On March 4, 2014, 24-year-old Rebecca Lynne Oliver died following an officer-involved shooting in Duncan, South Carolina. The incident began when the Duncan Police Department received a report of a disturbance behind the Value Place motel. Upon arrival, an officer encountered Oliver and a male companion, later identified as John Allen Rockwood, who were allegedly attempting to steal a battery from a vehicle in the parking lot.
As the officer approached the pair to investigate the
reported theft, Rockwood fled the scene on foot, leaving Oliver behind. During the ensuing confrontation, Oliver reportedly entered the officer's patrol vehicle. Authorities stated that she put the car into gear and drove it toward the officer. Perceiving an immediate threat to his safety, the officer discharged his service weapon, striking Oliver in the chest. She succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting occurred just two weeks after Oliver had lost her mother to cancer. She was survived by her three children.
Following the incident, the unidentified officer was placed on paid administrative leave, a standard protocol in such cases, while the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division launched an independent investigation into the use of lethal force. Rebecca Oliver's father later filed a lawsuit in connection with her death. John Allen Rockwood was subsequently arrested and detained at the Spartanburg County Detention Center. He faced multiple charges stemming from the incident, including two counts of car breaking, two counts of carjacking, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
