood.
By 3:30 pm, Jones said the 2 remaining suspects were found and arrested in the Red Bank area. Their charges have not yet been released.
The search area around Knotts Haven Trail is less than a mile from Carolina Springs Middle School, where law enforcement staged to coordinate search efforts.
For a couple of hours Friday, Carolina Springs Elementary and Middle schools were on lockout, as well as White Knoll High School, according to a spokeswoman for Lexington School District 1.