Darius Holcomb SLED Full Report

P.O.
Box 21398
South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina
Law Enforcement Division 29221-1398
Henry D. McMaster, Governor

Tel· (803) 737-9000
Mark A. Kee� Chief
May 19, 2023
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
TO: File 34-23-0016
FROM: Special Agent Colby Grigg
RE: Officer-Involved Shooting
Holcomb, Darius L J (Subject)

Bennett, Wesley Edward (Officer)
COUNTY: Spartanburg
Introduction
On February 2, 2023, Captain (Capt.) Steve Cooper, Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office
(SCSO), requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigate an officer
involved shooting (OIS) that occurred on February 2, 2023, within Spartanburg County. SLED
Capt. Jeff Kindley assigned Special Agent (SIA) Colby Grigg to conduct the investigation. Capt.
Kindley, Lieutenant (Lt.) M. Skipper Wallace, Senior Special Agent (SSIA) Michelle Rice
Johnson, and SIA Matthew Davis responded to assist with the investigation. SLED Crime Scene
SIA Maggie Pauli, SIA Hunter Seymour, and SIA Patrick Ward responded to process the scene.
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File 34-23-0016-Investigative Report
May 19, 2023
Page 2 of 54
Overview
On February 2, 2023, SLED agents responded to the OIS scene located at
Spartanburg, SC. Agent's Note: SLED agents arrived on scene at approximately 6:10
p. m. with rainy weather conditions and an approximate temperature of46'F. Upon arrival, S/A
Matthew Davis was briefed by SCSO Capt. Cooper, SCSO Capt. Raymond Gist, and SCSO Lt.
Steve Henderson. On February 3, 2023, S/A Grigg was provided with the SCSO incident report,
case number 23020102 (Attachment 1). Agent's Note: A complete copy ofthe SCSO incident
report which included all supplemental reports was provided on February 17, 2023. The
following was an overview of the information provided: On February 2, 2023, at approximately
3: 10 p.m.., SCSO Deputy Sean Coats, SCSO Deputy Brady Branson, and SCSO Deputy Stephen
Clontz responded to Spartanburg, in an attempt to locate Darius
Holcomb, who had active warrants. Darius Holcomb had two warrants (Attachment 2) for
resisting arrest and a bench warrant for failure to appear, issued by the Spartanburg County
Magistrate Court. Upon arrival, Deputy Coats and Deputy Clontz made contact with Darius
Holcomb's mother, Terria Holcomb-Oath, at the front door. Deputy Coats told Terria Holcomb
Oath that Darius Holcomb had outstanding warrants. Terria Holcomb-Oath allowed deputies to
enter the residence.
After entering the living room., Deputy Coats and Deputy Clontz observed Darius Holcomb.
Darius Holcomb was holding an unidentified object, possibly a knife, in his right hand, near his
belt line area. He then ran into a bedroom., shut the door, and barricaded him.self inside the room..
Deputies notified dispatch of the situation and additional deputies began responding to the scene.
While waiting for backup to arrive, Darius Holcomb made threats to kill Deputy Coats.
Additional deputies and Spartanburg Police Department (SPD) Officers arrived on scene.
Additionally, SCSO negotiators and m.em.bers of the SCSO Specialized Weapons and Tactics
(SWAT) Team responded. Attempts were made to com.municate with Darius Holcomb to
peacefully surrender.
SCSO SWAT Com.mander, Lt. Anthony Hawkins, instructed deputies to deploy chemical
munitions into the bedroom in an attempt to force Darius Holcomb out. Agent's Note: Chemical
May 19, 2023
Page 3 of 54
munitions, commonly referred to as O/C gas, tear gas, or CS gas, were a chemical compound
that temporarily caused irritation to the eyes, mouth, lungs, and skin, and were used as a less
lethal tool to induce compliance in high-risk situations. After a period of time, Darius Holcomb
failed to exit. Lt. Hawkins then instructed deputies to deploy additional chemical munitions.
Again, Darius Holcomb failed to exit. Lt. Hawkins decided the bedroom would be breached by
deputies and a patrol service dog (PSD) would be deployed into the room. Deputy Coats
breached the bedroom door and Deputy Shane Shehan deployed PSD, K-9 Atlas, into the
bedroom. K-9 Atlas made contact with Darius Holcomb. Darius Holcomb was observed by
deputies holding a "two pronged type weapon" (Deputy Coats' supplemental report). Agent's
Note: The weapon was later identified as a carving fork. He began to strike at K-9 Atlas with
the weapon. SCSO Sergeant (Sgt.) Wesley Bennett discharged his department issued service
weapon (Shadow System XR920 semi-automatic handgun, 9x19mm caliber, serial number
striking Darius Holcomb. Darius Holcomb fell to the ground. Deputies entered the
bedroom and moved Darius Holcomb into the living room where they handcuffed him and began
to assess his injuries. Medical aid was rendered, and emergency medical services (EMS) were
requested. EMS arrived on scene and subsequently pronounced Darius Holcomb deceased. No
deputies were injured during the incident. K-9 Atlas sustained a 1.5 cm superficial linear
abrasion below his left nostril.
During this investigation, SLED Agents learned SPD Officers attempted to serve Darius
Holcomb's bench warrant on January 27, 2023, and January 28, 2023. During each attempt
Darius Holcomb failed to comply which resulted in a resisting arrest warrant being obtained for
each incident by the SPD. Subsequently, SPD Officers requested the assistance of the SCSO to
serve these warrants which led to the events on February 2, 2023.
File 34-23-0016 - Investigative Report
May 19, 2023
Page 4 of 54
Deployment ofK-9 Atlas into "Bedroom l." (SCSO Sgt. Zach Featherston's BWC video)
K-9 Atlas making contact with Darius Holcomb as Darius Holcomb grasped a carving fork and
began striking at K-9 Atlas.
(Sgt. Bennett's BWC video)
File 34-23-0016- Investigative Report
May 19, 2023
Page 5 of54
First shot fired by Sgt. Bennett as Darius Holcomb was striking at K-9 Atlas.
(Sgt. Bennett's BWC video)
Summary
Agent's Note: The interviews summarized in this report represent the synopsis of the interviews
and are not verbatim transcripts unless otherwise indicated. Please refer to the corresponding
attachments for the complete interviews.
PRIOR INVOLVEMENT OF THE SPD WITH DARIUS HOLCOMB
On February 10, 2023, SIA Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed SPD Officer Dylan Davis
at the SPD. The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Officer Dylan Davis
provided a prepared statement (Attachment 4) and the following information: He reviewed his
body worn camera (BWC) video prior to completing his prepared statement. Officer Dylan Davis
had approximately four years of law enforcement experience all of which were with the SPD.
He was a K-9 handler for the past two years. He was also a member of the SPD Tactical
Neutralization Team (TNT) for the past three years. Officer Dylan Davis had multiple
encounters with Darius Holcomb over the past few years and knew he had a mental health
problem. Darius Holcomb was also combative during previous encounters. Officer Dylan
Davis' most recent encounters with Darius Holcomb were on January 27, 2023, and January 28,
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2023. During each ofthose encounters, Officer Dylan Davis wore his SPD standard issued
uniform which included an outer carrier ballistic vest with a POLICE patch visible from the
front. He operated a fully marked Ford F-150 pickup patrol vehicle.
On January 27, 2023, Officer Dylan Davis responded with other SPD Officers to
in reference to arresting Darius Holcomb. Darius Holcomb was wanted for
violation ofthe sex offender registry. Agent's Note: Agents learned Darius Holcomb had a
bench warrant issued by the Spartanburg Magistrate Court for failure to appear in violation of a
bond set for sex offender registry violation first offense. Prior to officers' arrival on scene, SPD
Officer D. Smith contacted Darius Holcomb's mother, Terria Holcomb-Oath. Terria Holcomb
Oath advised Darius Holcomb was home and armed with a butcher knife. Upon arrival, officers
made contact with Darius Holcomb at the front door ofthe residence and told him he had a
warrant for his arrest. Darius Holcomb closed the front door and refused to exit the residence.
Terria Holcomb-Oath was locked out of the residence. Officer Dylan Davis requested the TNT
to respond, but the request was denied. Agent's Note: Agents later learned the request was
denied by SPD Sgt. Justin Colegrove, commander of the TNT Officers then left the residence
due to Darius Holcomb being in the residence alone and his mental state. An additional warrant
for resisting arrest was then obtained by SPD Officer D. Smith.
On January 28, 2023, at approximately 5:14 p.m., Officer Dylan Davis contacted Terria
Holcomb-Oath by phone. Officer Dylan Davis spoke with Terria Holcomb-Oath about finding a
peaceful resolution for Darius Holcomb to turn himselfin to officers. Terria Holcomb-Oath
stated she could have Darius Holcomb turn himselfin within an hour. At approximately 5:34
p.m., Terria Holcomb-Oath contacted Officer Dylan Davis and explained Darius Holcomb
slammed her to the ground and attempted to choke her. Terria Holcomb-Oath did not want to
pursue charges against her son but told Officer Dylan Davis to pick Darius Holcomb up on the
active charges. Officer Dylan Davis asked ifDarius Holcomb had a knife. Terria Holcomb
Oath responded, "I don't know, he may have one." At approximately 5:45 p.m., Terria
Holcomb-Oath contacted Officer Dylan Davis and stated Darius Holcomb was in the yard. She
did not know ifhe had a weapon. At approximately 6:01 p.m., Officer Dylan Davis responded to
May 19, 2023
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the residence, Upon arrival, he observed Darius Holcomb in the

front yard. Officer Dylan Davis retrieved K-9 Seko and approached Darius Holcomb. Officer
Dylan Davis told Darius Holcomb he had two warrants for his arrest. Darius Holcomb ran
toward the residence and entered the front door. He then shut the door and again refused to exit.
Officer Dylan Davis briefly spoke with Terria Holcomb-Oath. Terria Holcomb-Oath stated she
was not in fear for her safety. Due to Darius Holcomb's mental state and the decision to leave
the residence the previous night, Officer Dylan Davis chose to not force entry and instead left the
residence. Officer Dylan Davis then obtained an additional warrant for resisting arrest against
Darius Holcomb. Officer Dylan Davis felt he exhausted all available SPD resources in an
attempt to arrest Darius Holcomb.
On February 10, 2023, SIA Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed SPD Officer Logan
Bradshaw at the SPD. The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Officer
Bradshaw provided a prepared statement (Attachment 5) and the following information: He
reviewed his BWC video after completing his prepared statement. He had four years of law
enforcement experience, all of which were at the SPD. He was currently assigned to uniformed
patrol and had also been a member of the SPD TNT for two years. On or around January 28,
2023, Officer Bradshaw spoke with Officer Dylan Davis in reference to SPD Officers attempting
to arrest Darius Holcomb for an active arrest warrant. The warrant was for violation of the sex
offender registry. Officer Dylan Davis explained officers were told to stand down after Darius
Holcomb barricaded himselfwithin his residence. Agent's Note: Officer Bradshaw was not
aware ofwho instructed officers to stand down. Officers then obtained an additional arrest
warrant for resisting arrest. Officer Bradshaw had prior encounters with Darius Holcomb
concerning him failing to register as a sex offender.
Agents interviewed SPD Major (Maj.) Arthur Littlejohn, SPD Capt. Tim Suber, SPD Lt. Leslie
McDonald, SPD Sgt. Justin Colgrove, and SPD Sgt. Brandy Edwards to determine why SPD
Officers were told the SPD TNT would not be activated on January 27, 2023, and January 28,
2023, when SPD Officers responded to Darius Holcomb's residence. The interviews were
video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). The following information was provided:
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Sgt. Edwards provided the following information as documented in a Memorandum of Interview

