Suspect shot, killed by officer after threatening store manager in Easley, officials say
A suspect was shot and killed by law enforcement after threatening to harm the manager of a Tractor Supply Company store, according to the Easley Police Department and the coroner's office.
Easley police said they were called about 10:50 a.m. Monday about a person threatening physical harm to a manager at Tractor Supply Company on Rolling Hills Circle.
Police said the threats were made after the person was confronted for trying to steal merchandise.
While responding to the store, officers got information that the suspect was at another location on Rollings Hills Circle.
They said at that location, the suspect had a gas can and was threatening to pour gasoline on someone's car.
"An individual trailed behind him trying to get the vehicle license tag information for our agency. Once the suspect arrived at 752 Rolling Hills, he began threatening to pour gasoline on the caller's vehicle," Easley Police Lt. Ashley Anderson said. "We haven't been able to confirm whether or not the caller's vehicle did actually have gasoline poured on their vehicle. That's part of the investigation."
Officers said they responded, found the suspect and tried to de-escalate the situation.
"Once officers arrived and confronted the suspect, they attempted to de-escalate the situation, but ultimately, one officer discharged their weapon due to that incident," Anderson said.
The Pickens County Coroner's Office confirmed to WYFF News 4 that a death investigation was underway at this location.
"The only thing that we can release right now is that we have one subject who is dead. It is a male, and he is in his 20s," Chief Deputy Coroner Andrew Wilson said.
The man's name has not been released.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will investigate.
"Our office, as well as the Easley City Police Department and SLED, we're are all working together, and in the next couple of days, we will have an autopsy performed," Wilson said.