Lexington, SC 01/08/2028 (Paul Kirby) – Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon was given the oath of office for the fourth time Tuesday. He took the oath in the historic main courtroom of the old courthouse at the intersection of South Lake Drive and Main Street in Lexington. His wife and daughter were present during the ceremony.
After Sheriff Koon was sworn in, all the department’s deputies were also given their oath of office by Koon. Each time that Koon is sworn in, all the department’s certified law enforcement personnel are required to take their oath again. A large group of uniformed deputies took their oath while attending Koon’s swearing in and all others will be given their oaths before reporting to work again.
Sheriff Koon is beginning his third full term. He was originally sworn in to serve a partial term after being appointed to the position by SC Governor Henry McMasters. Former Lexington County Sheriff James R. “Jimmy” Metts, Koon’s predecessor, was suspended by McMaster after being indicted for misconduct. Metts served a federal prison term after being convicted for that crime.
During Sheriff Koon’s two past terms, he has focused on increasing the department’s professional standards. He has also worked with Lexington County’s Council to increase the pay scale for the department’s personnel which Koon hopes will help with the recruiting and retention on deputies.
Sheriff Koon’s tenure has been marked by some very tough tragedies and times. Shortly after taking office, he led the department through the 1,000-year flood that struck South Carolina. He has had several deputies shot while on duty during his tenure, a deputy that was critically injured by a driver who was later charged with Felony DUI Involving Great Bodily Harm, and several instances of officer involved shootings that required Sherriff Koon’s deputies to take the lives of suspects. All these shootings were fully investigated by the SC Law Enforcement Division, and they determined that the deputies involved were justified in their use of deadly force. He has also presided over the department during a time when fewer people are looking at law enforcement as a career making it hard to staff his regions fully.
Sheriff Koon is a resident of the Lexington area of the county, is married to Kim, his high school sweetheart, and the couple have two children who are in their 20s. Prior to being appointed sheriff, he was second in command at the Town of Lexington’s Police Department under Chief Terrance Green.
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