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Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred at a Florence, S.C. apartment complex on Monday evening (July 22, 2024).
On the day of the incident, officers of the Florence Police Department (FPD) and deputies with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) were dispatched to the Brittany Place apartments (2809 Kinloch Court) – a complex located approximately three-and-a-half miles southwest of downtown Florence.
Officers and deputies were dispatched to the complex to serve a search warrant – and a murder warrant – on 41-year-old Matthew Barry. Police were seeking Barry in connection with the shooting death of 34-year-old Idris Chance Ali Cooper only a day earlier. Cooper was found on the ground in a parking lot next to a running vehicle at the Colonial Gardens apartment complex early Sunday morning.
According to Florence police, he had “multiple gunshot wounds” and died at the scene.
Probable cause affidavits attested to Barry as the alleged murderer of Cooper, and efforts to apprehend him also ended violently.
“Deputies and Florence officers are attempting to serve a warrant on Brittany place,” Florence police captain Stephen Starling said on Monday as the incident was unfolding. “The subject is barricaded in the apartment.”
“While attempting to have the suspect surrender, the incident evolved into an officer involved shooting,” Starling added in a follow-up statement.
During the exchange of gunfire, Barry was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
According to SLED, no officers were injured during the encounter. The statewide law enforcement agency was asked to investigate the shooting per the request of both the Florence police and Florence sheriff.
SLED investigates officer-involved shootings as a matter of protocol in the vast majority of local law enforcement jurisdictions in the Palmetto State – presenting independent investigative reports to the solicitor with jurisdiction over the county or municipality where the shooting transpired.
SLED stated its agents will continue to investigate this incident by conducting interviews with all potential witnesses, collect all relevant evidence and forensically test such evidence as needed and summarize information gathered during the investigation in a case file report to be submitted to prosecutors.
As this is an ongoing investigation, SLED announced that “no other information” will be disclosed at this time.
Monday’s shooting marks South Carolina’s 27th officer-involved shooting this year – and the first officer-involved shooting in Florence County in 2024.
In 2023, South Carolina had a total of 43 officer-involved shootings – which is less than half of the reported officer-involved shootings so far this year – none of which involved the Florence Police Department.
Count on this media outlet to provide our audience with any pertinent updates regarding the status of SLED’s investigation.
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THE RELEASE …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from J. L. Mann High School in 2021. She is currently a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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2 comments
Pray for our law enforcement. They have the hardest job.
27th, 43rd, less than half, I Don’t understand your math