WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a shooting incident in the Birch Street area of Winnsboro at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening.
Wright
Upon arrival, deputies located a victim with a wound to the neck. The victim was transported by EMS to the hospital.
Witnesses identified Steve A. Wright, 54, as the suspect in the shooting. Wright was seen shooting a gun into a crowd where the victim was struck, and then returning to his house at 210 Birch St.
Responding deputies attempted to contact Wright at his residence. After receiving no response, deputies entered Wright’s home and took him into custody, according to Major Brad Douglas.
Wright, who is being held at the Fairfield County Detention Center, has been charged with Attempted Murder and Possession of a Deadly Weapon during a Violent Crime.
According to Sheriff Will Montgomery, there were no other injuries in the shooting, and the victim is expected to fully recover.
“I want to thank the residents in that area for their cooperation with our deputies and their patience while we dealt with this incident,” Sheriff Montgomery said. “I commend the professionalism of our deputies and their quick response to bring this situation to an end without any more injuries.”
The Voice will update this story as more information is made available.
Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer, front, and Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery comment about the county’s new arrangement to police Ridgeway. | Michael Smith
RIDGEWAY – Fairfield County and Ridgeway elected leaders are calling it a win-win arrangement.
Following the defunding of the Ridgeway Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office will now police the town of 319 residents.
Speaking at Monday night’s County Council meeting, Sheriff Will Montgomery said off-duty deputies would spend about six hours per day policing the town. That may increase if and when Ridgeway sees a need to increase police presence, he said.
“It gives the deputies an opportunity to make some extra money, so that’s another good thing,” Montgomery said.
Ridgeway Mayor Heath Cookendorfer said he’s excited by the new intergovernmental agreement.
“We’re getting some great feedback from citizens,” Cookendorfer said. “This is something we’d be using for just six hours with the option to increase hours as we need or see the need for, as well as more days.”
Earlier this month, Ridgeway Town Council voted to disband and defund the town’s police department and the former chief, Christopher Culp.
The vote came following a flotilla of complaints lodged against the chief.
Many complained the chief spent a disproportionate amount of time doubling as a de facto school resource officer at Geiger Elementary School at the expense of policing the town.
Other complaints cited general rudeness, according to documents The Voice obtained from the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
The tone at Monday night’s County Council meeting was much more positive, however.
“We appreciate the county allowing us to enter into an agreement,” Cookendorfer said.
Specific costs weren’t mentioned, though Town Councilman Dan Martin reported at the Aug. 9 Town Council meeting that the switch to using county law enforcement services would save the Town approximately $70,000 annually. Under the agreement, the Town of Ridgeway would be responsible for paying for gas for police vehicles, while the county would handle vehicle maintenance.
Montgomery didn’t see those as issues.
“We’re already in the town of Ridgeway, so that’s not a big deal. Most of the time they [deputies] are on foot,” he said.
In other business, the council voted 6-0 to give Montgomery approval to apply for an $11,251 JAG grant to purchase a Ranger utility vehicle.
Montgomery said the vehicle would be a helpful tool during special events. He said it could also be used to help search for missing persons.
Council members noted it also would be helpful during wildfires or other natural disasters.
“It will be a great addition to our department, a great tool for our department,” Montgomery said.
WINNSBORO – On Tuesday afternoon, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office investigated a suspected methamphetamine lab in the Bi Lo parking lot in the Winnsboro area. Deputies initially responded to Bi Lo for a complaint of trespassing.
Emergency personnel is on site.
Upon arrival, deputies learned that the trespass suspect had unknowingly been in an employee’s vehicle. Upon closer inspection of the vehicle, deputies report they located what was suspected to be a methamphetamine lab. Sheriff Will Montgomery said his department followed established protocol and blocked off the immediate area surrounding the vehicle. He said his personnel who are trained to handle these types of situations were called and are on scene. As an added safety measure, a fire truck was requested to be on standby at the location.
After a search, the Sheriff’s Office apprehended the suspect believed to be responsible for the suspected methamphetamine lab. Deputies expect to be on-scene for approximately 2-3 hours while waiting on a specialized cleaning and collection service to arrive for proper collection and disposal of these potentially hazardous items in question.
“We are thankful to the Bi Lo staff for their vigilance and for quickly notifying our office,” Montgomery said. “Our deputies were on scene quickly to identify this meth lab and to take the proper steps necessary in safely handling it. Investigating methamphetamine labs is a very dangerous part of law enforcement and we want to make sure that this incident is handled in a safe manner. Unfortunately, these processes are time consuming. We appreciate the patience of the public and the staff at Bi Lo while we continue this investigation.”
The Voice will update as the investigation continues.
