SLED Investigating Officer Involved Shooting in Hampton County
Thursday, Jan 15, 2026
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, in Hampton County.
A Hampton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy responded to a call for service regarding an individual trespassing at a construction site. The deputy encountered a man walking in the roadway at the intersection of Charleston Highway and Web Duboise Lane. During the encounter the man, later identified as Bobby Leon Harris Jr., 43, entered the deputy’s patrol vehicle and there was an altercation where the deputy was injured by Harris Jr. During the altercation, Harris Jr. drove off in the police car and the deputy fired his service weapon at the tires of the stolen vehicle. More details can be found in the arrest warrants attached. Two additional HCSO deputies were injured during the course of the incident. They were transported to the hospital for treatment and have since been released. Harris Jr. was not injured. He was booked into the Hampton County Detention Center and charged with Failure to Stop for Blue Lights, Grand Larceny, Assault & Battery of a High & Aggravated Nature, and Resisting Arrest. SLED was requested to investigate by the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office.
This is an ongoing investigation. As such, no other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time.
SLED conducts law enforcement officer involved shooting (OIS) investigations at the request of the agency involved in the incident or the agency with jurisdiction. When requested to investigate an OIS, SLED’s goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as timely as is possible under the circumstances. SLED agents will conduct interviews with all potential witnesses in this matter. Further, SLED will collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed. Information gathered in the SLED investigation of the incident will be summarized in a case file report to be submitted to prosecutors.
The incident in Hampton County is the 3rd officer involved shooting in South Carolina in 2025. This is the 1st officer involved shooting for the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office this year.
In 2025, there were 45 officer involved shootings in South Carolina.
The Hampton County Sheriff’s Office had no officer involved shootings last year.
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For media inquiries, please email SLED’s Public Information Office: pio@sled.sc.gov.
