OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The Oconee County sheriff said a “miracle” saved the life of a deputy who was shot in the head Thursday afternoon.
Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw spoke at Westminster First Baptist Church Sunday morning about the “miracle” he witnessed Thursday afternoon.
We previously reported Corporal Lucas Watts was shot during a traffic stop on South Highway 11, Thursday afternoon.
Sheriff Crenshaw said Watts was too unstable to be airlifted to the hospital, and the ambulance was 45 minutes out, so deputies loaded him into the bed of a pickup truck and drove him to the South Union Fire Department.
Once at the fire department, Watts was placed into an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis was waiting at Greenville Memorial Hospital for Watts arrival. Once he arrived, Sheriff Lewis called Sheriff Crenshaw and said, “He’s not going to make it. His wound is not survivable.”
Not long after that conversation, Sheriff Crenshaw received a call that he needed to get to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, he had to speak with the family. Watts’ wife asked to see him. “He’s going to be okay,” she said.
Sheriff Crenshaw walked her into the room. She touched Watts and he started to move. “A tear rolled down his face,” Sheriff Crenshaw said.
The doctor said, “Let’s go. Get him into surgery. Right now. Go. Go. Go.”
Sheriff Crenshaw said everyone thought he had died until the moment his wife touched him and he moved.
“I saw a dead man come back to life,” Sheriff Crenshaw said.
Watts made it through surgery. “His vitals are good. At that point I didn’t know it, but social media had blown up, praying, praying, praying,” Sheriff Crenshaw said.
On Friday, Sheriff Crenshaw said Watts responded to verbal commands.
According to an update from the family on Monday, Watts continues to “make slow progress.”
The continued the update with, “We are in somewhat of a holding pattern as they are keeping him on the ventilator and sedated so he can rest and continue healing. They told us not to anticipate any big decisions for the first week. This isn’t a simple fix. There are many unknowns at this time that will only be answered with time.”
