The Greenwood Police Department identified the deceased officer as 31-year-old Don “DJ” Keller, who was killed in the line of duty on Monday, May 11, 2026. Officer Keller died at the scene following a violent head-on collision on East Cambridge Avenue near Ames Street South in Greenwood, South Carolina. The incident marks the first line-of-duty death for the department in 70 years, since 1956. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced that flags at the Statehouse will be lowered to half-staff on the day of Keller’s funeral.
The fatal crash occurred during a high-speed police pursuit initiated by a fellow officer who attempted to stop a blue Jeep Wrangler suspected in previous shootings. The Jeep fled at a high rate of speed, crossed the center median into oncoming traffic, and struck Officer Keller’s patrol vehicle as he drove to assist with the stop. The driver of the fleeing vehicle was a 15-year-old male, accompanied by two passengers aged 17 and 18. All three suspects were hospitalized, and one passenger was subsequently released into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
Officer Keller joined the Greenwood Police Department in March 2023 and achieved his goal of becoming a K9 handler in 2025. He was also a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Army from 2016 to 2020, and remained an active member of the South Carolina Army National Guard. His K9 partner, Vice, was inside the vehicle during the collision but miraculously suffered no injuries. Officer Keller is survived by his wife of 10 years, Alison, and their two-year-old daughter. The South Carolina Highway Patrol is leading the ongoing investigation.