SLED Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Saluda County
Friday, Jul 11, 2025
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday afternoon, July 9, 2025, in Saluda County.
While conducting an investigation involving illegal firearms, Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) encountered an armed man along Sandy Lane outside of Batesburg-Leesville, SC. During the encounter, both the armed man and ATF Agents fired. The armed man was shot, transported to the hospital for treatment, and was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center. No law enforcement officers were injured. SLED was requested to investigate by the ATF and the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office.
This is an ongoing investigation. As such, no other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time.
SLED conducts law enforcement officer involved shooting (OIS) investigations at the request of the agency involved in the incident or the agency with jurisdiction. When requested to investigate an OIS, SLED’s goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as timely as is possible under the circumstances. SLED agents will conduct interviews with all potential witnesses in this matter. Further, SLED will collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed. Information gathered in the SLED investigation of the incident will be summarized in a case file report to be submitted to prosecutors.
The incident in Saluda County is the 31st officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2025. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the ATF in South Carolina this year.
In 2024, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina.
The ATF had no officer involved shootings in South Carolina last year.
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For media inquiries, please email SLED’s Public Information Office: pio@sled.sc.gov.