(MOI) (Attachment 6): Sgt. Edwards was one of the supervisors working when she heard SPD
Officers advise Darius Holcomb barricaded himself inside on the
police radio. Agent's Note: Upon a review of the SPD incident reports, this occurred on
January 27, 2023. Sgt. Edwards responded to the location and learned officers were trying to
apprehend Darius Holcomb in reference to an active warrant for failure to register as a sex
offender. Darius Holcomb was alone inside the residence, schizophrenic, and was not taking any
medication. While on scene, Sgt. Edwards notified SPD Lt. McDonald. Throughout various
phone calls, Lt. McDonald notified Sgt. Edwards the warrant was issued because Darius
Holcomb failed to pay a $100.00 fine. Some of the officers on scene were assigned to the SPD
TNT. Sgt. Edwards allowed Officer Dylan Davis to contact Sgt. Colegrove in reference to
activation of the TNT to apprehend Darius Holcomb. Agent's Note: Sgt. Colegrove was the
TNT Commander. Sgt. Colegrove decided the TNT would not be called in to apprehend Darius
Holcomb.
Sgt. Colegrove provided the following information as documented in an MOI (Attachment 7):
Sgt. Colegrove was the SPD TNT Commander. On January 27, 2023, he received a phone call
from Officer Dylan Davis. Officer Dylan Davis told Sgt. Colegrove that he and other SPD
Officers were out with an armed barricaded subject at Agent's
Note: It was not specified what Darius Holcomb was armed with. Sgt. Colegrove asked Officer
Dylan Davis for additional information and learned Darius Holcomb was alone in the residence,
had mental health issues, and barricaded himself when officers attempted to serve an older sex
offense warrant. Sgt. Colegrove told Officer Dylan Davis he would not activate the TNT. Sgt.
Colegrove said he would contact SPD Maj. Littlejohn about the incident for another opinion.
Agent's Note: Maj. Littlejohn was the previous commander for the TNT Although Sgt.
Colegrove is the current commander, the TNT is under the SPD's Field Services Bureau for
which Maj. Littlejohn is the ranking supervisor. Sgt. Colegrove briefed Maj. Littlejohn, who
agreed with Sgt. Colegrove's decision. Sgt. Colegrove told Officer Dylan Davis that Maj.
Littlejohn agreed with Sgt. Colegrove's decision.
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On January 28, 2023, Officer Dylan Davis called Sgt. Colegrove in reference to Darius Holcomb
again barricading himself inside the residence at Sgt. Colegrove
asked Officer Dylan Davis what circumstances were different from the previous encounter.
Officer Dylan Davis told Sgt. Colegrove he had obtained a resisting arrest warrant. Sgt.
Colegrove told Officer Dylan Davis the TNT would not respond.
Lt. McDonald provided a prepared statement (Attachment 8) and the following information: On
January 27, 2023, Lt. McDonald spoke with Sgt. Edwards in reference to officers attempting to
apprehend Darius Holcomb for a sex offense warrant. Lt. McDonald further investigated Darius
Holcomb's warrant and learned it was issued due to failure to pay fines related to sex offender
registry requirements. Lt. McDonald told Sgt. Edwards the TNT would not respond due to the
nature of the offense. Sgt. Colegrove then contacted Lt. McDonald and stated Officer Dylan
Davis contacted him in reference to the incident. Lt. McDonald contacted Sgt. Edwards and told
her to resolve the situation with the four TNT members on shift or clear the scene. The SPD
Officers on scene then cleared. The next morning, Lt. McDonald spoke with Officer Dylan
Davis after learning he was not happy about the decision made by command staff to not activate
the TNT. Lt. McDonald told Officer Dylan Davis failure to pay fines did not warrant a response
by the TNT which would risk injury to officers and Darius Holcomb, who was known to have
mental issues.
Capt. Suber provided the following information as documented in an MOI (Attachment 9):
Capt. Suber learned through his chain of command that SPD Officers responded to Darius
Holcomb's residence on two occasions to arrest him. Darius Holcomb had a warrant for
violation of the sex offender registry. During one of the encounters, Darius Holcomb barricaded
himself inside the residence and was armed with a knife. Family members on scene told officers
that Darius Holcomb had mental health problems. The on-scene supervisor, Sgt. Edwards,
contacted her supervisor, Lt. McDonald. Sgt. Edwards explained the situation to Lt. McDonald
and requested the TNT. Lt. McDonald then contacted Sgt. Colegrove. Sgt. Colegrove and Maj.
Littlejohn decided the TNT would not be utilized due to Darius Holcomb's reported mental
status and the low severity of the warrant. Lt. McDonald then contacted Sgt. Edwards to inform
May 19, 2023
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her the TNT would not be responding. Officers then stood down. A couple days later, SPD
Officers, including Officer Dylan Davis, responded back to Darius Holcomb's residence. Darius
Holcomb responded in a similar manner and refused to exit his residence. SPD Officer Dylan
Davis spoke with Sgt. Colegrove. Sgt. Colegrove maintained the decision to not send the TNT
and officers stood down. SPD Officers were told they should find an alternative method to arrest
Darius Holcomb such as a traffic stop or catch him walking along the road.
Maj. Littlejohn provided the following information as documented in an MOI (Attachment 10):
On January 27, 2023, Maj. Littlejohn received a phone call between 10:30 p.m. to 11 :00 p.m.
from Sgt. Colegrove. Sgt. Colegrove told Maj. Littlejohn he made the decision not to call out the
SPD TNT for Darius Holcomb refusing to exit the residence at Sgt.
Colegrove briefed Maj. Littlejohn on the information provided to him. Maj. Littlejohn explained
his thought process for agreeing with Sgt. Colegrove's decision. A call out of the TNT would
have introduced chemical agents into the residence. In the process of apprehending Holcomb,
there would have been damage to the residence. Holcomb was inside the residence alone with a
knife and had possible mental health issues. Based on what Holcomb was wanted for, being
inside alone with a knife, and mention of mental health issues would not justify a response by the
TNT to apprehend Holcomb. Maj. Littlejohn also weighed these factors with the safety of
officers and unnecessarily placing officers at risk. Maj. Littlejohn told S/A Matthew Davis he
believed officers would be able to find a better way to apprehend Darius Holcomb without the
use of the TNT.
SPD COMMUNICATION WITH SCSO SEEKING ASSISTANCE WITH SERVING WARRANTS

