Deputies find suicide note before deadly officer-involved shooting, report says

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) – An investigation report from the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies found a suicide note, a rifle and several fired bullets the night a 55-year-old man was shot by a Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The shooting left 55-year-old William “Jerry” Crosby dead. The State Law Enforcement Division says he was armed at the time.

The new details in the investigation report show deputies were originally called out on May 1, 2022, by Crosby’s wife. She was asking for a welfare check, saying “[Jerry] hasn’t been himself lately” and was threatening to harm himself, according to that report.

After sweeping the house and making contact with Crosby, one of the responding deputies, Cpl. Jake Scott, shot Crosby. He was transferred to the Colleton Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

It’s unclear in the report what lead up to the shooting.

After the shooting, the investigation report shows there were several spent 9mm casings, a live .22 round, a rifle and a bullet hole that passed through a wall. The case was handed over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division after the shooting.

The sheriff’s office says per standard procedure, Scott’s body camera was activated during the incident. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has possession of that footage right now.

Scott has been in law enforcement for 11 years, according to training records.

For 8 of those years until 2019, Scott worked as a deputy with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s office, followed by about a 6-month gap before he started with Colleton County in January of 2020. Scott’s training records show that the short break came after he was charged with a crime and was temporarily suspended without pay.

SLED officials say the investigation is open and active.

At last check, Scott is on paid administrative leave while SLED investigates.

“No other details are available from SLED at this time while agents continue to investigate,” SLED Director of Public Information Renée Wunderlich says.

So far in 2022, there have been 16 officer-involved shootings in South Carolina. The incident back in May is the first officer-involved shooting in Colleton County this year, SLED says.

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