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Armed robbery suspect shot and killed during struggle with Greenville County deputy

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Greenville County Sheriff’s deputies say an armed robbery suspect was shot and killed during a struggle with officers Friday.

Deputies said they responded to a Dollar General store west of Campobello in the Gowensville community around 10 a.m. Employees told the officers that the man had shown a gun and demanded money. The suspect fled when deputies arrived after a few minutes. Deputies said they lost the man in nearby woods after a short chase.

The Sheriff’s Office then searched for the suspect for two hours before a resident spotted a man that matched their description of the suspect. A spokesman said a K-9 and its handler spotted the man running through the woods and chased after him. The handler caught up with the suspect and said the other man began to struggle against him and the dog.

The spokesman said the handler yelled to other members of the search team that the suspect had a gun. One of the other team members fired as the fight continued, hitting the suspect.

The suspect was pronounced dead at scene. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office had not released his name as of Friday evening.

State Law Enforcement Division agents are investigating the incident, as they do for most officer-involved shootings in South Carolina.

SCRN Evening Newscast (AUDIO)

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Included in this afternoon’s final newscast:

— A 14-year-old accused of shooting three people outside Townville Elementary School has now been formally charged with murder.

— Meanwhile, the family of a 6-year-old critically injured in the shooting say he is now on life support due to a brain injury.

— Human remains believed to be that of a North Carolina teen missing for five years were found just across the border in SC

— A Marion County code enforcement officer is among two men charged in connection with the killing of 14 shelter cats there.

Police looking into ‘Kill Slager’ graffiti in Berkeley County

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Police are investigating a possible death threat against former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager.

Michael Slager (Image: North Charleston Police)

Michael Slager (Image: North Charleston Police)

According to the Charleston Post and Courier graffiti, saying “Kill Slager” was in black paint on a building was discovered late last week on U.S. Highway 176 in Berkeley County.

Slager is facing murder charges in the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott. A video of the killing was taken by a witness on a cell phone and turned over to police. The shooting came after Scott fled a traffic stop, then struggled with the officer in a vacant lot a block away. A bystander’s cell phone video showed Slager began shooting at Scott after the other man fled again, hitting him in the back.

The shooting stirred racial tensions in the community, given that Slager is white and Scott was black.

Slager was released on $500,000 bail in January and is under house arrest. After he was released someone set fire to his former rental house in Hanahan. That crime was never solved.

Family of 6-year-old Townville shooting victim say he remains on life support

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Family photo of Jacob Hall (Courtesy: Alan Clemmons)

Family photo of Jacob Hall (Courtesy: Alan Clemmons)

The family of a 6-year-old shot and critically injured in Wednesday afternoon’s shooting at Townville Elementary School now say he has been placed on life support due to a brain injury.

Jacob Hall’s family posted an update Friday morning on his condition, saying blood loss due to the gunshot wound caused the kindergartner to suffer a brain injury. “Jacob is a very sick little boy and is fighting for his life,” the statement said. “Jacob is in very critical condition, and we are hanging on every second.”

Greenville Health Systems officials say Hall remains in critical care. “Jacob was shot in the leg. The bullet hit his femoral artery, causing massive blood loss, which led to cardiopulmonary arrest,” GHS Children’s Hospital pediatric surgeon Dr. Keith Webb said. “He has undergone surgery and a number of procedures to try to stabilize his condition.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Hall’s parents pay their bills during the boy’s time in the hospital. The page said more than $112,000 had been raised as of Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the teen accused of shooting Hall and three others has now been charged with one count of murder and three for attempted murder. The charges were revealed during a family court hearing on Friday. The juvenile’s name has not been released due to his age, but investigators say he shot and killed his father 47-year-old Jeffrey Osborne shortly before driving to the Townville school.

Investigators still have not given a motive for the shootings, but say the suspect was homeschooled and has no ties to Townville of which they are aware.

Ex-Marion County employee accused of killing more than a dozen stray cats taken from shelter

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A former Marion County employee is facing criminal charges after 14 cats he and another man removed from the county’s animal shelter were later found dead.

State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) warrants released Thursday say County Code Enforcer Marion Richardson is charged with misconduct in office and animal euthanasia violation, while a supervisor Henry Rogers will also face the euthanasia violation.

The arrest warrants say both men traveled to the Marion County Animal Shelter and picked up the animals, telling the shelter director they would be given to a farmer. But the warrants state the men actually took the cats to the Old Marion County Landfill, where Richardson shot and killed them.

