Town employee accused of standoff, shooting at Clover police officers

A man was charged with attempted murder after he shot at police officers and triggered a standoff in Clover last week.

On Friday just after 12 a.m., Clover Police Department officers were called to a home on Stanton Street for a domestic incident. Investigators said detectives could hear gunshots inside the home, despite attempts to deescalate.

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More officers arrived on the scene and police said the suspect, 57-year-old William Dean Jefferis, a Clover employee, shot at the officers.

The police department called their SWAT team in and cleared nearby homes. After about five hours, Jefferis was taken into custody by SWAT officers and turned over to Clover police.

Neighbors said they couldn’t return home after celebrating the Fourth of July.

“My son came in and out saying there was traffic at the end of the road and he’d seen the SWAT team up there,” said resident Jim Alexander.

People who know Jefferis said this was unusual.

“Never had no problem with him,” said Alexander. “Seemed like a nice guy. Maybe just having a bad day.”

No one was injured in the shootings.

Jefferis was charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Police said Monday that he is still in jail and that the town of Clover has placed him on leave without pay.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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