Pickens County deputy wins statewide award

PICKENS, S.C. (AP) — A Pickens County deputy has been honored for his skills in negotiating during high-pressure situations.

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office said Lt. J.B. Kelley was awarded the 2011 Medal of Valor last week from the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association.

Officials say Kelley has 15 years of experience as a negotiator, and his award cited two incidents during 2010.

Authorities say Kelley was able to save the life of a man found on the Clemson University campus with a shotgun to his forehead by getting the man to understand he still had things to live for. Two months later, Kelley spent an hour calming a man with a gun who said he wanted police to kill him. The incident ended with the man giving up peacefully.