Barnwell man faces charges after chase spills into Bamberg County

A Barnwell man is facing a broad set of charges after a high-speed chase crossed into Bamberg County, forced other motorists off the road and ended only after deputies and troopers used a forcible stop to bring it to a close.

Joshua Lee Fulmer, 32, of Barnwell, was indicted on assault and battery first degree, assault and battery third degree, pointing and presenting a firearm, possession of less than one gram of methamphetamine or cocaine base, malicious injury to property and multiple counts of failure to stop for a blue light. An arrest report says Fulmer was taken into custody by the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office on May 17, 2026, then booked and released to the Bamberg County Detention Center.

The pursuit began after deputies were dispatched around 3:40 p.m. on May 17 following reports that an armed man was threatening to shoot other people. One caller told dispatch that Fulmer was armed and making threats. Another said he was seeing things that were not there and had "gone crazy." Deputies were also told he may have had several firearms.

When officers arrived at a residence on S.C. Highway 70, they learned Fulmer allegedly pointed a firearm at another person. As deputies tried to establish a perimeter, Fulmer got into a blue Ford F-150 and fled. The chase stretched about 30 miles, with speeds topping 100 mph and repeated center-line crossings that forced other drivers out of the way on rural roads in Barnwell and Bamberg counties.

During the pursuit, troopers used PIT maneuvers to try to stop the truck. Investigators allege Fulmer intentionally rammed Lance Cpl. R. Davis's patrol vehicle, sending it airborne, into a culvert pipe and then into a ditch. Officers paused the chase briefly while they checked on Davis, then picked it up again after Fulmer was later spotted in Bamberg County.

The pursuit ended near Peppermint Road and Govan Highway after another PIT maneuver. For Bamberg County residents, the case is a reminder of how quickly a firearms call can turn into a county-spanning road hazard on local highways and dirt roads, especially when a fleeing driver is allegedly armed and moving at highway speeds.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol says troopers patrol all 46 counties in the state, and Troop 7 covers Bamberg and Barnwell counties. That structure helps explain the response in this case, where county deputies and state troopers had to coordinate across jurisdiction lines to contain a moving threat.