SLED Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Williamsburg County
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in Williamsburg County.
Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop and serve an arrest warrant on a wanted person along Lake City Highway near Johnsonville, SC. The subject, a man later identified as Nelson Boyd Chavis, 40, fled and deputies pursued. Chavis drove across county lines from Florence into Williamsburg, where he jumped out of his vehicle and ran into the woods near Muddy Creek Road. There was an exchange of gunfire between Chavis, who was armed with a handgun, and deputies. Chavis was shot and died in transit to the hospital. No law enforcement officers were injured. SLED was requested to investigate by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the Williamsburg 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 that began in Florence County and ended in Williamsburg County is the 27th officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2026. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the Florence County Sheriff’s Office this year.
In 2025, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office had 1 officer involved shooting last year.
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For media inquiries, please email SLED’s Public Information Office: pio@sled.sc.gov
