SLED Probes Officer-Involved Shooting in Orangeburg County

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by ERIN PARROTT

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Agents with the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have opened an independent criminal investigation into an officer-involved shooting that took place on Sunday (February 1, 2026) in Orangeburg County.

On the morning of the incident, deputies with the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) responded to a home on Neeses Highway for a reported domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, deputies encountered a man outside the residence armed with a rifle.

As additional deputies arrived on the scene, a tense confrontation unfolded. At some point during the encounter, deputies fired at the armed man. Despite the shots, no one – neither law enforcement nor the suspect – was shot or injured, officials said.

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The man – whose identity has not been released – was subsequently taken into custody without further incident, and OCSO requested that SLED conduct an investigation.

In its official statement, SLED said agents will interview all potential witnesses, collect relevant physical evidence and conduct forensic testing as necessary. Once complete, those findings will be compiled into a case file to be submitted to local prosecutors.

“SLED’s goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as timely as is possible under the circumstances,” the agency said. No further details are being released at this time.

This incident marks the first officer-involved shooting involving OCSO in 2026 – and the sixth statewide. Three of those incidents have been fatal. By comparison, there were 45 such shootings across South Carolina in 2025.

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SLED investigates officer-involved shootings in the vast majority of county and municipal jurisdictions in the state, aiming to provide an objective look at whether criminal conduct occurred.

Even when no one is injured, officer-involved shootings carry significant community interest and scrutiny, particularly in counties like Orangeburg – where there has been a historically fraught relationship with law enforcement. That tension dates back to events like the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre, a civil rights era police shooting that remains one of the darkest chapters in state history.

FITSNews will continue to monitor this developing story and update readers as SLED releases more details or prosecutors weigh in.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.

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