ON DARIUS HOLCOMB
Agent's Note: The following is a continuation of the information provided by Officer Dylan
Davis during his interview on February 10, 2023 (Attachments 3 and 4): Officer Dylan Davis
communicated via text message with Deputy Coats, a member of the SCSO Warrant Division, on
January 29, 2023, in reference to attempts by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb. Officer Dylan
Davis voluntarily offered to provide agents with his text message communications (Attachment
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11). Upon a review of the text messages provided by Officer Dylan Davis, the following was
noted:
• On January 29, 2023, at approximately 8:33 a.m., Officer Dylan Davis sent Deputy
Coats a text message. The message read:
Hey man, we're having an issue getting Darius Holcomb in custody this weekend.
We've signed two resisting arrest warrants. He continues to barricade himself
and we are getting stood down for forcible entry due to his mental state and the
severity of the original warrant. If you get him in custody let me know please. If
not, I'm going to work on it when I come back to work Wednesday. Agent's
Note: Deputy Coats was listed as "Officer Sean" in Officer Dylan Davis'
contacts.
• Deputy Coats replied, "He's always gave trouble. I'll work on him tomorrow."
Deputy Coats continued, "I have however talked mom into having sister turn him in
to me last time" followed by "So if no more fun ways to get him ... l'11 try that."
• Officer Dylan Davis replied, "Tried that yesterday."
Agent's Note: The following is a continuation of the information provided by Officer Bradshaw
during his interview on February JO, 2023 (Attachments 3 and 5): Officer Bradshaw
communicated with Deputy Coats via text message on January 31, 2023, and February 2, 2023,
in reference to Darius Holcomb. Upon request by agents, Officer Bradshaw voluntarily provided
his text message (Attachment 12) communications. Upon a review of the text messages
provided by Officer Bradshaw, the following was noted:
• On January 31, 2023, Officer Bradshaw sent Deputy Coats a text message. The
message read, "You go get Holcomb yet?" Deputy Coats replied, "Not yet. Been
swamped." Agent's Note: Deputy Coats was listed as "Coats Work SCSO" in
Officer Bradshaw's contacts.
• On February 2, 2023, at approximately 7:28 a.m., Officer Bradshaw sent Deputy
Coats a text message. The message read, "Davis went out again on the 28th and tried
to get him, ended up signing another resisting ... "
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• Deputy Coats replied, "Yup" and "He called me bout [sic] it's." Deputy Coats
continued, "Is he working today? Y'all wanta [sic] all go out with me and get him?"
• Officer Bradshaw replied, "He'll be in at 2, but he'd probably come in earlier to snag
him up. Ifthe city takes "lead" on it tho [sic] we'll get called off. Seems like mom is
willing to work with us tho [sic]."
• Deputy Coats replied, "Let's do it at 2:30. I'll 'take the lead'."
On March 21, 2023, S/A Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed Deputy Sean Coats at the
SCDC Administrative Office regarding the text messages he exchanged with SPD Officers.
Agent's Note: SLED Agents conducted an initial interview with Deputy Coats on February 8,
2023. During the interview, Deputy Coatsfailed to disclose his text message communications
with Officer Dylan Davis and Officer Bradshaw. The interview was video/audio recorded
(Attachment 3). The following information was obtained as documented in an MOI
(Attachment 13): Agents questioned Deputy Coats about his text message communications
with Officer Dylan Davis and Officer Bradshaw. Deputy Coats acknowledged he exchanged text
messages with the SPD officers but was not sure ifthe messages were still maintained on his
cellular device. Agents asked Deputy Coats ifhe would be willing to look at his cellular device
to determine ifthe messages were still on the device. Deputy Coats stated he did not feel
comfortable with the request. Agents then requested Deputy Coats provide his cellular device to
agents to be held for safekeeping until a search warrant was obtained to search his device.
Deputy Coats asked ifhe could provide screenshots ofthe text messages in question because he
did not want agents to see personal information between him and his wife that was stored on the
device. Agents allowed Deputy Coats to provide screenshots ofthe text messages as a temporary
solution until a search warrant could be obtained. Agents then asked Deputy Coats about one of
the text messages he sent Officer Dylan Davis in which he referenced "fun ways" to arrest
Darius Holcomb. Deputy Coats stated he was not referring to Darius Holcomb being killed;
however, Deputy Coats could not provide an explanation for what he meant. Deputy Coats then
ended the interview by leaving. Agent's Note: On March 22, 2023, agents obtained a search
warrant (Attachment 14) to seize and search Deputy Coats' cellular device. The search warrant
was executed on March 22, 2023. The SLED Computer Crime Center conducted a forensic
May 19, 2023
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extraction of Deputy Coats' cellular device. A copy of the SLED Computer Crime Center Report
will be included in an addendum after a review by SIA Grigg. On March 23, 2023, Capt. Cooper
i-nformed agents Deputy Coats resigned from the SCSO.
Upon a review of the text messages (Attachment 15) provided by Deputy Coats, the following
was noted:
• On January 28, 2023, Officer Bradshaw sent Deputy Coats a screenshot of Computer
Automated Dispatch (CAD) notes from an attempt by the SPD to arrest Darius
Holcomb. The notes stated officers attempted to serve an active bench warrant on
Darius Holcomb at his residence. Darius Holcomb shut, locked, and barricaded the
door. Darius Holcomb's mother stated he armed himself with a knife prior to
officers' arrival. Officers did not make forcible entry and Darius Holcomb was not
arrested. Officer Bradshaw followed the screenshot by texting, "I work with fucking
morons." Agent's Note: Officer Bradshaw did not include these text messages in the
information he provided agents on February 10, 2023.
• Other text messages provided concerning Darius Holcomb appeared consistent with
the text messages previously provided by Officer Dylan Davis and Officer Bradshaw.
EVENTS OF FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Agent's Note: The following is a continuation of the i-nformation provided by Officer Bradshaw
during his interview on February JO, 2023 (Attachments 3 and 5): On the morning of February
2, 2023, Officer Bradshaw reviewed the SCSO "hot list" which listed individuals with active
warrants. Officer Bradshaw observed Darius Holcomb on the list. After reviewing the hot list,
Officer Bradshaw discovered Darius Holcomb had a third arrest warrant. The third warrant was
for resisting arrest. Officer Bradshaw reviewed the incident report associated with the warrant
and learned Officer Dylan Davis obtained an additional warrant for resisting arrest after Darius
Holcomb failed to surrender during another attempted arrest. Agent's Note: This attempt took
place on January 28, 2023. Officer Bradshaw communicated with Deputy Coats in reference to
Darius Holcomb's warrants. Officer Bradshaw and Deputy Coats routinely assisted one another
May 19, 2023
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due to the SPD having low manpower. Deputy Coats said he would attempt to serve the
warrants and asked if Officer Bradshaw and Officer Dylan Davis could assist. Officer Bradshaw
agreed to assist. He told Deputy Coats they would be told to stand down if the SPD took the lead
and the situation led to a request for the TNT. Officer Bradshaw also told Deputy Coats that
Officer Dylan Davis would start his shift around 2:00 p.m. Officer Bradshaw did not provide
Deputy Coats any specific information concerning the warrants because he assumed Deputy
Coats conducted his own research. Officer Bradshaw and Deputy Coats decided to meet with
Officer Dylan Davis and additional deputies around 2:30 p.m. to serve the warrants. Officer
Bradshaw and Officer Dylan Davis received a call for service and were unable to meet deputies
at the designated time. After clearing the call for service, Officer Bradshaw responded to Darius
Holcomb's residence at approximately 3:15 p.m. Officer Bradshaw wore his standard issued
SPD uniform which included an outer carrier ballistic vest with a badge visible from the front.
He operated a fully marked patrol vehicle.
Upon arrival, Officer Bradshaw was informed Darius Holcomb had barricaded himself in a
bedroom which was adjacent to the living room. Deputy Coats was maintaining lethal cover on
the bedroom door due to Darius Holcomb possibly having a knife. Officer Bradshaw stood on
the front porch near the entry door. He heard Darius Holcomb talking and Deputy Coats said
Darius Holcomb threatened him. Officer Dylan Davis then arrived on scene and Officer
Bradshaw briefed him on the situation. Officer Bradshaw entered the residence and provided
less lethal cover on the bedroom door using his conducted electrical weapon (CEW) at the
request of Deputy Coats. Agent's Note: Maintaining cover on the bedroom door meant Officer
Bradshaw was prepared to respond to any threats that may have presented from the bedroom.
Officer Bradshaw, Deputy Coats, and Deputy Clontz all made attempts to speak with Darius
Holcomb to facilitate a peaceful surrender. Officer Bradshaw heard Darius Holcomb say, "I'm
slangin [sic]." Agent's Note: Officer Bradshaw believed "slangin" meantfighting. After
additional deputies arrived on scene, Officer Bradshaw exited the residence and provided cover
at the rear of the structure. Officer Bradshaw then left the scene to retrieve Darius Holcomb's
warrants from city records. Upon returning to the scene, Officer Bradshaw showed the warrants
to deputies before placing the warrants in Deputy Branson' s patrol vehicle. Officer Dylan Davis
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then called Officer Bradshaw. Officer Dylan Davis stated SPD Sgt. Christina Morgan called and
said for Officer Bradshaw to clear the scene. Officer Bradshaw left and resumed answering calls
for service. Officer Bradshaw's BWC was activated during the incident. Agent's Note: Officer
Bradshaw's BWC video was consistent with his statement.
Agent's Note: The following is a continuation of the iriformation provided by Officer Dylan
Davis during his interview on February JO, 2023 (Attachments 3 and 4): On February 2, 2023,
Officer Bradshaw informed Officer Dylan Davis that SCSO Deputies would be attempting to
serve Darius Holcomb's warrants at approximately 3:00 p.m. At approximately 3:15 p.m.,
Officer Dylan Davis responded to to assist the SCSO. Officer Dylan
Davis wore his SPD standard issued uniform which included an outer carrier ballistic vest with a
POLICE patch visible from the front. Upon arrival, Officer Dylan Davis observed deputies
inside the residence. Officer Dylan Davis was informed Darius Holcomb refused to comply with
deputies' commands and barricaded himself inside a bedroom. He was also informed Darius
Holcomb was armed with a knife. Officer Dylan Davis retrieved K-9 Seko and provided
perimeter security at the back left corner of the residence in case Darius Holcomb attempted to
flee. At approximately 4:55 p.m., Officer Dylan Davis was informed Darius Holcomb made
threats to kill deputies and O/C gas would be deployed. Around 5:39 p.m., Officer Dylan Davis
heard shots fired from inside the residence. Officer Dylan Davis placed K-9 Seko inside his
patrol vehicle and assisted with scene security as medical aid was rendered. Officer Dylan
Davis' BWC was activated during the incident. Agent's Note: Officer Dylan Davis' BWC video
was consistent with his statement.
On February 8, 2023, S/A Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed Deputy Sean Coats at the
SCSO. The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Deputy Coats provided a
prepared statement (Attachment 16) and the following information: He reviewed his BWC
video after completing his prepared statement. He had approximately six years of law
enforcement experience and was employed at the SCSO for the last three years. He was
previously employed by the SPD. During his employment at the SCSO, he was assigned to the
warrants division. He also served as a member of the SCSO SWAT Team for the last year.
May 19, 2023
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Deputy Coats was primarily assigned to serve warrants in the city of Spartanburg and
surrounding areas. He previously arrested Darius Holcomb multiple times for outstanding
warrants. During one arrest, Deputy Coats spoke with Darius Holcomb's sister who agreed to
turn Darius Holcomb in at the Spartanburg County Detention Center (SCDC). During the arrest,
Darius Holcomb was "super nice."
On or around February 2, 2023, Deputy Coats communicated with Officer Dylan Davis and
Officer Bradshaw in reference to active arrest warrants for Darius Holcomb. Agent's Note:
Deputy Coats did not inform agents ofthe text messages he exchanged with SPD Officers.
Officer Dylan Davis and Officer Bradshaw provided Deputy Coats with the following
information: The SPD responded to Darius Holcomb's residence and attempted to serve his
active arrest warrants. During one attempt, Darius Holcomb was observed within the yard and
ran back inside of the residence after officers made contact with him. During another attempt,
Darius Holcomb refused to exit the residence and officers cleared from the scene. Deputy Coats
reviewed SPD Incident Reports for at least one of the encounters and learned Darius Holcomb
allegedly choked and slammed his mother after officers left the residence. Agent's Note: An
audit o/Spillman by the SCSO (Attachment 17), which is a report database used by the SCSO
and the SPD, revealed Deputy Coats reviewed SPD incident reports from each incident on
February 2, 2023, prior to the O1S.
On February 2, 2023, Deputy Coats met Deputy Branson and Deputy Clontz near
as they planned to serve the warrants for Darius Holcomb. Officer Dylan
Davis and Officer Bradshaw planned to meet deputies but were delayed due to a call for service.
Due to it being later in the day, Deputy Coats opted to serve the warrants without SPD Officers.
Upon arrival, Deputy Coats approached the front door and knocked. A juvenile opened the door
and Darius Holcomb's mother, Terria Holcomb-Oath, greeted deputies. Agent's Note: The
juvenile was later identified by SLED Agents as Deputy Coats knew Terria
Holcomb-Oath from past encounters during arrests of Darius Holcomb. Deputy Coats told
Terria Holcomb-Oath deputies were there due to Darius Holcomb having active warrants. Terria
Holcomb-Oath allowed deputies to enter the living room. Upon entering the residence, Darius
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Holcomb was standing in the living room clinching an unknown item, possibly a knife, in his
right hand near his belt line. Terria Holcomb-Oath stated several times, "I don't know what's in
his hand." Darius Holcomb then ran into a bedroom located in the front left comer of the
residence and barricaded the door. Deputy Coats instructed other deputies to ask Terria
Holcomb-Oath and to exit the residence via the back door. Deputy Coats used
his radio to notify dispatch of the situation.
Deputy Coats held cover on the bedroom door as he waited for additional deputies to arrive. He
heard Darius Holcomb say he was going to kill him. As additional deputies arrived, Darius
Holcomb made more threats to kill deputies. Agent's Note: Deputy Coats' BWC was not
activated at the time he made initial contact with Darius Holcomb. Agents asked Deputy Coats
why his BWC was not activated, and he explained he thought it was activated Sgt. Bennett was
the first SCSO supervisor to arrive on scene. Agent's Note: Sgt. Bennett was not Deputy Coats'
direct supervisor. Deputy Coats did not provide Sgt. Bennett with any information concerning
the prior attempts made by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb. Several callouts to Darius
Holcomb were made by deputies, some of whom were negotiators, instructing Darius Holcomb
to exit the bedroom with his hands empty. After Darius Holcomb repeatedly failed to exit the
bedroom, Lt. Hawkins instructed Deputy Coats to port a window on the front of the residence
which allowed access into the bedroom; Agent's Note: Porting a window meant to brealdbreach
the window. Chemical munitions were then deployed into the bedroom via the window in an
attempt to force Darius Holcomb out. Darius Holcomb instead barricaded both windows
preventing access to the bedroom and failed to exit. Lt. Hawkins then instructed Deputy Coats to
breach the bedroom door. Deputy Coats could not recall specific instructions given concerning
the intended plan upon breaching the door but assumed a K-9 would be introduced into the
bedroom. Deputy Coats intended to be the "hands on" deputy after breaching the door. Agent's
Note: The deputy assigned to going hands on would facilitate gaining control of and
handcuffing the subject.
Upon breaching the door, Deputy Coats encountered a dresser which was being used to barricade
the doorway. Deputy Coats knocked the dresser over to allow access into the room. He then
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removed the door from the frame and set it aside. Deputy Coats observed Darius Holcomb
standing in the center of the bedroom holding a two-pronged weapon in his right hand. A K-9
engaged Darius Holcomb. Deputy Coats was standing behind Sgt. Bennett who had a shield.
Darius Holcomb then came toward Deputy Coats and Sgt. Bennett "aggressively" with the
weapon. Deputy Coats further clarified "aggressively" by stating Darius Holcomb moved
toward deputies, but did not sprint, and pointed the weapon toward them. Sgt. Bennett then
discharged approximately four to five rounds from his service weapon at Darius Holcomb "to
end the deadly force threat." Darius Holcomb fell to the ground while still grasping the weapon.
Deputy Coats believed he attempted to draw his service weapon, but Sgt. Bennett fired before he
was able to do so. Deputies then secured Darius Holcomb in handcuffs and Deputy Coats
removed the weapon from the immediate area using his foot. Darius Holcomb was moved into
the living room where deputies began administering medical aid. EMS arrived on scene and
relieved deputies of medical care, at which time Deputy Coats exited the residence. Deputy
Coats' BWC was activated during the incident.
Deputy Coats received SWAT training covering K-9 entries into a room but could not
specifically recall training that would outline the appropriate response to deadly force being used
against a K-9. Agent's Note: Sgt. Bennett, Sgt. Featherston, and Deputy Welborn 's BWC video
was inconsistent with Deputy Coats' prepared statement. Darius Holcomb was not observed
pointing the weapon at deputies or coming toward them aggressively prior to shots fired.
On February 9, 2023, S/A Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed SCSO Sgt. Wesley
Bennett at KD Trial Lawyers, 178 W. Main Street, Spartanburg. The interview was video/audio
recorded (Attachment 3). Prior to the interview, Sgt. Bennett read and completed a SLED
Acknowledgment of Voluntary Statement (AVS) form (Attachment 18). Sgt. Bennett was
represented by his attorney, Stephen Denton. Sgt. Bennett provided a prepared statement
(Attachment 19) and the following information: He reviewed his BWC video after completing
his prepared statement. He had seven years of law enforcement experience all of which were at
the SCSO. He also served as a member of the Army National Guard for the last six years. He
was promoted to sergeant within the warrants division approximately four months ago, after
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working uniform patrol. He was also a member of the SCSO SWAT Team for approximately
the last four years. From March 4, 2019, through November 29, 2019, he took a leave of
absence from the SCSO in reference to military related duties. On February 2, 2023, he wore his
SCSO issued uniform with a black SCSO hooded sweatshirt under his ballistic vest. His ballistic
vest had SHERIFF patches on both the front and back. He operated his issued unmarked black
Chevrolet Tahoe.
On February 2, 2023, Sgt. Bennett was at the SCDC when he heard radio traffic from deputies
assigned to the SCSO Warrant Division attempting to locate a wanted subject at
Agent's Note: The subject was later identified as Darius Holcomb. Shortly
after deputies arrived at the address, Sgt. Bennett heard Deputy Branson ask dispatch to hold all
radio communications. Deputies then advised over the radio Darius Holcomb was armed with a
knife, threatened them, and retreated into a bedroom. Due to the severity of the situation, Sgt.
Bennett left the SCDC and responded to the scene with his emergency equipment activated.
Upon arrival, Sgt. Bennett approached the residence. He observed SPD Officers standing in
front of the residence and SCSO Deputies just inside the front door of the residence. Sgt.
Bennett approached the front door and observed SCSO Deputy Matt Smith conducting
negotiations with Darius Holcomb. Sgt. Bennett then made contact with Deputy Coats who
briefed him on the situation. Deputy Coats advised he responded to the residence with Deputy
Branson and Deputy Clontz after learning Darius Holcomb was inside. Upon arrival, they
surrounded the residence and Deputy Coats attempted to make contact with Darius Holcomb.
Deputy Coats was met by Darius Holcomb's mother. Deputy Coats explained to her that Darius
Holcomb had active warrants for violation of the sex offender registry and resisting arrest.
Darius Holcomb was observed further back in the living room and became irate. It appeared
Darius Holcomb was holding a large knife. He began threatening deputies with the knife before
running into an adjoining bedroom and refusing to exit. Deputy Coats also told Sgt. Bennett that
SPD Officers previously attempted to arrest Darius Holcomb on two occasions for his active
warrants, and he responded in a similar manner. SPD Officers opted to leave the residence. Sgt.
Bennett advised he was not aware of the previous attempts made by SPD Officers until being
briefed on scene by Deputy Coats. Agent's Note: Upon a review ofSgt. Bennett's BWC video,
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Sgt. Bennett spoke with SCSO Deputy Sean Biggs concerning the arrest attempts made by the
SPD upon exiting his vehicle and approaching the residence. Based on this information, Sgt.
Bennett had prior knowledge concerning the attempts made by the SPD before speaking with
Deputy Coats on scene.
Due to Darius Holcomb being armed and barricaded, Sgt. Bennett positioned deputies in a
manner to secure the residence. He also requested other family members in the residence be
removed for their safety. Sgt. Bennett then moved into the living room with Deputy Coats,
Deputy Matt Smith, and Deputy Clontz. Sgt. Bennett observed a door directly inside the living
room. The door led to the bedroom occupied by Darius Holcomb. Deputy Matt Smith continued
negotiations with Darius Holcomb, attempting to have him exit and resolve the situation
peacefully. Negotiations proved to be futile. Darius Holcomb became increasingly angered and
stated he would not surrender. He also made statements like, "He had something for us" and told
deputies they would have to come get him. Additionally, Darius Holcomb stated he would
execute deputies.
SCSO Lt. Michael Longshore and Lt. Hawkins arrived on scene and were briefed by Sgt.
Bennett. Agent's Note: Lt. Longshore was the SCSO Warrants Division supervisor and a
member of the SWAT Team. Lt. Hawkins was the SWAT team commander. Sgt. Bennett told
them negotiations were not making progress. Sgt. Bennett relayed tactical information to the
lieutenants but did not tell them about the prior attempts by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb.
Agent's Note: In an interview with SLED Agents, Lt. Hawkins advised had he known of the prior
attempts by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb, he would not have introduced chemical
munitions or breached the bedroom. Lt. Longshore instructed Sgt. Bennett to retrieve a ballistic
shield. After retrieving the shield, Sgt. Bennett moved back into the living room where he used
the shield to provide additional cover for deputies as negotiations continued. During
negotiations, Darius Holcomb stuck a "large, forked object" under the door. Seeing the object
further confirmed to Sgt. Bennett that Darius Holcomb was armed. Additional SCSO SWAT
personnel arrived. Lt. Hawkins left the scene to retrieve C/S gas munitions from the SCSO.
When he returned, Lt. Hawkins advised deputies to don their gas masks in preparation of a
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chemical munition's deployment. Sgt. Bennett retrieved his gas mask from his vehicle and
returned inside the residence. Lt. Hawkins instructed Deputy Coats to port a window on the
front of the residence to allow SCSO Deputy Michael Welborn to deploy chemical munitions
into the bedroom. After a C/S grenade was deployed, Sgt. Bennett heard Darius Holcomb begin
to cough and move around within the bedroom. Deputies on the exterior of the residence stated
Darius Holcomb placed a mattress over the ported window. While giving the C/S time to take
effect, Sgt. Bennett pled with Darius Holcomb to exit the room but received no response. After
several minutes, Darius Holcomb still did not exit the bedroom. Lt. Hawkins advised additional
chemical munitions would be deployed. Sgt. Bennett heard Darius Holcomb cough and move
around within the bedroom. Sgt. Bennett continued pleading with Darius Holcomb to exit
without success.
After both negotiations and chemical munitions proved ineffective, Lt. Hawkins advised entry
would be made into the bedroom to make an arrest. A plan was devised for Deputy Coats to
breach the bedroom door. Deputy Shehan would then deploy K-9 Atlas into the bedroom. K-9
Atlas would be used to extract Darius Holcomb from the bedroom. Agent's Note: Extract meant
to remove Darius Holcomb from the bedroom. Another deputy located near Sgt. Bennett
obtained his CEW for less lethal cover. Agent's Note: Upon review of the SCSO BWC video,
Deputy Coats removed Sgt. Bennett's CEW and handed it to Sgt. Featherston. Sgt. Bennett did
not have a less lethal option after his CEW was acquired for Sgt. Featherston's use. After all
personnel were in position, Lt. Hawkins gave the command to breach. Deputy Coats had to
strike the door several times due to large furniture barricading the doorway. Dep. Coats
breached the door enough to allow K-9 Atlas to enter. After K-9 Atlas was inside the bedroom,
Deputy Coats pulled the door down allowing deputies access. As the door was removed, Sgt.
Bennett stepped into the threshold of the doorway. He observed Darius Holcomb standing in the
center of the room approximately five to eight feet away. He was holding a "large knife" in his
right hand. Agent's Note: The large knife was later identified as a carving fork. Almost
immediately, Sgt. Bennett observed K-9 Atlas make contact with Darius Holcomb, biting him on
the center of his body line. Darius Holcomb then lifted the "large knife-like object" up and over
May 19, 2023
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his head before making several downward stabbing thrusts toward K-9 Atlas' head. Sgt. Bennett
stated the following:
It was at this moment that I believed the attack on Atlas would render him
incapacitated. I knew that once Atlas was incapacitated I along with other deputies
behind me would have to enter the room with Mr. Holcomb. Due to our extremely
close proximity being well under 15 ft, coupled with Mr. Holcomb being armed
with a large edged weapon and his threats to kill us, I feared for my safety as well
as every deputy that was about to enter the bedroom. I believed that as soon as
Atlas was unable to maintain control over Mr. Holcomb would turn his attention
toward us, placing anyone inside that room in immediate peril of death or serious
bodily injury. It was at that moment that I utilized my duty weapon, discharging 5
rounds in order to stop the threat presented to me and the officers behind me. As I
was discharging my weapon, I observed Mr. Holcomb move directly toward me
still clutching the edged weapon in his right hand.
After the fifth shot, Darius Holcomb fell directly in front of Sgt. Bennett, approximately five feet
away. Sgt. Bennett stepped out of the way to allow other deputies to handcuff Darius Holcomb.
After Darius Holcomb was handcuffed, Sgt. Bennett handed off the shield and exited the
residence where he met Lt. Hawkins. Agent's Note: Upon review ofthe SCSO BWC video, Sgt.
Bennett met Lt. Hawkins inside the residence after the OIS. Lt. Hawkins exchanged service
weapons with Sgt. Bennett. He was then transported to the SCSO by SCSO Lt. Billy Hopkins.
Sgt. Bennett's BWC was activated during the incident. He did not have any prior contact with
Darius Holcomb. After reviewing BWC video, Sgt. Bennett realized he was closer to Darius
Holcomb than he believed during the OIS. Additionally, Darius Holcomb appeared to be more
violent than Sgt. Bennett remembered during the OIS.
Sgt. Bennett did not recall receiving any training that would outline the appropriate response to
deadly force being used against a K-9. During joint SWAT and K-9 training, handlers used their
K-9 to extract subjects from barricaded positions using a leash. Sgt. Bennett was trained that the
use of a K-9 was less lethal force. He felt K-9 Atlas did his job by drawing Darius Holcomb's
attention away from deputies for "half a second" to give deputies a reactionary gap. Sgt. Bennett
May 19, 2023
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received training from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA) which taught the
"margin of error" when encountering persons armed with bladed objects was thirty feet. The
shield Sgt. Bennett used during the OIS was for ballistic protection and he did not receive any
training for using the shield as a means to control a subject's movement. Agent's Note: Sgt.
Bennett's BWC video was inconsistent with his statement. Based on a review of the SCSO BWC
videos, it was clear based on conversations Sgt. Bennett had with other law enforcement officers,
Sgt. Bennett had knowledge of the attempts by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb prior to
February 2, 2023.
On March 23, 2023, S/A Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis conducted a follow-up interview with
Sgt. Bennett at KD Trial Lawyers due to the inconsistency noted in his initial interview.
Attorney Denton was present. .The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Sgt.
Bennett provided the following information as documented in an MOI (Attachment 20):
Deputy Coats told Sgt. Bennett the SPD obtained warrants for Darius Holcomb and requested the
SCSO assistance with arresting him. Deputy Coats also stated he had prior encounters with
Darius Holcomb and he fought with Deputy Coats. Deputy Coats did not indicate to Sgt.
Bennett he was going to serve the warrants. If Deputy Coats had indicated he was going to serve
the warrants, Sgt. Bennett or another warrants division supervisor would have also responded
due to Darius Holcomb's tendencies to become physically combative. Sgt. Bennett could not
recall Deputy Coats telling him about the prior attempts by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb.
Additionally, Sgt. Bennett did not recall his conversation with Deputy Biggs upon his arrival on
scene, on February 2, 2023.
S/A Grigg was provided with a copy of all SCSO and SPD BWC video (Attachment 21). Upon
a review of the provided information, the following was noted as documented in a Memorandum
to the File (MTF) (Attachment 22):
• On February 2, 2023, at approximately 3:11:50 p.m., Deputy Branson entered the
residence via the front door and joined Deputy Coats and Deputy Clontz who were
already in the living area. Terria Holcomb-Oath and were also in
the living area. (Deputy Branson's BWC)
May 19, 2023
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• At approximately 3:11:53 p.m., Terria Holcomb-Oath said, "He's got something in

