Deputies on-scene for officer-involved shooting near JD Lever in Aiken County

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WJBF) – The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene of a officer-involved shooting near a local elementary school.

According to Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday afternoon, deputies were dispatched to Columbia Highway North for an suspicious individual acting erratically in the area near Aiken RV Park and JD Lever Elementary School.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the individual. There was an altercation in which an Aiken County Sheriff’s Deputy was injured. Shots were fired by the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, wounding the suspect.

Both the deputy and the suspect were transported to area hospitals. There is no information on the condition of the deputy or suspect at this time.

SLED has been called in, according to Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident did not involve the school – all children are accounted for.

Merry Glenne Piccolino with the Aiken County Public School District released an official statement:

This afternoon, J.D. Lever elevated security protocols due to an incident outside involving law enforcement. At the recommendation of law enforcement, school administration shifted their security stance to “Secure,” as outlined by our Standard Response Protocol (SRP) which is implemented when threats or hazards are outside the school building.

As the situation outside escalated, administration enhanced protocols further to a “Lockdown,” also detailed in our SRP. During a “Lockdown,” not only are doors locked, students and staff move out of sight of doors and windows, turn off the lights, and remain as quiet as possible. J.D. Lever’s teachers, staff, and students did a wonderful job in following these procedures.  Parents and Guardians were notified of the enhanced security procedures and advised to exit the campus and await further instruction regarding afternoon dismissal.

Once law enforcement confirmed it was safe to do so, school officials lifted the lockdown, communicated the lockdown was lifted to families, and worked in collaboration with law enforcement to begin afternoon dismissal. As always, the safety and security of our students, staff, and families is our highest priority.

Aiken County Public School District

Count on NewsChannel 6 for more details as they become available.

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