Investigation underway after man shot following hostage situation, SLED says

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a Thursday shooting involving a Williamsburg County sheriff’s deputy.

In a statement released late Friday, SLED said the shooting occurred after deputies from the Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office responded to an early morning call at a Kingstree home about a hostage situation.

There was later an “exchange of gunfire,” SLED said.

A man, who SLED reported was armed, was shot and was taken to the hospital. A woman was removed from the home uninjured.

“No law enforcement officers were injured,” SLED said.

SLED said the agency was requested to investigate the shooting, a normal practice for sheriff’s offices when a police officer is involved. The agency said that they intend to conduct interviews and will conduct forensic analysis as needed. The findings will be presented to a prosecutor, according to their statement.

The shooting was the 31st shooting involving a police offcer in South Carolina this year.

It was the first in Williamsburg County.

Ted Clifford

The State

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Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.