his hand, I don't know what it is." A door was heard being slammed. (Deputy
Branson's BWC)
• At approximately 3:19:45 p.m., Deputy Clontz told Deputy Branson, �'He's also
threatened to kill Coats." (Deputy Branson's BWC)
• At approximately 3:23:54 p.m., Sgt. Bennett told Deputy Biggs, "The city came out
here the other day and he did the same thing." (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 3:31:46 p.m., Sgt. Bennett told Deputy Welborn and Deputy Biggs,
"He's 10-96 talking out ofhis head saying we're going to have to come get him and
he's not coming out." Agent 's Note: 10-96 was a radio communications code that
meant mental subject. (Deputy Welbom's BWC)
• At approximately 3:31:56 p.m., Sgt. Bennett said, "He says he's got a gun, mom says
there's no weapons in the house." (Deputy Welbom's BWC)
• At approximately 3:51:26 p.m., Deputy Matt Smith said, "This is the Spartanburg
County Sheriff's Office, we do have warrants for your arrest." (Deputy Biggs' BWC)
• At approximately 3:56 p.m., deputies pied with Darius Holcomb to open the door
with his hands empty. Darius Holcomb responded, "I ain't surrendering in the
shower, period." (Deputy Welbom's BWC)
• At approximately 4:01:40 p.m., Deputy Matt Smith asked Darius Holcomb ifthere
was anything in front ofthe door. Darius Holcomb replied, "Is you about to open the
door?" He continued, "I ain't answering shit." (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:02:00 p.m., Deputy Matt Smith asked Darius Holcomb to open
the door so he could speak with him face to face. Darius Holcomb replied, "What the
fuck I want to talk to a faggot for?" (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:04:26 p.m., Deputy Clontz instructed Darius Holcomb to come to
the door with nothing in his hands. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:14:58 p.m., Darius Holcomb said, "I ain't coming out." (Sgt.
Bennett's BWC)
May 19, 2023
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• At approximately 4:15:11 p.m., Deputy Matt Smith continued dialogue with Darius
Holcomb attempting to have him exit the bedroom. Darius Holcomb said, "I'm a
killer brah, I'm trying to hurt you." (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:18:50 p.m., Darius Holcomb said, "I'm in the shower, I destroyed
y'all, y'all lost, and I'm gonna execute all y'all pussies." Darius Holcomb began
referring to himself as Raymond Russell. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:20 p.m., Darius Holcomb referred to deputies as "fake ass police"
and "nazis." Darius Holcomb referred to himself as Terrence Holcomb. (Sgt.
Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:23:30 p.m., Darius Holcomb stated "big stone" was in front of the
door and instructed deputies to speak to him. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:24:45 p.m., Darius Holcomb referred to deputies as a "pussy" and
said, "Die motherfucker." (Lt. Longshore's BWC)
• At approximately 4:24:36 p.m., deputies continued dialogue to have Darius Holcomb
exit the bedroom. Darius Holcomb said, "Hitler said no mother fuckers. No retreat,
no surrender bitch. We in the shower motherfuckers." (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:29:25 p.m., Darius Holcomb said, "We with the BGF, black
guerilla family, we against you nazis." (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 4:34:10 p.m., Deputy Matt Smith said, "Can you put that pointy
object down that you have in your hands?" (Sgt. Featherston's BWC)
• At approximately 4:59:24 p.m., a deputy in the living area was heard saying, "He slid
a little fork ... pronged fork." (Deputy Biggs' BWC)
• At approximately 5:03:52 p.m., Deputy Biggs said, "He lit some incense and stuck it
out." (Deputy Biggs' BWC)
• At approximately 5:06:20 p.m., Sgt. Bennett gave assignments to other deputies in the
living area as deputies prepared to deploy chemical munitions into the bedroom. One
deputy off camera was tasked with "hands" and another deputy off camera was tasked
with a less lethal option. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
May 19, 2023
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• At approximately 5:09 p.m., Deputy Welborn deployed a 6343 CTS OC/CS aerosol
grenade into the bedroom via a window on the front of the residence. (Deputy
Welbom's BWC)
• At approximately 5:11 p.m., repeated verbal commands were given to Darius
Holcomb to exit the bedroom. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:15 p.m., Darius Holcomb placed a mattress in front of the
window on the left side of the residence. (Deputy Welborn's BWC)
• At approximately 5:23 p.m., repeated verbal commands were given for Darius
Holcomb to exit the bedroom. (Deputy Biggs' BWC)
• At approximately 5:24:53 p.m., Deputy Welborn deployed one shotgun CTS C/S
round into the bedroom via a window on the left side of the residence. (Deputy
Welborn's BWC)
• At approximately 5:25:45 p.m., Deputy Welborn deployed two shotgun CTS C/S
rounds into the bedroom via a window on the front of the residence. (Deputy
Welborn's BWC)
• Repeated verbal commands instructing Darius Holcomb to exit the bedroom were
given after the deployment of chemical munitions. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:38:20 p.m., Deputy Coats removed Sgt. Bennett's CEW from his
duty belt and handed the CEW to Sgt. Featherston. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:38:28 p.m., Deputy Coats, Sgt. Featherston, Sgt. Bennett, and Lt.
Hawkins were in the living area of the residence making preparations to breach the
bedroom. Deputy Coats said, "He's our only lethal" as he pointed to Sgt. Bennett.
Lt. Hawkins responded, "You gonna have the dog there, you may not even need a
pistol." (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:39 p.m., Deputy Welborn began breaking additional glass on the
window located on the left side of the residence. (Deputy Welborn's BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:28 p.m., Deputy Coats began breaching the bedroom door.
(Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:48 p.m., K-9 Atlas was deployed into the bedroom. A large
piece of furniture was partially blocking the doorway. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
May 19, 2023
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• At approximately 5:39:50 p.m., Darius Holcomb was observed in the rear of the
bedroom, closest to the window on the left of the residence. Agent's Note: Sgt.
Featherston 's BWC timestamp slightly differed from Sgt. Bennett's BWC timestamp.
(Sgt. Featherston's BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:49 p.m., K-9 Atlas made contact with Darius Holcomb. (Sgt.
Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:50 p.m., multiple deputies were repeatedly heard saying,
"Hands." (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:52 p.m., Deputy Shehan began pulling K-9 Atlas's leash as he
stood outside the bedroom door. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 5:39:53 p.m., Darius Holcomb was observed striking at K-9 Atlas
with the carving fork. Sgt. Bennett moved to the threshold of the bedroom door and
discharged five rounds from his department issued service weapon using his right
hand. Sgt. Bennett was holding a shield in his left hand. Darius Holcomb fell to the
ground as K-9 Atlas held onto his arm/shoulder area. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC) Agent's
Note: Refer to Sgt. Featherston, Deputy Shehan, and Cpl. BJ Tillinghast's BWC
videos for alternate viewpoints.
• At approximately 5:40:25 p.m., deputies moved Darius Holcomb into the living area.
Sgt. Bennett's BWC was then turned off. (Sgt. Bennett's BWC)
• At approximately 5:40:45 p.m., Darius Holcomb was handcuffed. Deputies
immediately began assessing Darius Holcomb's wounds and applying medical
seals/bandages. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:43:25 p.m., Deputy Biggs began CPR. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:43:54 p.m., a large amount of blood was observed coming from
the left side of Darius Holcomb's chest cavity. CPR was stopped as additional gauze
were applied. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:49:46 p.m., CPR was continued. (Deputy Coats' BWC)
• At approximately 5:54:40 p.m., EMS personnel stated, "He's flat, so we're stopping."
(Deputy Coats' BWC)
May 19, 2023
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On February 10, 2023, S/A Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed Deputy Shane Shehan at
the SCSO. The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Deputy Shehan provided a
prepared statement (Attachment 23) and the following information: He reviewed his BWC
video prior to completing his prepared statement. He had approximately nine years of law
enforcement experience all of which was with the SCSO. He had approximately eight years of
experience with the K-9 unit and had been a K-9 handler for the last five years. On February 2,
2023, he wore his SCSO issued uniform with a SCSO sweatshirt under his outer carrier ballistic
vest which included a SCSO badge patch visible from the front. He operated his issued black
semi-marked Dodge Durango.
During his shift, he responded to in reference to assisting SCSO

