Officials identify woman killed by officers
By Bobby Bryant, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Details remained scarce after Darlington County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a knife-wielding woman Dec. 16.
April E. Webster died in the incident on Edna Street north of Darlington, officials said last week. The Darlington County coroner’s office did not release Webster’s exact age, but said she was born in 1971, which would make her about 47.
Darlington County Sheriff’s Lt. Robby Kilgo said in a news release that deputies were called to a home on Edna Street to check a report of a person “actively inflicting bodily harm.” Arriving at the house, deputies faced a woman with a large serrated knife, officials said.
Shots were fired and the woman died later at a local hospital. It’s not clear how many times she was shot.
Relatives told WBTW-TV that Webster was mentally ill, suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and that she could have been disarmed without killing her.
Sheriff Tony Chavis asked the State Law Enforcement Division to investigate the case, which is routine in officer-involved shootings. SLED spokesman Thom Berry says that two officers were involved.
Berry told the News & Press there was little chance the agency would release more details while the investigation is ongoing. According to SLED, the incident was the 42nd officer-involved shooting in the state this year and the second involving a Darlington County sheriff’s deputy. In October, deputies shot and killed a woman who officials said was firing a gun on Clyde School Road.
