Coroner identifies SC man who died in Irmo police custody
The Richland County coroner’s office has identified a man who died after being arrested by Irmo police last week.
Byron Jackson, 45, of North Augusta died after being taken into custody by police in the New Friarsgate neighborhood during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 22, the coroner’s office said in a news release Monday.
The Irmo Police Department said in a release Friday that Jackson was taken into custody around 2 a.m. after a vehicle chase that ended at the Dollar General on the 7800 block of Broad River Road. Police were responding to a report of a fight inside a car, but the release said Jackson was alone in the car when officers made contact with him.
Jackson then “engaged in an altercation with officers before being taken into custody,” the release from the police department said. He then “began having trouble breathing,” police said, and was given CPR before being transported to an area hospital.
The police department was notified Wednesday that Jackson had died, the department release said, but neither the police nor the coroner identified Jackson’s cause of death.
Two police officers are on leave after the incident, and the state Law Enforcement Division is investigating, Irmo police said.
“This is a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the individual involved,” Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said in a statement on Friday. “We take incidents like this with the utmost seriousness and are fully cooperating with SLED’s independent investigation. Our commitment is to transparency, accountability, and ensuring the public’s trust in our department remains strong.”
“We will continue working with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to fully investigate this incident,” Richland County Coroner Nadia Rutherford said in a statement.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 4:19 PM.
.jpg)