warrant division deputies with a barricaded subject. Agent's Note: The subject was later
identified as Darius Holcomb. Upon arrival, Deputy Shehan was advised Darius Holcomb made
threats toward deputies and was armed with some type of weapon. Negotiations were being
conducted. Deputy Shehan also learned Darius Holcomb had active arrest warrants for violation
of the sex offender registry and resisting arrest. After it was determined negotiations were not
progressing, Lt. Hawkins advised chemical munitions would be deployed into the bedroom.
Deputy Shehan retrieved his K-9, K-9 Atlas, and tethered a fifty-foot leash to his harness.
Deputy Shehan and K-9 Atlas then went to the rear of the residence where they entered via the
back door. Deputy Shehan noted there were two doors allowing access to the bedroom Darius
Holcomb was barricaded inside. Deputy Shehan's position at the rear of the residence allowed
him to effectively cover both doors. After all deputies inside the residence donned their gas
masks, chemical munitions were deployed into the bedroom. Deputies then waited for Darius
Holcomb to exit. After a period of time, Darius Holcomb did not exit so additional chemical
munitions were deployed into the bedroom. Deputy Shehan heard coughing from within the
bedroom. It also sounded as if Darius Holcomb was moving furniture.
After Darius Holcomb continued refusing to exit, Lt. Hawkins advised the bedroom would be
breached utilizing the door adjacent to the living room. K-9 Atlas would then be deployed into
the bedroom to extract Darius Holcomb from the room. K-9 extractions were accomplished by
May 19, 2023
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the K-9 making contact with the subject and the K-9 handler using the leash to retrieve the K-9.
Retrieving the K-9 would also result in the removal of the subject with the K-9. Deputy Shehan
and K-9 Atlas moved to the living room where Deputy Shehan had a good vantage point of the
door. Deputy Coats began to breach the door. After Deputy Coats cleared the door enough for
K-9 Atlas to enter, Deputy Shehan gave K-9 Atlas his bite command and deployed him into the
room. K-9 Atlas entered the bedroom, but Deputy Shehan was unable to see inside the room
from his position. Deputy Shehan felt pressure on K-9 Atlas' leash and knew from his
experience K-9 Atlas engaged Darius Holcomb. Deputy Shehan began extracting K-9 Atlas and
Darius Holcomb from the bedroom. Deputy Shehan heard approximately five gunshots but did
not see who fired. He continued the extraction. Once Darius Holcomb and K-9 Atlas came into
view, Deputy Shehan observed a "large silver bbq fork" in Darius Holcomb's hand. Deputy
Shehan thought, "Oh shit, maybe Atlas got stabbed." Once Darius Holcomb and K-9 Atlas
neared the doorway, Deputy Shehan realized he would not be able to extract them completely
from the bedroom due to debris blocking the pathway. Deputy Shehan yelled for other deputies
to step over K-9 Atlas. Several deputies stepped over and entered the bedroom. Deputy Shehan
and the assisting deputies were then able to position K-9 Atlas and Darius Holcomb in a manner
that allowed them to be extracted from the bedroom. After Darius Holcomb and K-9 Atlas were
removed from the bedroom, Deputy Shehan removed K-9 Atlas from Darius Holcomb. Deputy
Shehan moved K-9 Atlas outside where he checked him for injuries. After no injuries were
located, Deputy Shehan placed K-9 Atlas in his patrol vehicle and returned to the residence to
assist other deputies. Later in the evening, Deputy Shehan contacted a veterinarian to assess K-9
Atlas for possible injuries. During the exam, a small abrasion was located near K-9 Atlas'
nose/mouth area. K-9 Atlas was wearing a protective harness during the incident but was not
equipped with a BWC. Deputy Shehan's BWC was activated during the incident.
Deputy Shehan recalled the K-9 unit and SWAT team conducting joint training which included
extracting barricaded subjects using a K-9. During the training, deputies practiced going hands
on with combative and resistive subjects but did not train with lethal force being used against a
K-9. It was known that a K-9 was a "tool." If a K-9 were to be stabbed or killed by a subject
May 19, 2023
Page 30 of54
while attempting an extraction, that was the risk associated with the job ofa K-9 and "everybody
knows that." Agent's Note: Deputy Shehan's BWC video was consistent with his statement.
On February 9, 2023, SIA Grigg and S/A Matthew Davis interviewed Lt. Anthony Hawkins at
the SCSO. The interview was video/audio recorded (Attachment 3). Lt. Hawkins provided a
prepared statement (Attachment 24) and the following information: He reviewed a portion of
his BWC video around the time ofthe O1S after completing his prepared statement.
Additionally, he watched a portion ofDeputy Coats' BWC video beginning at the time Deputy
Coats breached the bedroom door. Lt. Hawkins began his law enforcement career and
employment with the SCSO in 2007. He was currently a lieutenant in the special operations unit
and served as the SWAT team commander since December 2018. On February 2, 2023, he wore
his SCSO issued outer carrier ballistic vest which included a SHERIFF patch and badge visible
from the front. Additionally, he operated an unmarked blue Dodge Charger which was a SCSO
spare vehicle.
At approximately 3 :23 p.m., he heard radio traffic from deputies who encountered a barricaded
subject at Agent's Note: The subject was later identified as Darius
Holcomb. Lt. Longshore called Lt. Hawkins and asked ifhe was monitoring the radio traffic.
Lt. Hawkins told Lt. Longshore he was listening and would respond to the scene. Upon arrival,
Lt. Hawkins was informed Darius Holcomb was possibly armed with a knife and stated he had a
firearm. Agent's Note: Lt. Hawkins could not recall who provided this information. Deputies
also informed Lt. Hawkins that Darius Holcomb had active arrest warrants for resisting arrest
and violation ofthe sex offender registry. Additionally, Darius Holcomb made threats towards
deputies on scene. Deputy Matt Smith, who was a negotiator, was attempting to get Darius
Holcomb to come out, but was not making progress. During negotiations, Lt. Hawkins was
made aware Darius Holcomb appeared to have multiple personalities and a family member
indicated Darius Holcomb was schizophrenic. Lt. Hawkins heard an individual, who was
believed to be Darius Holcomb's sister, in front ofthe residence yelling about wanting to see the
warrants. Lt. Hawkins retrieved the warrants and read them to Darius Holcomb's sister.
May 19, 2023
Page 31 of 54
Due to no progress being made with negotiations, Lt. Hawkins went to the SCSO to retrieve a
CTS 6343 OC-CS aerosol grenade and CTS 2330 12-gauge liquid C/S rounds. He did not have
chemical munitions with him due to being in a spare vehicle. After retrieving the gas, Lt.
Hawkins returned to the scene. Negotiations were not progressing, so Lt. Hawkins decided to
introduce gas into the residence via OC-CS canister. Lt. Hawkins positioned one team of
deputies outside the bedroom door with a shield and CEW. Another team of deputies was
positioned near the back door of the residence with a K-9 and less lethal shotgun loaded with
CTS super sock bean bag rounds. All deputies positioned inside of the residence were members
of the SWAT team with the exception of Deputy Shehan. The incident was not an official
SWAT call out due to Lt. Hawkins believing the situation could be resolved with the personnel
presently on scene. Lt. Hawkins instructed all deputies within the residence to don their gas
masks. He then instructed Deputy Coats to port a window on the front of the residence which
allowed access into the bedroom. Deputy Welborn deployed gas into the bedroom. Deputies
gave repeated verbal commands for Darius Holcomb to exit the bedroom with his hands up.
After approximately fourteen minutes, Lt. Hawkins loaded a shotgun with four CTS liquid C/S
rounds. Darius Holcomb placed mattresses against the bedroom windows in an attempt to
prevent access. Deputy Welborn used the shotgun to deploy two C/S rounds into the window
located on the front of the residence. He was also able to deploy one round into the window
located on the left side of the residence. After approximately fifteen minutes, Darius Holcomb
refused to exit.
Due to the amount of gas introduced into the bedroom with no compliance, Lt. Hawkins decided
the bedroom would be breached and a K-9 would be deployed. Lt. Hawkins briefed Cpl.
Tillinghast and Deputy Shehan on his plan to introduce a K-9 into the bedroom to extract Darius
Holcomb. If the K-9 was unsuccessful, the next course of action would be to deploy a less lethal
option if possible. Lt. Hawkins instructed Deputy Welborn to use a halligan tool to create a
distraction at the window located on the left side of the residence as the door was breached. Lt.
Hawkins cleared Deputy Coats to begin breaching the bedroom door as Deputy Welborn began
creating the distraction. Lt. Hawkins was standing at the entry door to the residence and
observed the bedroom door was barricaded. Deputy Coats eventually breached the door and
May 19, 2023
Page 32 of54
Deputy Shehan deployed K-9 Atlas into the bedroom. As K-9 Atlas entered the room, Deputy
Coats was able to completely remove the door. Lt. Hawkins then moved onto the porch. He
heard approximately five gunshots from inside the residence. EMS was requested and Lt.
Hawkins stepped back into the residence to check on the status of deputies. He asked if all
deputies were okay and received confirmation that Darius Holcomb was the only individual shot.
Deputies began rendering medical aid. Lt. Hawkins asked who shot and Sgt. Bennett indicated
he was the only deputy who discharged his weapon. Lt. Hawkins swapped duty weapons with
Sgt. Bennett and instructed Lt. Hopkins to transport Sgt. Bennett to the SCSO. After Sgt.
Bennett was cleared from the scene, Lt. Hawkins learned Darius Holcomb showed no signs of
life. Lt. Hawkins stood by until EMS arrived and then returned to the SCSO.
As he was leaving the scene, Lt. Hawkins spoke to SPD Officer Nolan Brewer who was assisting
with a perimeter. Officer Brewer told Lt. Hawkins the SPD responded to the residence
previously to serve the warrants and were told to stand down. Lt. Hawkins was not aware the
SPD previously responded to the residence until his conversation with Officer Brewer. While
speaking with SCSO command staff, Lt. Hawkins learned SPD Capt. Suber was upset when he
arrived at the scene because some of his officers defied his instruction to not "mess" with Darius
Holcomb. Based on the information learned by Lt. Hawkins after the incident, he would have
responded differently to the situation because the circumstances surrounding the warrants would
not have risen to a level to deploy SWAT tactics. Lt. Hawkins would not have directed deputies
to deploy chemical munitions or breach the bedroom but instead would have made a good effort
to call Darius Holcomb out of the residence. Lt. Hawkins' BWC was activated during the
incident.
Lt. Hawkins recalled joint SWAT and K-9 training in September 2022 where extractions of a
subject were conducted using a K-9. Additionally, SWAT team personnel practiced entering
confined spaces and effecting an arrest when K-9(s) were unable to extract subjects. He did not
recall any specific training concerning the appropriate response by deputies in the event lethal
force was used against a K-9. Lt. Hawkins described a K-9 as "expendable, they are a less lethal
option." The SCSO recently acquired ballistic shields and had yet to receive any formal training
May 19, 2023
Page 41 of 54
S/A Matthew Davis contacted the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) in Spartanburg in
reference to a forensic interview being conducted The CAC agreed to
conduct the interview and made the following attempts (Attachment 34) to do so with negative
results:
SIA Matthew Davis canvassed the area of the OIS that occurred February 2, 2023, at
Spartanburg, SC. S/A Matthew Davis went to the following addresses as
documented in an MTF (Attachment 35): Agent's Note: A list of addresses, which included
addresses agents were unsuccessful in making contact with the residents, was included in the
MI'F
• - Willie Davis was not home when the incident began;

