On October 21, 2026, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Preston Metts stopped a vehicle on Shiloh Heights Road near Aiken. After a passenger fled into the woods, Metts pursued and was shot several times with an AR‑style rifle. Despite his injuries, the deputy returned fire before the suspect escaped.
Deputy’s Recovery and Arrest
Metts was taken to a hospital where he underwent two successful surgeries and faces additional procedures as he recovers. The suspect, 39‑year‑old Morris Laytrell Dorch, was apprehended in Jacksonville, Florida, later that day with a gunshot wound to his foot.
Dorch now faces charges of attempted murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sheriff Marty Sawyer emphasized the seriousness of the felon‑in‑possession charge, noting Dorch’s prior convictions.
Long‑Running Criminal History
Records show Dorch’s interactions with the South Carolina justice system span nearly two decades. In 2006 he pleaded guilty to a weapons offense involving a stolen pistol and a small amount of methamphetamine, receiving a suspended three‑year sentence and two years of probation.
He later pleaded guilty to third‑degree assault and battery in 2012, receiving time served and court costs, while a related weapons charge was dismissed. A separate murder charge from 2010 was also dismissed without indictment.
The most serious convictions came in 2014, when Dorch pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter (reduced from murder) and attempted murder for incidents arising from arrests in December 2012. He received 15‑year sentences on each count, to run concurrently, and a concurrent five‑year weapons conviction.
By August 2025 Dorch entered a community supervision program linked to those convictions, though the exact release date and supervision status at the time of the October 2026 shooting remain unclear.
Sheriff’s Call for Accountability
At a press conference on October 23, Sheriff Sawyer said, “He should be in prison,” referring to Dorch’s repeat violent offenses. He urged the community to scrutinize the pattern of reduced and suspended sentences that allow repeat offenders back onto the streets.
“Most of the people we deal with in violent crimes are repeat offenders that shouldn’t be on the streets,” Sawyer added, emphasizing that once an arrest is made, the department’s role ends and the justice system’s decisions determine public safety.
Ongoing Investigations
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) continues its investigation, and the second‑circuit solicitor’s office will prosecute the case. Sheriff Sawyer announced an internal affairs review of the shooting, stating that Deputy Metts acted appropriately and no wrongdoing was found.
As Metts and his family face a lengthy recovery, the incident highlights broader concerns about South Carolina’s handling of violent repeat offenders and the need for transparent sentencing practices.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
