Widow files wrongful death lawsuit over Greenville County deputy-involved shooting

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — The widow of a man who was shot and killed by a Greenville County deputy in 2024 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Greenville County and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

Joseph Dominic Mason, 66, was fatally shot Dec. 28, 2024, after deputies responded to a Travelers Rest home following reports of a suicidal person.

Robyn Mason’s lawsuit alleges deputies failed to appropriately respond to a mental health crisis and that her husband was incapable of complying with commands before he was shot.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office previously released portions of a 911 call in which Mason’s wife reported hearing a gunshot from her bedroom at 8:19 p.m.

During the call, she told dispatchers she believed Mason had tried to kill himself, but was uncertain if he was dead when she called.

“He’s been talking about doing this and I think he just tried to kill himself,” she said.

Later in the call, Robyn Mason can be heard talking to someone else in the home before telling dispatchers “he said he’s okay and he’s talking to his daughter.”

While waiting for deputies to respond, a person can be heard on the phone saying they want to get a gun and “start shooting at them.”

Mason’s wife then told dispatchers she was standing on the porch and that Mason was going to the bedroom to get the gun.

Body-camera footage from the first deputy at the scene shows him approaching the home with his weapon drawn. After spotting Mason on the porch with a pistol in hand, the deputy told Mason, “Get on the f****** ground. I will shoot you.”

According to the sheriff’s office, Mason made a move that the deputy perceived as an attempt to harm himself or others, prompting the deputy to open fire.

Mason was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No deputies were injured.

In February 2025, the sheriff’s office ruled the shooting was justified.

7NEWS reached out to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office for a comment regarding the lawsuit. The agency responded that it does not comment on pending litigation.