however, he came home when he observed deputies parking in front of his residence.
Agent's Note: Willie Davis' residence
Willie Davis arrived home approximately one hour prior to the shooting. Willie
Davis stood with neighbors, across the street from his residence. Although they did
not have a view of Willie Davis recalled hearing
deputies say chemical agents did not work. While standing with neighbors, Willie
Davis heard between five to six gunshots. Prior to the day of the OIS, Willie Davis
has previously observed Darius Holcomb walking on Willie
File 34-23-0016 -Investigative Report
May 19, 2023
Page 42 of54
Davis told SIA Matthew Davis when he spoke to Holcomb "you could tell there was
something wrong with him." Terria Holcomb-Oath lived at
Spartanburg between two to three years. Holcomb moved in with
Holcomb-Oath (his mother) approximately a year ago. Agent's Note: Willie Davis
was not home when SIA Matthew Davis initially canvassed the area. SIA Matthew
Davis left a contact card and later spoke with Willie Davis by phone.
• -Lillian Brock was home during the OIS. Brock was
inside the residence when she heard five gunshots. Brock knew Darius Holcomb and
his mother Holcomb-Oath. Darius Holcomb would help Brock with taking her trash
can to the street. Brock told SIA Matthew Davis that it was known Darius Holcomb
had schizophrenia; however, he was never violent.
• -The individual refused to provide her name or contact
information. She was home during the OIS and heard five gunshots. She did not
have a view of Spartanburg when she heard the
gunshots. Agent's Note: SIA Matthew Davis later identified the individual as
using the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV)
Database.
On February 2, 2023, SLED Crime Scene SIA Pauli, SIA Seymour, and SIA Ward responded to
process the OIS scene. SIA Matthew Davis obtained a search warrant for the residence
(Attachment 36). Upon a review ofthe SLED Crime Scene Investigation Summary
(Attachment 37), SIA Grigg noted the following items were collected:
• Item 1: Handgun- Shadow Systems XR920 handgun (SIN: with one
TLR-7 A Streamlight accessory, one Trijicon accessory, and one magazine with
twelve cartridges headstamped "WIN 9MM LUGER" with one (1) cartridge from
chamber headstamped "WIN 9MM LUGER" collected from Sgt. Bennett.
• Items 2-6: Each consisting ofone (1) cartridge case headstamped "WIN 9MM
LUGER."
• Items 7-8: Each consisting ofone (1) fired projectile.
• Items 9-11: Three (3) "2330 CS LIQUID BARRICADE" shells.
File 34-23-0016 -Investigative Report
May 19, 2023
Page 43 of54
• Item 12: One (1) spent "6343 OC-CS AEROSOL GRENADE."

