Man found dead in Midlands woods after armed standoff with deputies, sheriff says
A man who was acting “suspicious and reckless” before an armed standoff with law enforcement officers was later found dead in woods, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office said.
A semi-automatic pistol was found by the body on Sunday, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. The man, who is expected to be publicly identified by the Newberry County Coroner’s Office, had been shot, according to the release.
No deputies fired their weapons during the incident, Sheriff Lee Foster said.
Deputies got involved at about 4:30 a.m., after receiving a call about a silver SUV riding on a rim with sparks coming from the vehicle that was heading west on Interstate 26, according to the release.
Then a clerk at the Citgo Station near Exit 72 on I-26, at the intersection with S.C. 121, called 911 because a man in the store appeared to be intoxicated, the sheriff’s office said.
The man left the store, but deputies found a silver Kia Sorento with temporary Georgia tags and one wheel on its rim, according to the release.
Deputies searched the area for the man, and at about 6:30 a.m., saw him sitting in the edge of the woods just off the store’s property, the sheriff’s office said.
When a deputy approached and asked him to come out of the wood line, the man stood up, drew a handgun from a jacket pocket, waived the weapon around before retreating into the woods and taking cover in a ravine, according to the release.
Deputies tried to contact the man, and a tactical team including K-9 units were called, but then a shot was fired, the sheriff’s office said.
After a few seconds, deputies using a tactical shield for protection, approached the man and found his body, according to the release. Newberry County EMS and Newberry County Rescue had been stationed nearby and responded within seconds and found no vital signs, the sheriff’s office said.
“We hate someone lost their life, but we are also grateful that none of our deputies were injured in this incident,” Foster said.
Because its deputies were involved, the sheriff’s office said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been asked to lead an investigation into the death.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 8:59 AM.
