Woman killed in officer-involved shooting arrested for DUI earlier in week

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A woman is dead after a Lancaster County Sheriff's deputy shot her in the chest early Thursday.

Three sheriff's deputies were responding to a call of an erratic driver on Grace Avenue when they made a traffic stop.  At some point, there was a shooting, but officials will not release any details about what led up to the shooting.

The woman killed was identified as Ingrid Mayer, 55, of Lancaster. Mayer was arrested for DUI this week, and bonded out Wednesday.

Some neighbors said they saw the small silver Nissan drive by and pull into a driveway. Darrell Willis lives there.

"I was in the house and I heard the gunshots. Two gunshots," Willis said. "She pulled in behind my vehicle and I reckon the deputy had pulled in behind her, and she pulled out trying to get around the deputy."

He saw shell casings in his driveway, and looked outside to see the silver car on the opposite side of the road in a ditch. 

"It's sad. It really is," said Carolyn Huffstickler, who lives next to Willis.  She saw the car, just before the shooting as well. "I was washing dishes, when I saw the car go up in her driveway up there."

Sheriff's deputies shut down Grace Avenue and detoured traffic for five hours, while South Carolina Law Enforcement Divison agents were called in, and took over the investigation.

Crime scene tape was strung across the street, and wrapped around the front of several homes.

"I wanted to go to the grocery store today, but that didn't happen," Huffstickler said.

In a brief news conference, Sheriff Barry Faile didn't say much, but did say that it appears his deputy acted properly.

"According to our investigation, everything looks according to policy with the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.  We have turned this over to SLED," Faile said.
 
When the car was lifted onto a wrecker, a hole on the left side of the windshield was clearly visible, and some front end damage where the car apparently struck the culvert.

Neighbors, seeing their yards wrapped in crime scene tape, could only express relief that it was over.

'It's just something that happened. I hate it happened here in my yard," Willis said.

Faile wouldn't answer Channel 9 questions about if any shots were fired at deputies, or if the woman was armed.

The three deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave. The sheriff would not release their names.

SLED confirmed its agents are investigating the shooting, but would not release any further information.

WSOC