• Item 13: One (1) two-pronged carving fork.
• Item 14: Buccal Swab -Darius Holcomb
• Item 15: One (1) fired projectile collected from autopsy.
• Item 16: One (1) fired projectile fragment collected from autopsy.
• Item 17: Blood standard-Darius Holcomb
• Item 18: Fingernail scrapings -Darius Holcomb
• Item 19: Known fingerprint and/or palmprint card -Darius Holcomb
• Item 20: Digital images -The scene and autopsy were documented with 1,008
photographs (Attachment 38). Additionally, evidence was documented in the SLED
Laboratory with forty-one photographs (Attachment 38).
• Item 31: One (1) SCSO "RAY ALLEN MANUFACTURING" brand tactical K-9
harness.
• SLED Crime Scene Agents did not discover any additional weapons in "Bedroom 1."
SLED Crime Scene Diagram
t23:02307
SLED Piedmont Region
Officer-Involved Shooting
NOTTO SCALE
02/02/2023
NOT ALL ITEMS SHOWN
Spartanburg, SC 29306 All MEASUREMENTS ARE APPROXIMATE
S/A Margaret Pauli RP " REFERENCE POINT
Prepared by S/A Patrick Ward on 02/08/2023 "Defect
Page 2 of3 J,-,",,,j M\'\'\'?
Kitthen
Marker D was inadvertently

S<:aled twice. Tho Marker D
depicted on the diagram i.\
the penetrating defect.
May 19, 2023
Page 46 of54
the Spartanburg County Probate Court on August 18, 2021. The court found Darius Holcomb
lacked sufficient insight or capacity to make responsible decisions with respect to treatment. The
court ordered Darius Holcomb to be committed to Spartanburg Medical Center, Mary Black
Campus for in-patient care. In addition, a criminal history check (NCIC) was conducted by the
SLED Fusion Center for Darius Holcomb. Upon a review of Darius Holcomb's criminal history
(Attachment 46), it was revealed Darius Holcomb had prior arrests for the following offenses:
disorderly conduct, carrying concealed weapon, domestic violence, armed robbery, kidnapping,
assault and battery high and aggravated nature, resisting arrest, and sex offender registry
violation.
The following documents were obtained in this investigation:

• SPD Incident Report (2/2/2023) (Attachment 47)
• Prior SCSO and SPD Incident Reports involving Darius Holcomb (Attachment 48)
• SPD BWC Video from prior encounters with Darius Holcomb (Attachment 49)
• Radio Traffic (Attachment 50)
• SCSO Incident Command Logs (Attachment 51)
• SCSO Use of Force Policy (Attachment 52)
• SCSO Canine Unit Operations Policy (Attachment 53)
• SCSO SWAT Team Policy (Attachment 54)
• SCSO BWC Policy (Attachment 55)
• SCSO Administrative Round Count-Witness Officers (Attachment 56)
• SLED Chain of Custody (Attachment 57)
• Medical Records-Darius Holcomb (Attachment 58)
• South Carolina Department of Corrections Records-Darius Holcomb (Attachment
59)
• Search Warrant- Darius Holcomb's Cellular Device (Attachment 60)
• SLED Computer Crimes Report-Darius Holcomb's Cellular Device (Attachment
61)
• SLED Latent Prints Report (Attachment 62)
May 19, 2023
Page 47 of 54
• SCSO Photographs ofK-9 Atlas (Attachment 63)

