State investigators have released new details — including video evidence — shedding light on the ambush of a South Carolina police officer early Sunday morning, an attack that appears to have involved an incendiary weapon.
According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the incident occurred while a Greenville Police officer was seated inside a marked patrol vehicle parked at the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center. Surveillance video released by investigators shows a suspect vehicle pulling alongside the patrol car before firing a device that erupts in visible streams of fire.
The video captures a sudden flash and sustained flames striking the patrol vehicle.
Photographs released by authorities show extensive burn damage and large dents along the upper portion of the driver’s-side door, just below the window opening — damage consistent with a high-energy incendiary impact.
SLED investigators believe the suspect used incendiary ammunition, which authorities say can be designed to ignite on impact and inflict significant damage. While investigators have not publicly identified the exact type of weapon or ammunition used, the attack underscores the destructive potential of incendiary rounds when used outside of controlled environments.
Incendiary ammunition is not new to civilian shooters, though it is most often encountered as a novelty or specialty product rather than a practical tool. One of the most well-known examples is Dragon’s Breath shotgun ammunition, a magnesium-based 12-gauge round that produces dramatic flames and extreme heat. As TTAG has previously covered in Dragon’s Breath Shotgun Ammo: Cool as Hell, But Not for Everyone, these rounds pose serious fire hazards, are restricted or outright banned in many states, and carry substantial legal and safety risks when misused.
Law enforcement officials later identified the suspect vehicle, which was located by deputies with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. A pursuit followed, during which gunfire was exchanged. Authorities say the chase ended in a crash, followed by a second exchange of gunfire in which the suspect was killed.
The Greenville Police officer injured in the initial ambush was transported to a local hospital and has since been released to recover at home.
SLED has identified the deceased suspect as 42-year-old David William Lane and is continuing its investigation into both the ambush and the subsequent officer-involved shootings.
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