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The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) issued another update this week on an officer-involved shooting that took place in Greenville County last month. As first reported by this media outlet, the shooting left one suspect wounded – and left a K9 deputy of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) seriously injured after being stabbed.
According to SLED’s news release, 51-year-old James Edgar Hopkins of Taylors, S.C. was charged with aggravated breach of peace, cruelty to a police dog, and resisting arrest with a deadly weapon on Monday (June 2, 2024).
The charges stem from an incident which took place on May 13, 2024. GGSO deputies – along with agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – were attempting to apprehend Hopkins on multiple outstanding warrants.
“Officers located Hopkins at a hotel on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greenville,” SLED’s release noted. “Officers attempted to apprehend (him) outside the hotel. During the encounter, Hopkins was armed with a knife. Officers discharged Tasers and a bean bag gun at Hopkins, who stabbed a GCSO K9 and ran into a nearby Bank of America parking lot. GCSO deputies discharged their firearms, striking Hopkins.”
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Hopkins was transported to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital under a heavy police escort. The GCSO K9 was transported to an animal hospital for treatment. No other injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
Both Hopkins and the K9 – named “Micky” – survived their injuries.
It’s been a rough year for K9s in South Carolina. In October, a SLED K9 – Rico – was shot and killed by a suspect attempting to evade capture in connection with another shooting. The crime spree was launched scarcely a month after the suspect – 38-year-old Ernest Burbage III – appeared before notoriously lenient S.C. circuit court judge Bentley Price on a weapons charge. Rather than lock him up – or refer him to the feds for prosecution – Price turned him back out onto the streets.
For those of you new to South Carolina, SLED investigates officer-involved shootings as a matter of protocol in the vast majority of local law enforcement jurisdictions in the Palmetto State – presenting investigative reports to the solicitor with jurisdiction over the county or municipality where the shooting transpired.
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RELATED | FATAL OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN FLORENCE COUNTY
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Last month’s shooting in Greenville County marked the 16th officer involved shooting in South Carolina and the second involving GCSO. There have been three additional incidents since then. In 2023, there were 43 officer involved shootings in South Carolina (including three involving GCSO). That’s just shy of the record of 49 set in 2017 and matched in 2020.
As with all cases, Hopkins is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such times as he may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges that may be filed against him.
Hopkins was booked at the Greenville County detention center where he is being held on a $20,000 bond. His case will he handled by the office of S.C. thirteenth circuit solicitor Walt Wilkins.
THE PRESS RELEASE
(SLED)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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1 comment
See, what he did wrong was, he didn’t go after a goat next.