A fatal officer involved shooting in the Upstate earlier this year, has been ruled as justified. As we previously reported, 36 year old double murder suspect Gary Pratt Whitten was shot and killed at a home in Landrum, January 17th.
Whitten was a suspect in a house fire that turned into a murder case when two women were found dead inside the home. The night of January 17th deputies went to the home where Whitten was hiding and a short standoff ensued.
Whitten then reportedly came out of the house holding a chrome metal object and pointed it at deputies, who then fired on the suspect killing him. Further investigation revealed that the object was a showerhead.
However, there was no way for deputies to know that in the moment. Sheriff Hobart Lewis says the use of lethal force was necessary and justifiable.
