A Greenville County deputy and a 42-year-old man were both shot after a roadside gun encounter escalated into two exchanges of gunfire, according to SLED.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a shooting involving a Greenville County deputy that left both the deputy and a suspect wounded, according to SLED.
The incident happened early Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, after a deputy finished an unrelated traffic stop and encountered a man carrying a gun near the intersection of Page Drive and White Horse Road, SLED said.
The man, identified as Walter Jason Smith, 42, pointed the weapon at the deputy inside a patrol car, leading to an exchange of gunfire, according to SLED. Smith then ran into a nearby field.
A second deputy arrived, and another round of gunfire followed between the deputies and Smith, SLED said. A deputy was shot in the shoulder, and Smith was shot in the leg. Both were taken to a hospital for treatment. The deputy has since been released and is recovering, according to SLED.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office asked SLED to investigate. SLED charged Smith with two counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of a violent offense, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the agency.
Smith will be booked into the Greenville County Detention Center once he is discharged from the hospital. The 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case, SLED said.
SLED said the investigation is ongoing and no further details will be released at this time. The agency said it will interview witnesses, collect and test evidence, and submit a case file report to prosecutors.
This marks the 26th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2026 and the second this year involving the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, according to SLED. The agency reported 45 officer-involved shootings statewide in 2025, including seven involving the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
Based on a release from S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Source: S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) original release.
