LCSD: Man dies after running from Lexington County Deputies

Image: Lexington County Sheriff’s Department LOGO

Image: Lexington County Sheriff's Department LOGO

Lexington Co., SC (WOLO) — The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is trying to determine how a man that ran from deputies ended up dead.

Lexington Deputies say the unidentified man was wanted on a outstanding warrant for shoplifting. Wednesday authorities say the man was spotted at a store in the Red Bank area of the county by a Lexington deputy.

Officials say when the deputy recognized the man he approached him and began talking to him about the warrant when deputies say he started to run from them into a wooded area. According to authorities, the responding deputies ran after the suspect using a taser to subdue him after he refused to follow their verbal commands.

Authorities say they handcuffed the suspect and began walking him back to a patrol car when they say he started to display signs of medical distress. Deputies removed handcuffs and rendered aid until paramedics were able to arrive on the scene to take him to a local hospital where he later died.

Lexington County Coroner has not released the identity of the suspect since at the time of this story officials were still in the process of trying to notify family members of his death.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon released a brief statement in regards to the incident saying,

“Work is already underway to confirm what happened in this situation and what caused the man’s death,”… “In addition to our own internal review, I’ve asked the State Law Enforcement Division to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.”

As is the normal Department protocol in cases of this nature, three of the deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation into the death continues.