In a tragic incident on New Year’s Day, Victor Figueroa Roblero, 48, was shot and killed by a Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) campus security officer. The identification was confirmed by Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger through fingerprints obtained from the National Crime Information Center.
The incident occurred at 1:05 a.m. on Monday, January 1. According to Renée Wunderlich, spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Agency (SLED),
the incident unfolded when an armed SMC campus safety officer encountered a white Ford F-150 driving the wrong way on a one-way street within the college campus. In an attempt to apprehend the male driver, later identified as Roblero, a physical altercation ensued, leading to the fatal shooting.
The SLED release indicated that the campus safety officer acted in response to the erratic behavior of Roblero, who was driving against traffic regulations. When the officer attempted to make an arrest, the situation escalated into a physical confrontation, ultimately resulting in the use of lethal force.
It is crucial to note that no law enforcement officers were harmed during the incident. The SLED release did not provide further details about the circumstances leading to the physical altercation or the factors that prompted the campus safety officer to resort to lethal force.
The community is left grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event as authorities investigate the incident thoroughly. The SMC campus, typically a place of education and community, is now the center of a somber conversation regarding campus security protocols and the use of force in such situations.
Spartanburg Methodist College has not released an official statement regarding the incident as of yet, and it remains to be seen how the institution will address the tragedy within its community.
As the investigation unfolds, questions about the appropriateness of the use of lethal force and the circumstances surrounding the encounter will likely come to the forefront.
