Video of suspect using child as ‘human shield’ during officer-involved shooting circulates online

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - A video of deputies trying to restrain a suspect the sheriff said was using a child “as a human shield” has been circulating online.

WIS has verified the video is of the Sunday night officer-involved shooting at the Woodland Village apartment complex that left two deputies and a suspect injured.

Officials say 27-year-old Albertus David Lewis was involved in the shooting.

Investigators say Lewis is expected to survive injuries he sustained in the shooting. Charges against him are pending.

Both deputies are also doing well and at least one has already been released from the hospital, LCSD said.

Beginning around 4 or 5 p.m. Sunday, officers got a call about a domestic dispute between a man and a woman with a child also present.

Video shows the deputies and the man were talking at first, but the sheriff says at some point the situation escalated and the man had a handgun.

This new video shows the escalation and WIS has distilled it into six keyframes.

At the start, people can see an officer with what appears to be a taser in his hand.

We also see the suspect on the ground and one deputy in a hand-to-hand fight with the suspect, as described by Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.

In the second frame, the suspect is seen standing up and pointing what the sheriff’s department says is a handgun at an officer. In the original video, you can hear gunshots at this point.

Then, the little girl is visible for the first time in the video. She comes out from under the suspect and then steps a little bit away from the confrontation.

After the situation continues to escalate, it appears the suspect scoops up the little girl again after he got off the ground.

The suspect then continues running, and then it appears as though the officers then get him on the ground again. At this time the little girl is feet away from the scuffle, and we are told she was unharmed throughout the whole exchange.

According to LCSD, seven deputies were there in all once the situation escalated to this point.

Two of the deputies were put on administrative leave as SLED continues to investigate.

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