• Sgt. Wesley Bennett's BWC Settings (Attachment 64)
• Conflict Letter from Solicitor Barry Barnette (Attachment 65)
Conclusion
The following statements are based upon facts obtained during the investigation:
• On January 27, 2023, and January 28, 2023, officers with the Spartanburg Police Department
(SPD) responded to Spartanburg in an attempt to locate and
arrest a wanted subject, Darius Holcomb. Darius Holcomb had an active bench warrant
issued by the Spartanburg County Magistrate Court. During each attempt, Darius Holcomb
barricaded himself within his residence and refused to exit. SPD Officer Dylan Davis
requested a Tactical Neutralization Team (TNT) to respond but his request was denied by
SPD TNT Commander Sergeant (Sgt.) Justin Colegrove. Sgt. Colegrove believed the
circumstances surrounding the warrant did not rise to a degree sufficient to activate the TNT.
Sgt. Colegrove communicated with SPD Major Arthur Littlejohn regarding the situation.
Major Littlejohn agreed with Sgt. Colegrove's decision not to activate the TNT. Officers
then obtained additional warrants for resisting arrest from each attempt. (Attachments 3, 4,
7, 21, and 22)
• Between January 29, 2023, and February 2, 2023, SPD Officer Dylan Davis and SPD Officer
Logan Bradshaw communicated with Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) Deputy
Sean Coats concerning the attempts made by the SPD to arrest Darius Holcomb. During the
communications, Deputy Coats and Officer Bradshaw devised a plan in which SCSO
deputies would attempt to arrest Darius Holcomb with the assistance of SPD Officers.
(Attachments 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, and 16)
• On February 2, 2023, Deputy Sean Coats, SCSO Deputy Brady Branson, and SCSO Deputy
Stephen Clontz responded to Spartanburg, to attempt an arrest.
(Attachments 1, 3, 21 and 22)
• On February 2, 2023, approximately 3:12 p.m., deputies made contact with Darius
Holcomb's mother, Terria Holcomb-Oath, at the front door. Terria Holcomb-Oath allowed
deputies to enter the residence. Deputy Coats and Deputy Clontz entered the residence and
May 19, 2023
Page 48 of54
observed Darius Holcomb in the living room. He was holding an unidentified object,
believed to be a knife, near his belt line. Darius Holcomb retreated to a bedroom and
barricaded himself. (Attachments 1, 3, 13, 16, 21 and 22)
• Additional deputies, including members ofthe SCSO Specialized Weapons and Tactics
(SWAT) team and SCSO Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), along with SPD Officers arrived.
For more than one and a halfhours, attempts were made by deputies and negotiators to have
Darius Holcomb exit the bedroom. During negotiations, Darius Holcomb verbally threatened
deputies by making statements such as, "I'm in the shower, I destroyed y'all, y'all lost, and
I'm gonna execute all y'all pussies." (Attachments 1, 3, 4, 13, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
and 27)
• SCSO SWAT Commander, Lieutenant (Lt.) Anthony Hawkins, decided chemical munitions
would be deployed into the bedroom in an effort to force Darius Holcomb out ofthe room.
(Attachments 3 and 24)
• On February 2, 2023, at approximately 5:09 p.m., chemical munitions were introduced into
the bedroom as verbal commands continued for Darius Holcomb to exit. After
approximately fifteen minutes, Darius Holcomb failed to exit, so additional chemical
munitions were deployed. The second deployment ofchemical munitions was also met with
negative results. (Attachments 1, 3, 13, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27)
• Lt. Hawkins decided entry would be made into the bedroom using a K-9. The K-9 would be
used to extract Darius Holcomb from the bedroom. Lt. Hawkins instructed SCSO Sgt.
Wesley Bennett to provide cover during the K-9 deployment using a ballistic shield and his
service weapon. SCSO Sgt. Zach Featherston was tasked with maintaining less lethal cover
using a conducted electrical weapon (CEW). Deputy Coats was tasked with breaching the
bedroom door. (Attachments 1, 3, 13, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 27)
• On February 2, 2023, at approximately 5:39 p.m., Deputy Coats began breaching the
bedroom door. SCSO Deputy Shane Shehan deployed K-9 Atlas into the bedroom. K-9
Atlas made contact with Darius Holcomb. Darius Holcomb began repeatedly striking at K-9
Atlas with a carving fork. (Attachments 1, 3, 13, 16, 21, 22 and 23)
• Sgt. Bennett stated:
May 19, 2023
Page 51 of 54
Attachments
1. SCSO Incident Report, case number 23020102
2. Warrants-Darius Holcomb
3. CD-SLED Interviews
4. Prepared Statement-Officer Dylan Davis
5. Prepared Statement-Officer Logan Bradshaw
6. MOI-Sgt. Brandy Edwards
7. MOI-Sgt. Justin Colegrove
8. Prepared Statement-Lt. Leslie McDonald
9. MOI-Capt. Tim Suber
10. MOI-Maj. Arthur Littlejohn
11. Text messages-Officer Dylan Davis and Deputy Sean Coats
12. Text messages-Officer Bradshaw and Deputy Coats
13. MOI-Deputy Sean Coats
14. Search Warrant-Deputy Sean Coats' cellular device
15. Text messages-Deputy Sean Coats and Officer Logan Bradshaw
16. Prepared Statement-Deputy Sean Coats
17. Spillman Audit Report
18. AVS-Sgt. Wesley Bennett
19. Prepared Statement-Sgt. Wesley Bennett
20. MOI-Sgt. Wesley Bennett
21. CD-SCSO and SPD BWC Video

May 19, 2023
Page 52 of54
22. MTF - Review ofSCSO and SPD BWC Video
23. Prepared Statement - Deputy Shane Shehan
24. Prepared Statement - Lt. Anthony Hawkins
25. Prepared Statement-Sgt. Zach Featherston
26. Prepared Statement-Deputy Michael Welborn
27. MTF-SLED interviews with Lt. Michael Longshore, Cpl. BJ Tillinghast, Deputy Sean
Biggs, and Deputy Trevor Shue.
28. Prepared Statement-Lt. Michael Longshore
29. Prepared Statement-Cpl. BJ Tillinghast
30. Prepared Statement - Deputy Sean Biggs
31. Prepared Statement - Deputy Trevor Shue
32. MTF- Contact with Darius Holcomb's family on scene
33. MOI-Taja Holcomb
34. Attempts made to schedule forensic interview
35. MTF-Neighborhood canvass
36. Search Warrant-OIS Scene
37. SLED Crime Scene Investigation Summary
38. CD-SLED Crime Scene Photographs
39. SLED Firearms Report
40. Toxicology Report - Darius Holcomb
41. Coroner's Report-Darius Holcomb
42. Veterinarian Assessment

May 19, 2023
Page 53 of54
43. SCSO Training Records
44. SCCJA Records-Sgt. Wesley Bennett
45. Detention Order - Darius Holcomb
46. Criminal History - Darius Holcomb
47. SPD Incident Report (2/2/2023)
48. Prior SCSO and SPD Incident Reports involving Darius Holcomb
49. SPD BWC Video from prior encounters with Darius Holcomb
50. Radio Traffic
51. SCSO Incident Command Logs
52. SCSO Use ofForce Policy
53. SCSO Canine Unit Operations Policy
54. SCSO SWAT Team Policy
55. SCSO BWC Policy
56. SCSO Administrative Round Count - Witness Officers
57. SLED Chain ofCustody
58. Medical Records-Darius Holcomb
59. South Carolina Department ofCorrections Records - Darius Holcomb
60. Search Warrant-Darius Holcomb's Cellular Device
61. SLED Computer Crimes Report-Darius Holcomb's Cellular Device
62. SLED Latent Prints Report
63. SCSO Photographs ofK-9 Atlas
64. Sgt. Wesley Bennett's BWC Settings

May 19, 2023
Page 54 of 54
65. Conflict Letter from Solicitor Barry Barnette
*Agent's Case Management History maintained in the case file.

Darius Holcomb SLED Full Report

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Darius Holcomb SLED Full Report

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P.O.

Henry D. McMaster, Governor

May 19, 2023

TO: File 34-23-0016

FROM: Special Agent Colby Grigg

RE: Officer-Involved Shooting

Holcomb, Darius L J (Subject)

PRIOR INVOLVEMENT OF THE SPD WITH DARIUS HOLCOMB

the residence, Upon arrival, he observed Darius Holcomb in the

Sgt. Edwards provided the following information as documented in a Memorandum of Interview

SPD COMMUNICATION WITH SCSO SEEKING ASSISTANCE WITH SERVING WARRANTS

EVENTS OF FEBRUARY 2, 2023

• At approximately 3:11:53 p.m., Terria Holcomb-Oath said, "He's got something in

During his shift, he responded to in reference to assisting SCSO

• - Willie Davis was not home when the incident began;

• Item 12: One (1) spent "6343 OC-CS AEROSOL GRENADE."

Marker D was inadvertently

The following documents were obtained in this investigation:

• SCSO Photographs ofK-9 Atlas (Attachment 63)

1. SCSO Incident Report, case number 23020102

4. Prepared Statement-Officer Dylan Davis

5. Prepared Statement-Officer Logan Bradshaw

6. MOI-Sgt. Brandy Edwards

7. MOI-Sgt. Justin Colegrove

8. Prepared Statement-Lt. Leslie McDonald

9. MOI-Capt. Tim Suber

10. MOI-Maj. Arthur Littlejohn

11. Text messages-Officer Dylan Davis and Deputy Sean Coats

12. Text messages-Officer Bradshaw and Deputy Coats

13. MOI-Deputy Sean Coats

14. Search Warrant-Deputy Sean Coats' cellular device

15. Text messages-Deputy Sean Coats and Officer Logan Bradshaw

16. Prepared Statement-Deputy Sean Coats

17. Spillman Audit Report

18. AVS-Sgt. Wesley Bennett

19. Prepared Statement-Sgt. Wesley Bennett

20. MOI-Sgt. Wesley Bennett

21. CD-SCSO and SPD BWC Video

22. MTF - Review ofSCSO and SPD BWC Video

23. Prepared Statement - Deputy Shane Shehan

24. Prepared Statement - Lt. Anthony Hawkins

25. Prepared Statement-Sgt. Zach Featherston

26. Prepared Statement-Deputy Michael Welborn

28. Prepared Statement-Lt. Michael Longshore

29. Prepared Statement-Cpl. BJ Tillinghast

30. Prepared Statement - Deputy Sean Biggs

31. Prepared Statement - Deputy Trevor Shue

32. MTF- Contact with Darius Holcomb's family on scene

33. MOI-Taja Holcomb

34. Attempts made to schedule forensic interview

35. MTF-Neighborhood canvass

36. Search Warrant-OIS Scene

37. SLED Crime Scene Investigation Summary

38. CD-SLED Crime Scene Photographs

39. SLED Firearms Report

40. Toxicology Report - Darius Holcomb

41. Coroner's Report-Darius Holcomb

42. Veterinarian Assessment

43. SCSO Training Records

44. SCCJA Records-Sgt. Wesley Bennett

45. Detention Order - Darius Holcomb

46. Criminal History - Darius Holcomb

47. SPD Incident Report (2/2/2023)

50. Radio Traffic