Fairfield County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit

01/01/2026

10/17/2025

🚨 SHOTS FIRED INCIDENT – INVESTIGATION ONGOING 🚨

On October 16, 2025, an anonymous female caller reported seeing three black males wearing all black passing a gun back and forth, followed by the sound of a gunshot near a church located at 370 Golf Course Road, Winnsboro, SC. This report was confirmed by an off-duty FCSO lieutenant who lives in the area.

A nearby deputy responded immediately. Upon arrival, he observed three teenage males wearing dark clothing running through a backyard on 6th Street after spotting his marked patrol vehicle. The deputy activated his emergency lights and requested additional units to establish a perimeter.

K9 Rayden and his handler Cpl. Ernst located one suspect hiding under an abandoned house. The individual, later identified as Juvenile #1, was searched and secured in a patrol vehicle.

Investigators quickly located multiple shell casings in the church parking lot, including several fired pistol casings, one fired rifle casing, and one unfired rifle round, all collected as evidence.

A second suspect, Juvenile #2, was located hiding on 6th Street by a K9 Dano and his handler Lt. Cox and additional deputies. He was found in possession of a G***k .45 9mm handgun, several black plastic baggies containing substances believed to be crack co***ne and powder co***ne, as well as pistol rounds and another magazine.

Charges and Disposition:
• Juvenile #2 was charged with:
o Unlawful Carry of a Pistol (underage)
o Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Co***ne (6.26g)
o Possession with Intent to Distribute Co***ne (4.76g)
He was transported to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office for processing.

• Juvenile #1 was released to his mother and will be petitioned at a later date for:
o Breach of Peace (High and Aggravated)
o Unlawful Carry of a Pistol (underage)
K9 units continued searching the area for the third suspect but were unsuccessful.
This matter remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141 or leave an anonymous tip on our tip line at 803-815-4191.

Handler Lt. Cox is seen in this picture praising his K9 Dano after locating the gun and drugs belonging to juvenile #2.

10/17/2025

Tune in Monday morning around 6:45 to see K9 Rayden and Cpl. Ernst on ABC 25 news in Columbia discussing the upcoming Law Dog Glow Run and Family Festival with Tyler Ryan and Curtis Wilson

10/03/2025

Great job by all deputies and Winnsboro public safety officers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office
Update on Incident – Ongoing Investigation
This morning, deputies with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an incident that began behind the KFC off of the 321 By-Pass. Following the investigation, it was determined that a firearm was involved; however, no shots were fired.
A short time later, deputies conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle behind the library at West Washington Street and North Garden Street. During the encounter, three armed suspects fled on foot. Multiple deputies, along with two K9 units, immediately initiated an extensive ground search of the surrounding area. The Winnsboro Department of Public Safety also assisted in this search.
Deputies and K9 teams have conducted a thorough search and have determined that there is no longer a threat in that area.
This case remains an active and ongoing investigation. Detectives are continuing to follow up on leads to identify and locate those involved.
The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office extends our thanks to the public for their assistance and cooperation during today’s incident.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141.

**Active Search for Armed Suspects Following Shooting Incident**

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is currently seeking three Black male suspects believed to be involved in a shooting that occurred this morning in the area of Garden Street and West Washington Street.

The suspects are alleged to have fired multiple shots into a vehicle before fleeing the scene. When deputies attempted to stop the suspect vehicle the suspects ran from officers on foot and were last seen armed.

At this time, Sheriff’s Office K9 units are actively searching the area. We urge all residents to avoid Garden Street and West Washington Street until further notice.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Additional updates will be provided as information becomes available.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or the suspects’ whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office immediately.

10/03/2025

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09/13/2025

Thank you all for your service

Fairfield County Sheriff's Office
18hr
👮‍♀️💙 National Women in Law Enforcement Day 💙👮‍♀️

Today, we proudly recognize and celebrate the incredible women who serve with honor and dedication at the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office. Their commitment to protecting and serving our community inspires us all.

👏 Terri Smith — Serving since 1985
👏 Lt. Melissa Cooper — Serving since 2001
👏 Lt. Brandy Caldwell — Serving since 2008
👏 Deputy Mary “Bebe” Harris — Serving since 2021
👏 Deputy Venita McClurkin — Serving since 2023
👏 Deputy Jeannette Thiaw — Serving since 2024
👏 Deputy Shelby Bradwell — Serving since 2024

We are grateful for your leadership, courage, and dedication. Thank you for representing the best of Fairfield County in uniform every single day. 💛

09/08/2025

🎉🐾 Come GLOW with us! 🐾🎉

Join us for a night of glowing fun at our 5K Glow Run & Family Festival — all to support our amazing Fairfield County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit 💙🐶 Presented by Strictly Running

🗓 Date: October 25th, 2025
📍 Location: S. Congress St. Winnsboro, SC
🎃 Trunk or Treat: 6:00 PM
🚶‍♀️ 5K Walk: 7:00 PM
🏃‍♂️ 5K Run: 8:00 PM

This event is PACKED with fun for the whole family!
✨ Live Music
🌮 Delicious Food
🎁 Raffles & Prizes
🐕 K9 Demonstrations
🎃 Trunk or Treating
🎽 5K Glow Walk & Run

💡 Glowing outfits & pets are not just welcome — they’re HIGHLY encouraged! Light up the night with your best neon gear and furry friends by your side!

🌐 Sign up or get more info at: www.lawdogglowrun.com

🌟 Want to become a sponsor? We'd love your support! Sponsorships help make this event possible and directly benefit our K9 unit. Message us for details!

Let’s come together, have a blast, and support our paws-itively awesome K9 team! 🐾💙

09/07/2025

❤️

09/04/2025

Trooper Lee did an amazing job. Willingly sacrificing his own safety for others. We are proud of you Trooper Lee.

09/04/2025

Today, we got a small break in from our normal training day to go see a great friend. The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit went to see Mr. George Sensor. Mr. Sensor continues to care about and outfit local Law Enforcement K9s with the equipment they need to be as safe as possible while performing their difficult and dangerous duties. We always enjoy seeing George and he is never one to back away from petting any of the K9s.

We would also like to thank the K9 Godmothers, who helped set this up for us. The K9 Godmothers continue to be an incredible resource for our agency, as well as other K-9 units across the state. We are greatful to be able to work with them to help fund our K9 Unit.