An Upstate veteran recalls his frightening involvement in an officer-involved shooting in Pickens Co. Wednesday night.It started as a normal evening for Isaiah McKinney. “I was on my way home from work coming from 123 and I turned onto kay drive. When I got to a little before the railroad tracks,” McKinney said.He saw police lights and thought it was a checkpoint of some kind, but then he noticed something else “This guy was flagging me down and for a split second, I thought he was a cop. I didn’t know if he was with the police. I didn’t know if he needed help. I didn’t know what was going on. So I slow down,” McKinney said.The decision to slow down led to one of the scariest moments of McKinney’s life. “He approaches my vehicle with a gaze of all ‘hey man I was wondering if you can give me a ride’ and then I see the gun,” McKinney said. “He enters the driver-side back seat door and immediately gets in.”The Pickens County coroner would eventually identify this person to be Thomas Christopher Wheeler.When Wheeler got in the car, McKinney said a gun was pointed at him. “And then he says put it in reverse and drive. Put it in reverse and drive or I’ll shoot you,” McKinney said.Mckinney said after that it was a blur. “It was at that point my children’s faces flashed before my eyes and I knew I wasn’t going with him and so I got out,” McKinney said. “I wasn’t gonna let him take me as a hostage. You can shoot me in the back because I’m running but I’m not coming with you.”While he was worried about his own life, there was something else at the front of his mind. “My fiancé finding out that I was shot in a carjacking. That terrified me. I didn’t want her to lose me. I didn’t want her to have to find out that I was killed in a violent crime,” McKinney said. Not long after McKinney left the car, police said wheeler pulled a gun on police. Police shot and killed him.McKinney knows what he is going to say when he sees his boys when he sees them. “Daddy loves you. I love you guys so much. My boys,” McKinney said. McKinney added he was still a little bit shaken up but happy to be alive.He also thanked law enforcement for how they handled the situation.
An Upstate veteran recalls his frightening involvement in an officer-involved shooting in Pickens Co. Wednesday night.
It started as a normal evening for Isaiah McKinney.
“I was on my way home from work coming from 123 and I turned onto kay drive. When I got to a little before the railroad tracks,” McKinney said.
He saw police lights and thought it was a checkpoint of some kind, but then he noticed something else
“This guy was flagging me down and for a split second, I thought he was a cop. I didn’t know if he was with the police. I didn’t know if he needed help. I didn’t know what was going on. So I slow down,” McKinney said.
The decision to slow down led to one of the scariest moments of McKinney’s life.
“He approaches my vehicle with a gaze of all ‘hey man I was wondering if you can give me a ride’ and then I see the gun,” McKinney said. “He enters the driver-side back seat door and immediately gets in.”
The Pickens County coroner would eventually identify this person to be Thomas Christopher Wheeler.
When Wheeler got in the car, McKinney said a gun was pointed at him.
“And then he says put it in reverse and drive. Put it in reverse and drive or I’ll [expletive] shoot you,” McKinney said.
Mckinney said after that it was a blur.
“It was at that point my children’s faces flashed before my eyes and I knew I wasn’t going with him and so I got out,” McKinney said. “I wasn’t gonna let him take me as a hostage. You can shoot me in the back because I’m running but I’m not coming with you.”
While he was worried about his own life, there was something else at the front of his mind.
“My fiancé finding out that I was shot in a carjacking. That terrified me. I didn’t want her to lose me. I didn’t want her to have to find out that I was killed in a violent crime,” McKinney said.
Not long after McKinney left the car, police said wheeler pulled a gun on police. Police shot and killed him.
McKinney knows what he is going to say when he sees his boys when he sees them.
“Daddy loves you. I love you guys so much. My boys,” McKinney said.
McKinney added he was still a little bit shaken up but happy to be alive.
He also thanked law enforcement for how they handled the situation.