State law does not allow shelter animals to be shot unless “exigent circumstances” exist, such as people or other animal life being threatened or if the state Department of Natural Resources considers it necessary to eliminate or control the population of feral animals.

Richardson’s attorney released a statement on behalf of her client, saying that the officer thought he was simply doing his job. “He was called by the animal shelter to pick up the cats and dispose of them,” Rose Mary Parham said in the statement. “That is exactly what he did. Shooting a feral cat in the back of the head is actually a more humane way of killing it than using carbon monoxide. Marion loves animals and has an indoor cat of his own. It is a wonder anyone would want to be a law enforcement officer when we not only fire them, but charge them with a crime for doing their job.”

County Administrator Tim Harper said he fired Richardson earlier this month after the 14 cats the code officer took from the shelter were found dead.

South Carolina colleges make ranking list of best colleges in nation

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Five South Carolina colleges made a national ranking list of best institutions in the country.

Furman University

Furman University scored the highest on the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings of U.S. colleges. The private Greenville school came in at No. 130 in the national rankings.

Clemson University was next best at No. 207. Wofford College in Spartanburg at 210. The University of South Carolina-Columbia was at 256. The Citadel is the last S.C. school to make the top 500 at No. 487. The Charleston military school tied in the survey with Barry University in Miami, Fla., Maryville University in St. Louis and Mississippi State.

The survey looks at a variety of student outcomes in terms of salary earned 10 years after graduation and the rate of student debt repaid. Resources available to students and student surveys about the campus and community environment also played into the rankings.

Furman graduates earn an average of $47,100 a decade after leaving school, according to federal loan records, and have a repayment rate of 97 percent.

Clemson University Tigers also earned a higher income thatnecr in the survey, at $50,100.

Wofford College average grad salary: $48,200.

The University of South Carolina-Columbia 10-year income of $42,100

 

 

Mother of Townville shooting suspect: We cannot express the devastation we feel

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Family photo of Jacob Hall (Courtesy: Alan Clemmons)

Family photo of Jacob Hall (Courtesy: Alan Clemmons)

The mother of a teen who Anderson County authorities say shot and killed his father at home before driving to Townville Elementary School and injuring three more people on a playground says she “absolutely shocked and saddened” by his actions.

While the teen is not being identified by investigators due to his minor age (reported to be 14 years old), he is the son of Jeffrey and Tiffany Osborne, who lived roughly three miles from the school.

Tiffany Osborne and other family members released a statement Thursday morning. “Our entire family is absolutely shocked and saddened by the senseless actions of our son and grandson. We are praying and will continue to do so for the two precious children who were wounded,  and for their courageous teacher who was wounded while rescuing the children. We cannot express the devastation we feel at the loss of our beloved Jeff. We are thankful to have friends who have expressed their sympathy and support to Tiffney at the loss of her husband. Please pray for our family that the Lord will help us as we face this unimaginable ordeal.” [Read more…]

SCRN Evening Newscast (AUDIO)

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Included in this evening’s newscast:

— Greenville hospital officials say a kindergartner remains in critical condition after he was shot outside Townville Elementary School.

— Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper said investigators have not been able to determine a motive why the teen attacked the school.

— A Berkeley County school bus driver has been arrested on allegations of sexual misconduct with a girl.

— Funeral services are now set for a respected member of the South Carolina circuit court who died from cancer Wednesday.

Charleston Harbor deepening clears another hurdle

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The Charleston Harbor deepening project is another step closer to fruition after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Development Act this week. Differences between the House version and what senators approved earlier this month must now be worked out before it can go to President Obama for his signature.

Container ships in Charleston harbor (File)

Container ships in Charleston harbor (File)

South Carolina Ports Authority leaders applauded the state’s congressional delegation for working to get the federal bill passed. “Passage of this bill by the House represents another hurdle cleared for Charleston Harbor Deepening,” said SCPA Board Chairman Pat McKinney. “We are deeply appreciative of our entire delegation’s efforts. This milestone is the result of years of hard work and ensures our Port’s world-class deepening project remains on track.”

The project was formally recommended for Congressional authorization in January with the issuance of the Record of Decision by the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).

The project has moved expeditiously through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SMART Planning process and received strong support by all levels of government. In 2012 the S.C. General Assembly set aside $300 million for the state share of the project, and it was expedited by the Administration as a “We Can’t Wait” initiative.

Upon completion, the project will deepen the Charleston Harbor to 54 feet at the entrance channel and 52 feet in the harbor to handle larger next-generation container vessels already arriving at the port.