Cayce Police release new details on officer killed in the line of the duty

CAYCE, S.C. (WOLO) – The Cayce Police Department releasing new details behind the tragic death of Officer Drew Barr who was killed in the line of duty on Sunday, April 24th.  

Cayce Police Chief Chris Cowan says officers responded to 118 Rosemore Drive at 2:48 a.m. after the suspect’s wife called police using her apple watch. According to the incident report, she says the suspect, Austin Lee Henderson, had pointed a rifle at her and her 3-year-old daughter. 

Officer Barr was the second officer to respond and once on the scene he started talking to a family friend who was in the front yard. During this time police say Henderson was inside the home upstairs when he fired a shot hitting Officer Barr. 

Chief Cowan says officers on scene worked to get Officer Barr to safe cover and then to EMS.  As for the suspect, police say he barricaded himself inside the home for seven hours and put his wife and daughter inside of a closet. Ultimately Henderson took his own life, according to police. 

This wasn’t the first interaction that Henderson had with law enforcement. Cayce Police Department records show there were two previous incidents involving Henderson in 2020.