SLED investigating officer involved shooting in Berkeley County
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Thursday, January 29, 2025, in Berkeley County.
Berkeley County deputies responded to the hospital for a 911 call regarding a man being injured with a gun. Deputies learned that the victim had also been stabbed. Responding to a 911 distress call, deputies encountered an armed man behind a nearby home. During the encounter between a deputy and the armed man, the deputy shot him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The Berkeley County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Nathan Johnson, 26. No law enforcement officers were injured. SLED was requested to investigate by the Berkeley 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 Berkeley County is the 3rd officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2025. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office this year.
In 2024, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina.
The Berkeley 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.
