SLED confirms Florence murder suspect was killed by police

FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Four days after a murder suspect was killed in a shootout with authorities in Florence, SLED confirmed Friday that 41-year-old Matthew Barry was killed by police officers.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said in a news release late Friday afternoon that its agents are investigating Monday night’s shooting at the Brittany Place apartment complex. SLED had not previously released any information about the investigation, despite multiple calls and emails from News13 since Tuesday morning.

Florence police said Monday that Barry began firing at officers when they entered his apartment to execute a murder warrant. Barry was wanted in connection with the killing of 34-year-old Idris Chance Ali Cooper at the Colonial Drive Apartments on Sunday.

SLED’s press release also confirmed earlier police reports that Barry had barricaded himself in his apartment. Barry died at the scene and none of the officers were injured, SLED said.

Barry’s family told News13 they have no idea what led to the fatal confrontation, but they too are suffering from the accident.

SLED was asked by the Florence Police Department and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office to investigate, which is standard practice in officer-involved shootings. SLED said the investigation is ongoing and “at this time no additional information will be released by SLED regarding the case.”

“SLED conducts officer-involved shooting investigations (OIS) at the request of the agency involved in the incident or the appropriate authority,” the agency said. “When SLED is requested to investigate an OIS, its goal is to conduct a thorough, independent criminal investigation as quickly as possible under the circumstances.”

The agency said its agents will interview all possible witnesses and collect all “relevant information” for forensic investigations. Once the investigation is complete, the information will be passed on to prosecutors.

Monday’s shooting was the 27th police-involved shooting in the state in 2024 and the first involving Florence police, SLED said. There were 43 police-involved shootings in the state in 2023. None of them occurred in Florence.