SLED investigates officer-involved shooting in Spartanburg

Agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Spartanburg County on Tuesday involving a Spartanburg County Sheriff’s deputy and an armed man, Duane Leslie Heard, 63. The incident resulted in Heard and a deputy being shot. Spartanburg County Deputy Austin Derek Aldridge, 25, died from his injuries at the hospital Tuesday night. Heard was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for medical treatment. SLED was requested to investigate by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

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 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. This is an ongoing investigation. As such, no other information about the case will be disclosed by SLED at this time. The incident in Spartanburg County was the 17th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in
2022. This is the 3rd officer-involved shooting involving the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office this year. In 2021, there were 40 officer-involved shootings in South Carolina; the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office had 2 officer-involved shootings last year.