The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a 40-year-old man dead Wednesday following a pursuit that began in Florence County and ended in Williamsburg County.
According to SLED, Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop and serve an arrest warrant on a wanted man along Lake City Highway near Johnsonville. The man, later identified as Nelson Boyd Chavis, fled from deputies, leading them on a pursuit across the county line into Williamsburg County.
SLED said Chavis got out of his vehicle near Muddy Creek Road and ran into the woods. An exchange of gunfire followed between deputies and Chavis, who SLED said was armed with a handgun.
Chavis was shot and died while being transported to the hospital. No law enforcement officers were injured.
The Florence County Sheriff’s Office and Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office requested that SLED investigate the shooting. SLED conducts independent criminal investigations of officer-involved shootings at the request of the agency involved or the agency with jurisdiction. Investigators will interview potential witnesses, collect evidence and conduct forensic testing as needed before submitting a case file to prosecutors.
Wednesday’s incident was the 27th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2026 and the first involving the Florence County Sheriff’s Office this year. There were 45 officer-involved shootings statewide in 2025, including one involving the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing, and SLED said no additional information is being released at this time.
