Summerton man shoots self after shooting at deputies in 2-hour standoff

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SANTEE - A Summerton man died Friday after shooting himself quite rather than go into law enforcement custody. The two-hour standoff ended with the death of Stacy Pritchard,51, a Sumter native who was living on Ralph Bell Road in Summerton. Pritchard was allegedly wanted for a burglary charge in Clarendon County, and deputies had traveled to the Santee motel, the Clarion Inn, to execute a warrant for his arrest. Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said in a statement that his agency's SWAT team was called in after Pritchard was determined to be a threat to deputies. Ravenell said Pritchard was informed during a two-hour standoff that the room would be gassed if he did not turn himself in. The suspect allegedly fired once as the SWAT team tried to enter the room. Officers then heard another gunshot and found Pritchard dead when entering the room.