VIDEO: Sister of Man Who Shot South Carolina Deputy Praises Police

The sister of a man who shot a sheriff’s deputy in Berkeley County, SC, Friday spoke to WCBD TV.

The suspect, Travis Smith, killed himself in a standoff Friday. Smith’s sister, Melissa Shields, says, “It’s been hard. (He) was my brother, and I love him dearly.”

Smith shot and injured Deputy Kimber Gist behind the Food Lion on Redbank Road in Goose Creek.

She says her brother texted her and made it clear, he planned to take his own life. She says at the time, he believed he had killed Deputy Gist. “My brother knew what was going on. He knew he was wrong, he admitted to being wrong, and he just didn’t want to go back to jail.”

The main reason Shields wanted to tell her story was to set the record straight about how law enforcement handled the shooting. “You know, a lot of people try to make the police to be the bad guys, and that if you shoot a cop, they are gonna try to kill you. They treated my brother like any other victim. They treated my family like families of victims.”

Deputy Kimber Gist continues to do well after surgery. She is still in stable condition.