Michael Burns

mdburns@greenvillenews.com

Newly released video of the fatal encounter between Greenville County sheriff’s deputies and Jason Mendez shows deputies firing shots into his car after an apparent struggle to take him into custody.

The silent black-and-white video, released on Wednesday without comment by the 13th judicial circuit solicitor’s office, does not provide clear view of what Mendez was doing inside the vehicle before he was shot. It was recorded from a high angle by a security camera at the Super Lodge Inn and Suites around 2 a.m. on Feb. 11.

Audio was recorded separately during the incident by microphones worn by deputies on the scene. That audio has not yet been made public though solicitor Walt Wilkins said it can be synchronized with the video to provide a more complete understanding of the altercation.

After watching the video on Tuesday, several members of Mendez’s family said they don’t believe the deputies were justified in the shooting.

The incident began when a deputy discovered a stolen license tag on the vehicle. Mendez sat in the driver’s seat and Kristen English Clark sat in the passenger’s seat, Sheriff Will Lewis said.

Lewis has said that Mendez failed to comply with repeated orders from deputies.

The video of 38 minutes and 30 seconds shows a deputy’s arrival at the motel parking lot on Mauldin Road off Interstate 85 at 1:52 a.m. He is seen leaving his car and approaching Mendez’s vehicle parked beside the motel. A second deputy arrives about 30 seconds later.

Three uniformed deputies are around the car when one breaks the driver’s window about four minutes into the video. One deputy appears to reach through the window to apprehend Mendez before they all abruptly step back seconds later and one or more fire their weapons.

Authorities have said two deputies fired a total of four rounds during the encounter.

Solicitor Walt Wilkins and Lewis said a gun was recovered from within reach of Mendez.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating, as is typical for officer-involved shootings in South Carolina, according to spokesman Thom Berry.

Clark, 23, appeared to lean out of the driver’s window just after the deputies fired their guns. Her passenger window was then broken, and she was pulled from the car. She sat nearby as Mendez was later pulled from the car from the passenger side.

Officers can been seen on the video attempting to resuscitate him for several minutes.

Clark has told authorities that she was to marry Mendez, a 37-year-old Fountain Inn native, later that Saturday morning, according to Lewis.

She faces a charge of obstruction of justice as well as possession of a stolen vehicle, according to jail records and SLED.

Lewis said methamphetamine was found in Mendez’s possession.

Wilkins said the audio and the video are consistent with deputies’ statements about the encounter. He said a gun was found in the driver’s seat of Mendez’s car, and he said Mendez had a holster for the gun inside his pants.

- Follow Michael Burns on Twitter @MikeAtGvlNwz

Family upset over deputies' shooting

Solicitor releases new details in officer-involved shooting