Clover man charged with attempted murder for shooting at SC police before SWAT standoff
A Clover man accused of firing a shotgun at officers Friday before a standoff with York County SWAT faces charges of attempted murder, police said.
William Dean Jefferis, 57, was arrested Friday morning on three counts of attempted murder after the standoff on Stanton Street ended, according to Clover Police Department Chief Randy Grice and Sgt. Tracy Reid. No Clover officers or SWAT members were hurt. Jefferis was taken into custody without injury, Grice said.
Clover police did not return fire at the suspect, Grice said.
“I am glad it turned out the way it did and nobody was hurt,” Grice told The Herald Friday.
Jefferis allegedly fired from the house outside toward Clover officers who arrived after midnight, Reid said. York County SWAT then responded, and homes around the house were cleared, Reid said.
Police initially went to the house because of a reported domestic disturbance, and a news release said gunshots were heard inside the house. The standoff went on for about five hours until SWAT took Jefferis into custody before 6 a.m., Reid said.
Jefferis has not yet had an initial court appearance, according to police and York County online court records. Attempted murder carries up to 30 years in prison for each conviction in South Carolina.
Jefferis is an employee of the town of Clover, police said. His specific job has not been released, but he is not a police officer, Grice said.
Clover has around 8,000 residents. It is located northwest of Rock Hill, and west of Lake Wylie and Charlotte.
