Man shot and killed by off-duty police officer during fight at SC Chick-fil-A, SLED says

A man was shot and killed in a local Chick-fil-A by an off-duty police officer, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced Friday.

The off-duty Summerville Police Department officer and 39-year-old Michael O’Neal got into an altercation at a Summerville Chick-fil-A at 1312 North Main Street in Berkeley County on Wednesday.

O’Neal was shot by the officer and died at the scene. The officer was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

The police department asked SLED to investigate.

SLED did not not identify the officer involved. However, Summerville Police Chief Douglas Wright named him as Anthony DeLustro who is on paid administrative leave with the department, local news reported. According to the Post and Courier in Charleston, DeLustro was hit by a car. There was no further information about the car.

“This event was a struggle for all who were involved,” Wright said in a statement.

There is an ongoing investigation, so “no other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time,” officials said.

SLED is asking for cell phone video or other video accounts of the conflict to assist with its investigation. Footage can be emailed to tips@sled.sc.gov.

This story was originally published March 23, 2024 at 12:30 PM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.