SC police officers cleared in fatal shooting

Two Cayce officers who were involved in a fatal shootout with a suspect in November have been cleared after an investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division.

Demetrius Bryant, 21, died after exchanging gunfire with the officers in the 1900 block of Lorick Street, a few blocks west of the Congaree River on Nov. 17, 2015. Bryant opened fire, injuring one officer, before the officers fired back, officials said.

SLED investigated the shooting and presented its findings to the 11^th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which found a “lack of any sufficient evidence that would support criminal charges against our officers,” according to the Cayce Department of Public Safety.

The Police Department also conducted an internal investigation, and found no violations of policy or procedure.

One of the officers involved, Rhett Kelly, has spent eight years in law enforcement, joining the Cayce department in April 2013. At the time of the incident, Kelly was assigned to the patrol division. He now has returned to work on limited duty as he recovers from his injuries.

The other officer involved, Sgt. Frank Ballentine, began his career with the department in February 1993 and has been a supervisor since 1998. Previously, he was a U.S. Marine. Ballentine, who is assigned to the patrol division as a supervisor, returned to full duty on Feb. 8.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 8:42 AM with the headline "SC police officers cleared in fatal shooting."