The estate of a Blacksburg woman who died in an officer-involved shooting in 2018 has filed a lawsuit against the Cherokee County Sheriff ’s Office, Sheriff Steve Mueller and several sheriff ’s deputies in the Cherokee County Court of Common Pleas, alleging the officers utilized deadly force when their lives were not in danger.
Filed Aug. 5 and amended Oct. 8, the plaintiff, Shane Owens, individually and as the personal representative of the estate, is seeking one million dollars in damages and has demanded a jury trial. Damages listed in the suit include physical and mental pain and suffering, medical expenses and loss of enjoyment of life, among others. The South Carolina Tort Claims Act limits awards to $300,000 per occurrence. The plaintiff has alleged a minimum of four occurrences in the lawsuit.
Stephanie Nicole Bolton Owens, 41, called 9-1-1 several times around 3:20 a.m. on Aug. 26, 2018, begging for help, stating she was in pain and on medication and intended to harm herself, according to the lawsuit.
Deputies arrived at Owens’ residence on Bear Creek Road in Blacksburg at 3:34 a.m., previously published reports state, and spent the next 35-40 minutes repeatedly talking to Owens, trying to get her to drop her weapon.
Owens reportedly started “painting” an officer with the light from a laserequipped handgun. Four of the five deputies on scene then fired their weapons at Owens.
Following the shooting, deputies rendered aid and Owens was flown by helicopter to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said at the time Owens died in surgery at 6:34 a.m.
The lawsuit alleges Owens was disoriented and did not understand commands begin given to her but did not point the weapon at officers or otherwise threaten the officers with the weapon.
“Instead of recognizing an obvious mental health crisis enhanced by medication usage, the deputies chose to empty their firearms into the decedent,” the lawsuit states.
Deputies were wearing body cameras and that footage, along with 9-1-1 recordings, were reviewed as part of an independent investigation by SLED. The findings by SLED were turned over to the attorney general who cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, Mueller said.
Mueller backs his deputies and said the shooting was justified.
“We stand on the fact that they were cleared by an outside independent investigation,” Mueller said. “From a criminal standpoint, it was ruled a justified shooting.”
Attorney Kyle J. White of Anderson is representing the plaintiff.
No man gives life, and no man should take life.