Investigators have identified the man accused of shoplifting and threatening a store manager before he was shot and killed by an Easley Police officer.
As part of the investigation, the Pickens County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy. The Coroner's Office confirmed the deceased was Nicholas Elias Fernandez, 26, of Greer.
Fernandez was struck multiple times, and EMS was requested to respond to the scene, where he was pronounced dead.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting and said Tuesday that the man was carrying an ax.
According to Easley Police Department Lt. Ashley Anderson, officers responded to 339 Rolling Hills Circle at about 10:50 a.m. Monday, after receiving a call that a person caught stealing was threatening to physically harm a Tractor Supply store manager.
The man had left the store by the time officers arrived, according to Anderson. He was located at home in the 750 block of Rolling Hills Circle, where he retrieved a gas can and threatened to pour gasoline on a person's vehicle.
Officers tried to de-escalate the confrontation, according to Anderson, but the man charged at the officer with an ax, causing the officer to fire his weapon.
The officer, also not identified, was placed on paid administrative leave.
Officer-involved shootings
The incident in Pickens County marks the 24th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2024. This is the second officer-involved shooting involving the Easley Police Department this year.
The Easley Police Department did not have any officer-involved shootings last year. In 2023, there were 43 officer-involved shootings in South Carolina.
Reporter Terry Benjamin contributed to this article.
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.
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