Nicholas Daniel Austin Papala : Fatal deputy-involved shooting on I-85N

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a tragic incident unfolded on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, resulting in the death of a man following a deputy-involved shooting.

The events leading up to the shooting began before 4 a.m. when a single-vehicle collision occurred at mile marker 71 in the northbound lanes of I-85. The driver of the vehicle fled into the nearby woods, prompting a response from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

As law enforcement personnel, including a trooper from the South Carolina Highway Patrol and a firefighter, searched the wooded area, they encountered the suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Nicholas Daniel Austin Papala from Spartanburg. Papala reportedly asked the individuals if they were law enforcement, revealing that he was armed and requesting to be informed when officers arrived.

Upon receiving this information, deputies responded to the scene and located Papala on the other side of a fence in the woods. Despite numerous verbal commands, the suspect failed to comply with law enforcement instructions.

The situation escalated when Papala lifted his shirt and reached for an object in his waistband. In response, all four deputies at the scene discharged their weapons, resulting in Papala being fatally shot. Fortunately, none of the deputies sustained any injuries during the confrontation.

Following the shooting, the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office arrived at the scene and confirmed Papala’s death. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday to determine the exact cause of death.

The incident is now under investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to establish the sequence of events leading to the tragic outcome on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County.