(FreedomBeacon.com)- Rusty Clevenger, the coroner for Spartanburg County, said on February 3 that Darius L.J. Holcomb, 39, passed away after being shot by police at 191 South Carolina Avenue in the city of Spartanburg.
Holcomb, according to investigators, barricaded himself in a house, stabbed a police dog, and was subsequently slain by a Spartanburg County sheriff’s officer.
On February 2, at about 3:10 p.m., warrant officers from the sheriff’s office arrived at the house, according to Burgess’ press release. When they arrived, “the suspect” brandished a knife and threatened the officers.
The Post and Courier asked the sheriff’s office about the employment status of any participating deputies or if the guy was the target of warrants being served at the residence in connection with the incident on February 2.
Corporal John Burgess, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said that “Mr. Holcomb was the suspect in this event,” declining to reveal whether Holcomb was the subject of the warrants. The warrants’ nature wasn’t made clear.
In an email, Burgess said, “I can not offer any additional information since it is an open investigation.”
Later in the afternoon, the State Law Enforcement Division confirmed in a press release that deputies attempted to serve outstanding warrants connected to Holcomb.
After the police arrived, the family evacuated the house when the suspect locked himself in a bedroom, according to Burgess. After that, discussions began.
Deputies used tear gas, and the bedroom door was forced open.
When a K9 from the sheriff’s office entered the house, the suspect stabbed the K9, according to Burgess. Holcomb was then shot by “at least one deputy.”
According to SLED’s announcement, a SWAT squad was sent to the scene during a “standoff.” A deputy “then shot at Holcomb” as he started attacking the K9 with a “sharp item.” According to SLED, Holcomb died at the scene.
Although the stabbed K9 will undergo therapy, according to Burgess’ first assessment, the animal will “be OK.”
This is the first shooting involving the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in this new year and the fourth officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2023. The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office was involved in three of the 32 officer-related shootings last year.
