Richland County, S.C. — A 41-year-old man was fatally shot during a confrontation with police after allegedly brandishing multiple knives, including a machete, during an encounter on August 31, 2022. The incident occurred around 6:41 a.m. near Highway 92 in Columbia, South Carolina, following reports of a man threatening employees with a knife at a nearby business.
According to dispatch information, officers were alerted that a Hispanic male had been “swinging a knife” before leaving the scene in a white Nissan pickup truck. Two patrol officers responded immediately, locating the truck stopped on the south side of the highway.
Upon approach, officers found the man—later identified as Augustine Flores, a Spanish citizen—sitting inside the vehicle using his phone. Despite repeated commands to exit the truck, Flores refused, prompting officers to attempt physical removal. During the struggle, Flores reached toward the passenger seat, causing officers to retreat out of concern he was reaching for a weapon. The item he pulled out, however, appeared to be a tire-inflation tool.
Officers continued to negotiate with Flores, but he refused to drop what police believed to be a knife and shouted provocations, insisting officers “wouldn’t dare” to act. Additional officers arrived as the standoff escalated. Minutes later, Flores retrieved a 31-inch machete, stepped out of the vehicle, and challenged the officers.
Police deployed rubber bullets in an attempt to subdue him, but the tactic appeared to escalate Flores’s agitation. Moments later, multiple officers opened fire, fatally wounding him.
Family Disputes Police Account, Files Lawsuit
Following the incident, Flores’s mother filed a lawsuit with the Camden Supreme Court, alleging that officers used excessive force and that Flores had not acted unlawfully with the machete. The lawsuit claims that Flores complied when ordered to exit the vehicle and that officers responded with what the suit describes as an “on-the-spot execution.”
The complaint further argues that the officers involved were not adequately trained or supervised. Named in the lawsuit are officers Jason Kappy, Raymond Romero, Timothy Garcia, Julio Chavez Lewis, and four additional officers who discharged their weapons.
Flores’s mother stated that her son had been struggling with mental illness, sometimes losing control of his actions despite ongoing efforts to seek treatment. She contends that the police response caused him to panic and ultimately led to the fatal escalation.
Police Defend Officers’ Actions
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department maintains that officers followed proper procedures, insisting Flores acted aggressively and posed a threat to their safety. According to the department, the use of lethal force was justified due to the presence of the machete and Flores’s refusal to comply with commands.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary compensation as well as punitive damages.
