Man shot by Lexington County sheriff’s deputies dies; SLED continues investigation

The Florida man who was shot by a Lexington County sheriff’s deputy early Tuesday morning died, according to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division officials.

Thom Berry, a SLED spokesman, said 59-year-old Kimber Key died Tuesday afternoon after being transported to a local hospital to receive treatment for his wounds.

Lexington County Sheriff’s Department officials said in a press release that Key was staying at this brother’s home, at 107 White Falls Drive near Irmo. Maj. John Allard, a sheriff’s department spokesman, said Key’s 64-year-old brother, John Dale Key, called 911 to ask for assistance for his brother, who he said had a knife and was threatening to harm himself.

Allard said two deputies were dispatched at 2:30 a.m. after Lexington County EMS asked for help in securing the scene. When the deputies entered the home, they found Key standing in the kitchen with the knife.

Key was then shot in the upper body, according to Berry. It is unclear if Key threatened the officers with the knife before he was shot and whether one or both deputies shot Key. The State Law Enforcement Division, which is investigating, has released no further details. Key died at a local hospital.

McCarty said he would not identify the deputies who were involved in the incident because the investigation was active and ongoing. He did say one of the deputies is a 52-year-old road patrol supervisor who has worked for the sheriff’s department for 25 years. The other is a 46-year-old field training officer who has been with the department for six years.

Berry said SLED officials are continuing to investigate the incident and will put together a summarized case file to present to prosecutors for review to determine if any criminal violations occurred.

This is the 15th officer-involved shooting in the state so far this year and the first this year by a Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputy, Berry said. In 2014, there were 42 officer-involved shootings in the state, one of which involved a Lexington County sheriff’s deputy.

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Man shot by Lexington County sheriff’s deputies dies; SLED continues investigation."