Deputy Kills Suicidal Man

A reportedly suicidal man was shot and killed by a Greenville County Sheriff's deputy Monday morning.

Laura Campbell, public information officer for the GCSO, said deputies were called to a home at 22 Lermann Drive at 6:59 a.m. Monday in response to a "family disturbance" at the residence, located near White Horse Road and South Fairfield Road.

Campbell said a man inside the home was threatening to kill himself. 

"The suspect was said to be threatening a family members and himself and had armed himself with a rifle," Campbell said. "Deputies arrived on scene at 7:16 a.m. and after safely removing the family member from the home uniform patrol deputies approached the suspect. The suspect, while still in possession of the firearm, turned toward deputies. Feeling his life was in danger one deputy fired at the suspect striking him."

Kent Dill, deputy coroner at the Greenville County Coroner's Office, identified the man as 50-year-old Patrick O'Neal Starks, and confirmed he died at Greenville Memorial Hospital from a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Per policy, the deputy involved in the shooting, whose identity has yet to be released, has been placed on administrative duty while the shooting is under investigation by the Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division