Lexington police shoot at armed man after mental health call, 1 dead, investigators say
A mental health crisis call turned into a fatal shooting near a Lexington County neighborhood on Friday, according to the sheriff’s department.
The shooting happened in the area of Feather Run Trail and Quail Hollow, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said. Police are still in the area.
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher told The State that one man died during the incident and that deputy coroners are at the scene. The identity of the deceased man has not been released.
The department said that a 911 caller reported a mental health patient with a handgun was threatening to shoot family members and himself. When police arrived, the man ran into some woods and fired at pursuing officers. The officers fired back.
The sheriff’s department did not say if the officers shot the man.
However, the department did say “there is no active threat to the community.”
“As we can, we are letting people come and go from the area,” the department said.
Sheriff Jay Koon requested that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigate the shooting, according to the department. Typically, police agencies only request that SLED investigate if a person was shot by officers.
Feather Run Trail and Quail Hollow are located about two miles from the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Interstate 26. That’s close to Lexington Medical Center.
The West Columbia Police Department also responded to the shooting.
The sheriff’s department said it will be giving more information out about the shooting at 2:30 p.m.
This is a breaking news story that will be updated. Check back.
This story was originally published June 3, 2022 at 1:53 PM.