SLED Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Sumter and Lee Counties
Friday, Oct 3, 2025
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating events involving the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office before, during, and after an officer involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic incident on Wendemere Drive in Sumter, SC, and found a woman with multiple stab wounds. The deputies identified the subject involved in the incident and the vehicle he was driving when he fled the scene. Deputies located the vehicle, and a pursuit began. During a multi-county pursuit, there was an exchange of gunfire between the subject and a Sumter County deputy. The pursuit ended in a crash off of Sumter Highway and Ashwood School Road in Lee County. The subject was transferred to the hospita with a gunshot wound and died. The Lee County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Wendell Samuel Chisolm, 49. A Sumter County deputy was injured during the crash, treated, and released. Both the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office requested the SLED investigation.
This investigation is in its initial phase and is active and ongoing. 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 that spanned Sumter and Lee Counties is the 39th officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2025. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office this year. In 2024, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office had no officer involved shootings last year.
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For media inquiries, please email SLED’s Public Information Office: pio@sled.sc.gov.
