Lexington County Sheriff’s Department identifies man charged after deputy involved shooting

Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – A spokesman for the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department has identified 61-year-old James William Level of Lexington as the man they took into custody Saturday after a short stand-off. He is being held in the Lexington County Detention Center after the incident with deputies Saturday night. According to the spokesman, he is being charged with pointing a firearm at a person and second-degree assault and battery.

On Saturday, April 13, Lexington County deputies were involved in a shooting incident with Level after they were called to his home because of a domestic incident. When they arrived, Level was armed and had barricaded himself in the house. Deputies were trying to detain him after witnesses told them he had assaulted a woman. He had a shotgun, and at some point, there was apparently a shot or shots fired in the home. Deputies reported that no one was struck. This all occurred in the 100 block of Mooring Lane out of Lexington.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, Level was transported to a medical facility for treatment by Lexington County EMS. He was later taken to the Lexington County Detention Center.

Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon has requested SLED take the lead on the shooting investigation, as is standard procedure when his deputies are involved in a shooting. SLED has acknowledged that they have opened the investigation into the incident but doesn’t normally comment on cases that are ongoing.