South Carolina: Man accused of fatally stabbing woman in wheelchair shot, killed by police

Sheriff Wright says no law enforcement officers were injured

LANDRUM, S.C. (Agencies) — A man accused of fatally stabbing a woman with a butcher knife was shot and killed by authorities in South Carolina, according to Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright.

Wright said Landrum police were called early Monday morning to the Bon Aire Apartments on South Randolph Avenue in Landrum. He said the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office was called in to assist. The coroner identified the woman as 53-year-old Shana McClain. According to the coroner, McClain has multiple sharp-edged injuries.

Wright said a man was at the scene with a butcher knife in his hand and would not comply with commands from authorities. Wright said the man came toward officers, so they used a stun gun and then a K9 was sent to take the man in custody.

"I do know after he was Tased he still fought through that. I'm not sure if the probes were in him or not. We don't know that yet. It should have in a normal situation at least slowed him down a little bit," Wright said.

According to Wright, the man continued to come toward authorities, so shots were fired by one Landrum police officer and two Spartanburg County deputies.

"It wasn't just a come straight out of a holster and start shooting. They tried very hard to save this man's life and he just wouldn't have none of it," said Wright. The man was shot and killed, Wright said. The coroner identified the man shot by officers as 58-year-old Freddie Edwards.

Wright said no law enforcement officers were injured.

Though law enforcement is still investigating what directly led to this stabbing, family members tell WYFF that Freddie Edwards had 'fallen in with a bad crowd.' His sister, Lisa Edwards said he'd faced trauma, and was no stranger to drug use. That doesn't lessen the pain both families felt Monday.

"I'm looking for answers and closure. And truth of this. Because there's more that was going on that should have been dealt with," Edwards said.

Law enforcement said they've responded to domestic violence calls involving the couple and apartment multiple times. Records show Freddie Edwards was arrested for domestic violence in 2017.

According to Edwards' family, McClain and Edwards were in a messy on and off again relationship and were living together.

"Toxic. Very toxic. Very toxic. But I just, my brother I just wish you would've turned the other way and just came home. I just wish he came home," Edwards said.

SLED is still investigating this shooting.