BISHOPVILLE ? Police are expected to file
charges against the teenager who they believe planned to rob a local ice
cream parlor with a stolen unloaded .357 Magnum, but was shot by the
store operator.

Police interviewed Jessie Slater III, 18, of
1391 Herndon Road, Bishopville, Thursday at Carolina Pines Medical
Center in Hartsville. He is listed in stable condition in an intensive
care unit.

Capt. Thomas Burke of the Bishopville Police
Department said officers wanted to thoroughly investigate the incident
before filing charges.

“We’re just going through the process,” he said.
“We want to make sure that we dot all ‘I’s and cross all of our ‘T’s.”

Bishopville Police Chief Nicole Simon said her
officers are waiting for Slater’s condition to improve before filing
charges.

Jake Boykin, one of the operators of the
Dairi-O, was taking some trash out of the back of the store when he was
approached by a teen who asked for a light for his cigarette, reports
state.

As Boykin was reaching into his pocket for a
lighter, the youth pulled a pistol and told him to hand over his money,
reports state.

Boykin, who has a concealed weapons permit, then
pulled out his pistol instead of a lighter, reports state.

As the teen advanced, Boykin fired at least
twice, hitting the teen once in the left shoulder area, reports state.

A Bishopville police officer in the area on
routine patrol heard the shots and rushed to the scene before Boykin
could call police, reports state.

The suspect took off running, but collapsed in
front of Young’s Food Store on North Main Street, about a tenth of a
mile away.
Police say they found a gun in a field a short
distance away from the Dairi-O.

Burke said the fact that the gun was unloaded
does not lessen any potential charges the police might file.

“It was dark, he (Boykin) didn’t know it was
unloaded,” Burke said.

Investigators say Boykin was justified in
shooting.

“At this point, there is no contemplation of
filing any charges against him,” Burke said.

Boykin has declined to comment.