Greenville Co. sees officer-involved shootings every month in 2025

Yahoo

08-05-2025

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – In 2024, there were a total of 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Seven of those happened in Greenville County.
So far in 2025, officer involved shootings have happened every month in Greenville County, SLED said.
'We have an officer involved shooting that took place earlier today around 2:40 p.m.,' Greenville County Sheriff, Hobart Lewis said in January.
'The suspect was armed at which time an officer involved shooting took place,' Sheriff Lewis said in May. 'The suspect is deceased.'
Greenville County has been involved in five out of 19 of the state's officer involved shootings that were reported this year. Four of those incidents involved deputies at the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.
One of those shootings happened January 23 when 45-year-old Sean Scates was shot and killed. There's body camera footage of that day.
After blocking the suspect in with their vehicle at a motel, officials said that six deputies fired their weapons. It was confirmed by deputies that Scates was involved in an armed robbery at a gas station in Pickens County, earlier that day.
In February, SLED said a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper fired his weapon at a homeowner off Farrs Bridge Road. The woman was reportedly armed and was responsible for an abandoned vehicle involved in a crash.
No one was injured in the shooting.
In March, the Greenville County deputies said they responded to a disturbance in Travelers Rest, where 75-year-old Jesse Wright Sr. was shot and killed.
'At some point, the suspect was armed and an officer involved shooting took place that involved two deputies,' Sheriff Lewis said. 'All law enforcement are ok. The suspect is deceased.'
'We are in the 800 block of South Piedmont Highway, where an officer involved shooting took place today,' Sheriff Lewis said in April.
A heavy law enforcement presence filled Piedmont Highway as deputies said that they encountered a wanted and armed Anderson County man.
Recently on May 4, Greenville County deputies responded to a home in Simpsonville.
'Around 9:50 p.m., deputies responded to a domestic dispute at a home,' Sheriff Lewis said.
Sheriff Lewis said the victim was removed from the home but the suspect was armed, and a deputy fired his weapon.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office identified the individual shot as 34-year-old James Webster Jr.
Per protocol, every officer involved shooting is investigated by SLED. Several weeks after the investigation is complete, critical incident reports are shared with the community and an answer is given on if the shooting is ruled as justified.
The investigation into January's shooting has been completed and shared with us.
'Following their investigation, it was determined their (deputies') use of deadly force was justified, according to the sheriff's office use of force policy,' Sheriff Lewis said.
The next critical incident report, in relation to the March shooting, will be released on Friday.
Others are expected mid-June.
To find out more information, you can visit the sheriff's office website.
Five Upstate counties have not been involved in an officer involved shooing this year. Those counties include Spartanburg, Abbeville, Oconee, Union, and Laurens.
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