Solicitor mulls death penalty in SC deputy slaying

LAURENS, S.C. (AP) — A prosecutor is considering if he’ll pursue the death penalty against a man charged with killing a Laurens County deputy.

Solicitor Jerry Peace told The Greenville News Friday he is reviewing investigators’ files before deciding if he’ll seek the death penalty against 39-year-old Bennie Ray Brown Jr.

Authorities say 29-year-old deputy Roger Rice was shot Wednesday night at a home near Clinton as he tried to arrest a suspect wanted in the killing of his girlfriend a few hours before at her job at a Fountain Inn auto parts plant.

Brown was shot in the leg, but is expected to recover. He was still in the hospital Friday.

Rice’s funeral is set for Sunday.