The chilling surveillance video released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shows what can only be called an ambush on a Greenville police officer on January 11, 2026, just before 2 a.m. The footage captures a vehicle pulling up beside a marked patrol cruiser and firing rounds that sent sparks and flames across the officer’s door, injuring him and sending him to Greenville Memorial Hospital. Thankfully the officer was treated and released and is now recovering with his family, but the attack is a brutal reminder of the dangers our men and women in blue face every day.
Authorities identified the suspect as 42-year-old David William Lane, who fled the scene and was tracked down shortly after by deputies on Roper Mountain Road. A brief pursuit ensued, there were exchanges of gunfire during the chase, and the suspect was later found dead in his vehicle; the coroner ruled the death a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Communities deserve clear, unvarnished facts when violence like this erupts, and law enforcement across jurisdictions worked swiftly to bring the scene under control.
What makes this ambush particularly sinister is investigators’ conclusion that incendiary ammunition was used — rounds that ignite and produce sparks on impact, essentially turning a shooting into a potential firebombing. The surveillance clips show the terrifying visual effect: showers of sparks that could set a car ablaze or cause catastrophic injury in an instant. This was not a garden-variety shooting; it was an attack using munitions designed to do maximum damage.
Let’s call this what it is: a targeted assault on a public servant. While some in the elite media downplay attacks on police or treat them as isolated incidents, patterns are emerging in cities and counties across America where anti-police sentiment and softened criminal-justice approaches create an environment where violent actors feel emboldened. We cannot afford the luxury of naïveté; defending law enforcement is defending the rule of law and the safety of every hardworking American who shows up to work and plays by the rules.
SLED’s public release of the footage and the ongoing investigation should be a wake-up call for lawmakers and prosecutors in Columbia and beyond to take a hard look at weapons that amplify lethality. The motive remains under investigation, but one thing is clear: when an attacker chooses munitions meant to ignite or maim, prosecutors must throw the book at anyone who facilitates such harm. Lawmakers who prioritize political optics over public safety need to explain to voters why they won’t act to keep dangerous tools out of the wrong hands.
Americans who support our police shouldn’t be shy about demanding action. Encourage local leaders to work with state and federal partners to close loopholes in ammunition sales, ensure proper background checks are meaningful, and fund the protective equipment our officers need to survive increasingly brazen attacks. Communities that let politicians soften penalties for violent criminals will eventually pay the price in blood and fear.
It’s also worth noting that incendiary ammunition, while legal in South Carolina and available online, has already been banned in several other states and in Washington, D.C., because of the very danger it poses. If some states have moved to prohibit these rounds to protect firefighters, officers, and the public, it’s time for serious debate in legislatures that have lagged behind. Law-abiding hunters and shooters can still exercise their rights while common-sense limits keep clearly dangerous munitions out of malicious hands.
At the end of the day, this violent ambush is a test of our resolve as citizens to stand with those who keep us safe. We should be praying for the injured officer’s full recovery, demanding accountability, and making clear to would-be attackers that America will not tolerate ambushes on our police. Roll up your sleeves, support local law enforcement, and hold elected officials accountable — because the safety of our neighborhoods depends on it.
