Man kills firefighter during high-speed chase

Bond has been denied for a 25-year-old accused of killing a firefighter in a wrong-way crash while running from deputies.

John William Kennedy, of Greer, S.C., was arraigned Friday night after being released from the hospital, according to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.

The day before, warrants allege Kennedy drove his F-150 pickup truck directly at two deputies responding to a call about a stolen vehicle. One of the deputies fired several shots at the truck before he was hit and knocked into a retaining wall. A warrant alleges that Kennedy also tried to run over the second deputy before speeding away.

Kennedy was charged with two counts of attempted murder, reckless homicide by vehicle, failure to stop with death, leaving the scene with death, driving under suspension and habitual offender, according to warrants and online jail records.

Family members of North Greenville firefighter Jordan Howard watched from across the courtroom Friday as a judge denied Kennedy bond on all seven charges.

Howard was heading to work Thursday morning when his motorcycle was struck head-on by a pickup truck.

The truck was being pursued in what Sheriff Steve Loftis said was a "wild, high-speed chase" through northern Greenville County.

Loftis said deputies backed off when the truck went into the southbound lanes and into oncoming traffic. Less than a mile later, deputies came across the crash.

Howard, a lieutenant with the North Greenville Fire Department, died at the scene.

State law enforcement agents have been asked to investigate, which is typical for all officer-involved shootings.