Sheriff releases video showing strip club shootout that left Greenville dentist dead

Footage from a deadly September strip club shootout between a local dentist and police shows the exchange of fire that led to the dentist being shot in the head, placed in handcuffs and pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office released partial dash and body camera footage alongside radio communications from dispatch under their community briefing policy.

The Post and Courier has submitted public records requests for additional dash camera footage, audio and reports from both the sheriff’s office and the Greenville Police Department. Body camera footage is not subject to public records laws in South Carolina.

At least a dozen sheriff’s office deputies and Greenville Police Department officers responded to the Trophy Club around midnight Sept. 15, after a club security guard called 911 and said a drunk man with two guns had fired in the parking lot.

“We got a drunk guy here, he’s got two guns in his hands,” the guard told dispatch. “We’re talking to him and keeping him cool.”

The man, identified as Matthew Healey, was sitting inside of a white pickup truck police say he had broken into. The club’s armed security officers were talking to Healey while police were en route, radio communications between dispatch and police show.

As a city officer arrived, the officer said over the radio that Healey had begun to point the two guns in his hands at them, communications show.

“While it is unknown if the suspect got a shot off, one officer from the Greenville Police Department and one deputy from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office fired their duty weapons in fear of their lives and innocent bystanders,” Lt. Ryan Flood said in the community briefing video.

After the final gunshot from a deputy at 12:47 a.m., police slowly advanced toward the truck and removed the guns from Healey’s hands. Police then placed Healey in handcuffs and provided first aid, Flood said.

Healey was transported by EMS to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:20 a.m. from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

No officers or deputies were injured during the shootout, Flood said. It is unclear whether there were any other injuries.

Police found five guns in the truck with Healey, including four 9mm pistols and one Micro Draco pistol.

The sheriff’s office internal investigation found that the deputy who had fired at Healey was justified in using deadly force, Flood said.

The city officer that had been placed on administrative duty (non-patrol work) was cleared internally last week and returned to full duty, Sgt. Johnathan Bragg said.

The State Law Enforcement Division investigation is active and ongoing, spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich confirmed to The Post and Courier.

In December 2022, Healey was charged with two first-time drug offenses in Greenville County. The state dentistry licensing board temporarily suspended his license in January 2023.

Healey had been a dentist since 1992, having graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina at the top of his class with his dental degree, according to his website.