Taylors man fatally wounded, deputy shot in confrontation at apartment

Romando Dixson , Nathaniel Cary | The Greenville News

A Taylors man died early Thursday morning after he was shot by a Greenville County sheriff’s deputy during a confrontation in his apartment, authorities said.

Charles Edward Rosemond Sr., 55, 1900 Boling Road Ext. Apt 16B, died from a gunshot wound to the leg, said Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the fatal shooting and spent the day Thursday processing the scene.

The incident involved a confrontation with deputies at the apartment complex, SLED spokesman Thom Berry said in a media release.

A resident at Spring Grove Apartments called authorities to report that she heard a commotion next door, including a shot fired, and thought a robbery was in progress, Sheriff's Office Lt. Ty Miller said.

Deputies met with the caller, went next door and saw through a window that a room was disheveled, Miller said. Deputies identified themselves and knocked on the door multiple times and no one answered, Miller said.

"At that point, when nobody answered, they thought maybe there’s a victim inside, that somebody’s been shot,” Miller said.

When two deputies forced their way into the apartment, they saw a man pointing a gun at them. The man fired one shot and struck a deputy in the head, Miller said. The other deputy then returned fire, Miller said.

The deputy was taken to the hospital and underwent successful surgery, Miller said. The wound did not penetrate his skull and he is expected to survive and make a full recovery, Miller said. The deputy who returned fire was placed on administrative duty.

Rosemond’s half-brother, Calvin Giles, said Rosemond was married and had three children, but lived alone.

Giles said Rosemond had diabetes and received disability pay. He’d spoken with him Wednesday and didn’t know what would make him fire at the deputies.

“He used to be on drugs years and years ago but he got cleaned up,” Giles said. “He’d really straightened his life out, no drugs, no alcohol.”

Rosemond had lived in the tiny one-bedroom apartment for nearly two years, Giles said. One of his sons had given him a gun to protect himself from petty crimes, he said.

An autopsy was done Thursday afternoon. Evans said the autopsy would show how many times Rosemond was shot while further ballistics tests would show if he had also been shot prior to deputies arriving on scene.

SLED agents are conducting interviews with responding officers. There is no known video of the incident, Berry said. Sheriff's deputies do not use body cameras.

Neighbors who live at Spring Grove said they live in fear of violence that occurs in the area.

Several, who didn’t want to be named out of fear of retribution, described petty crimes, robberies, drug sales and frequent gunshots. One woman who’s lived there for seven years said she runs to her bathroom when she hears gunshots.

The incident was the 47th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina this year and the fourth involving the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, SLED said. In 2014, there were 42 officer-involved shootings statewide and three involved the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, SLED said.