SLED investigating officer-involved shooting in Sumter

Members of the state’s law enforcement division say they are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Sumter.

The incident occurred on July 18 in the Dalzell community, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Braden Bunch said earlier in the week.

Two sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home in the 100 block of Colts Run around 10:15 a.m. in reference to a domestic dispute. When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with 39-year-old Michael Dinkins, who was identified as a suspect in the incident.

Dinkins allegedly became aggressive with the deputies outside of the residence, Bunch said. The deputies fired tasers at Dinkins in an effort to subdue him, but were unsuccessful, Bunch said. Dinkins then allegedly attempted to take one of the deputy’s holstered firearms. During the struggle, both deputies fired their weapons at Dinkins.

Dinkins was treated by EMS before being airlifted to a Columbia-area hospital, Bunch said.

The deputies, identified as Cpl. Symeon Graham and Senior Deputy Desmon Sabb, were not physically injured in the incident. Both of the deputies have been placed on administrative duty pending the SLED investigation.

Dinkins faces charges of domestic violence, resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer, Bunch said.

SLED conducts law enforcement officer-involved shooting investigations at the request of the agency involved in the incident, division spokesman Thom Berry said in a statement released Wednesday. Interviews are being conducted with the responding officers and others, he said.

In addition, there is no dash cam video of the incident, he said.

The incident is the 261st officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2015 and the first this year by a Sumter County Deputy Sheriff. In 2014, there were 42 officer-involved shooting incidents in South Carolina, none involved a Sumter County Sheriff’s deputy.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 10:22 AM.