A lawsuit has been filed following the fatal shooting of Joseph Mason, 66, by a Greenville County Sheriff’s deputy during a mental health crisis incident in December 2024. The encounter began when Mason's wife, Robyn Mason, called 911, expressing concern that her husband might harm himself due to his mental distress.
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On December 28, 2024, shortly after 8 p.m., Robyn Mason alerted dispatchers that her husband had shot himself, although later communication revealed that he had not actually done so. During the call, she requested assistance as Mason was armed and had been drinking, exhibiting suicidal behavior.
When deputies arrived minutes later, Joseph Mason was reportedly on the front porch with a gun. Body camera footage shows Deputy Alexander Root approaching with his weapon drawn, identifying himself while urging Mason to get on the ground. The Sheriff's Office stated that Mason’s actions led Root to perceive a threat to himself and bystanders, prompting him to fire more than a dozen shots at Mason, who succumbed to his injuries later at a hospital.
Robyn Mason's lawsuit, filed in circuit court, alleges that the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office displayed a “systemic pattern of noncompliance” with proper de-escalation and crisis intervention practices. It describes her husband’s death as indicative of the Sheriff’s Office’s mistreatment of individuals enduring mental health crises and seeks damages for the family under claims of constitutional violations.
The Sheriff’s Office has refrained from commenting due to the ongoing litigation but previously stated the shooting was justified following an investigation. The State Law Enforcement Division has also concluded its investigation without filing charges.