The sheriff’s deputy who shot, killed a Sun City man will not face criminal charges

The deputy who fatally shot a troubled Sun City resident inside the gated community last summer will not face any criminal charges, according to a letter from 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone.

The letter, written to a S.C. Law Enforcement Division captain on Dec. 30, was obtained by The Island Packet on Tuesday. It reveals new details about the Friday night six months ago when Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy Cpl. Kerry Johnson shot and killed 56-year-old Donald Allamong outside his Twinkling Court home.

About 11:20 p.m. July 26, Twinkling Court neighbors called 911 saying “Allamong was walking in the street yelling profanities, threatening people and firing a pistol,” the letter says. Johnson arrived at Allamong’s home, but left about 11:33 p.m. after he was unable to locate Allamong.

Eleven minutes later, neighbors called 911 again, saying Allamong was back on the street shooting the gun and threatening people again.

When Johnson returned, the officer saw him walking toward the street with a gun in his hand.

Johnson ordered Allamong to stop and show his hands.

Allamong said “**** you,” according to the solicitor’s letter, and raised his gun at Johnson.

Based on sounds from Johnson’s body camera and the location of a 9mm shell casing found at the scene, the letter said, “it appears that Allamong fired at Johnson.”

Johnson fired one shot at Allamong, which struck him. The officer told the man to drop his weapon.

Instead, Allamong continued pointing his 9mm pistol in Johnson’s direction.

Johnson fired four more shots, killing Allamong, the solicitor wrote.

Stone concluded that there was no evidence that would “substantiate any ... charges” against Johnson.

“His actions appear to have been appropriate given the facts of this case,” Stone wrote.

Johnson, who had been placed on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation was pending, returned to work on Aug. 5.

That investigation was completed within a week and found no wrongdoing, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner told The Packet at the time.

The Sheriff’s Office did not release its internal investigation when it was complete because S.C. Law Enforcement Division was conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, Tanner previously said. In the case of officer-involved shootings, the Sheriff’s Office asks SLED to independently investigate whether the use of force was justified.

SLED’s investigation has since concluded, department spokesperson Tommy Crosby confirmed Friday.

Johnson has been with the Sheriff’s Office since May 2018, and has worked in law enforcement throughout South Carolina for more than three decades.

TWINKLING COURT BEFORE THE SHOOTING

Allamong moved into the Sun City home on Twinkling Court just more than a year before the fatal shooting, according to his neighbors at the time, who asked not to be identified.

They said he had a history of threatening people and causing problems in the neighborhood, adding that Sun City’s private security and the Sheriff’s Office had responded to calls at the home on multiple occasions.

The Island Packet obtained copies of two reports that show an escalation of arguments and violence in the neighborhood involving Allamong in the months leading up to the shooting.

The first incident was on May 8, when Allamong allegedly told two of his neighbors that he would kill them. Allamong denied doing so, and because of conflicting statements, the deputy who responded did not think he had probable cause to arrest Allamong.

On June 28, Allamong got into a physical altercation with a different neighbor. The neighbor, who admitted he punched Allamong in the face, was charged with second-degree assault and battery, but that charge was later dismissed.

The day after the charge was dismissed — and less than a month before the fatal shooting — one of the neighbors who accused Allamong of threatening to kill her said a cross cut-out with a Bible verse on it that was “threatening in nature” was left on her mailbox.

She said the neighborhood was “having serious problems with the suspect” and the neighbors “are very concerned.” She also said she was afraid to leave her house.

The case was closed due to lack of evidence.

PREVIOUS RUN-INS WITH POLICE

Allamong was not arrested on any charges in South Carolina, according to a SLED criminal history search, but Beaufort County court documents show he received traffic citations during four separate instances between December 2018 and May 2019.

Prior to those traffic violations, Allamong had at least two serious run-ins with law enforcement in Ohio.

He was arrested as recently as Jan. 1, 2018, according to a police report from the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.

The report said he was charged with felonious assault, assault, and two charges of domestic violence after he allegedly drunkenly attacked multiple family members, including choking one and pushing two others. He also threatened to kill one of them, the report said.

In December 2002, Allamong was involved in an armed standoff with police at his chiropractic office, according to an article from The Blade newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.

The article says his wife called 911 to request someone check on her husband’s safety. Later, authorities found Allamong in a doorway at the office, where he allegedly threatened to shoot anyone who entered.

No charges were filed, and he was taken to a mental health facility.

Police later found a loaded revolved locked in a drawer of his desk.