GREENVILLE, South Carolina — A Greenville police officer was wounded in what authorities are calling a shocking ambush attack early Sunday morning right in the parking lot of the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center. The officer, seated in his patrol vehicle when shots rang out just after 1:30 a.m., was struck multiple times but survived the assault and has since returned home to his family.
Police say the shooter, later identified as 42-year-old David William Lane, pulled up in a vehicle beside the officer’s patrol car and opened fire with what appears to have been incendiary ammunition — rounds designed to cause extra damage. Surveillance footage shared by authorities shows sparks hitting the cruiser as Lane fired before driving off into the dark.
The attack stunned Greenville residents and law enforcement alike. A place meant to be among the safest — the lot of a law enforcement center — became the scene of violence against one of the city’s own. Local police and the Greenville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #17 described the ambush as a brazen act that reminds everyone there really is no “safe” zone for officers. In a statement, the lodge underscored the danger officers face every day, from 911 calls to quiet moments like that early Sunday morning.
After the shooting, deputies located Lane’s vehicle on Roper Mountain Road. A brief pursuit followed, ending in a crash near Independence Boulevard. Law enforcement and Lane exchanged more gunfire, and investigators later found Lane dead inside his vehicle. The Greenville County coroner ruled his death a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Neighbors and former co-workers have since come forward with troubling descriptions of Lane’s behavior in the weeks leading up to the ambush. Some said he had grown paranoid, making comments about being watched and even threatening others with a gun. Multiple complaints about his conduct had been made to the sheriff’s office earlier in the month, though deputies determined at the time that there was not enough evidence to warrant arrest.
The officer, whose name has not been released, was treated at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Officials confirmed he has been released and is recuperating at home, though full recovery is expected to take time. Family, colleagues, and members of the community have rallied around him, offering prayers and support as he faces surgery and rehabilitation.
State investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have taken over the case and are continuing their work. A full briefing is scheduled for later in February, part of the standard process following an officer-involved shooting. In the meantime, Greenville residents remain shaken by how close danger came in a place meant to be secure, and neighbors continue to reflect on the fragile line between safety and violence.
