Two Lexington County sheriff’s deputies injured after being shot by man holding child
Two Lexington County Sheriff deputies were shot in the line of duty Sunday afternoon.
Both deputies are in stable condition, Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said.
The deputies were responding to a domestic call at 4 p.m. at the Cottonwood Lane unit in the Woodland Village Apartments on Bush River Road. The complex is near the junction with Interstate 20 at Exit 63.
A woman who called law enforcement said the suspect was going to set something on fire, Koon said.
The suspect was armed with a handgun and had a small child in his arms when deputies arrived, according to Koon. After being shot, the sheriff said the two deputies returned fire and hit the suspect. All three were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
“God was with them today,” Koon said of the deputies. “Everything should check out with them and should make a full recovery.”
Koon didn’t know the condition of the suspect, who the sheriff’s department said was out on bond for a murder charge in 2017 Richland County case.
The suspect was not publicly identified.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support,” Koon said. “It’s very refreshing when you see what’s going on across the country to know we live in a place that supports law enforcement.”
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the incident.
The incident was the 27th officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2020 and first this year involving Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. In 2019, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina; two involved the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
Last December, a Columbia man was arrested for killing three men in a shooting at the same apartment complex. Justin Tyler Ellaree Hopkins, 21, was charged with three counts of murder, unlawful carrying of a pistol, first-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
“Nothing like this has ever happened here; it’s quite quiet here,” Willie Brown, a retiree who has lived at Woodland Village for about five years, said in December. “I sit outside a lot and nothing happens. People keep to themselves and I just watch the scenery.”
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This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 6:44 PM.
