ALLENDALE, SC (April 17, 2026) — Fairfax man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting another man in which the victim attempted to intervene when he saw the man assaulting a woman.
Xavier Devon Badger, 24, of Beaufort Avenue, was found guilty Tuesday of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime following a two‑day General Sessions jury trial at the Allendale County Courthouse.
The charges stem from a Sept. 30, 2024, incident in the 5000‑block of Burton Ferry Highway, where the victim and his wife were seated in their vehicle at a gathering. They observed a man physically assaulting a woman. The victim attempted to intervene, telling Badger that was “not how you treat a lady.”
Badger then retrieved a firearm and directed his attention toward the victim. As the victim pushed his wife into their vehicle and tried to flee the area, gunshots were fired. The victim later realized he had been struck in his lower leg and right knee.
“This victim tried to protect someone he believed was being harmed,” said Assistant Solicitor Julie Kate Keeney of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “Instead of stopping, the defendant escalated the situation. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that choice and helps ensure the community is safer moving forward.”
Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen handed down Tuesday’s sentence.
Keeney primarily prosecutes cases in Colleton, Hampton and Allendale counties. She has served as a prosecutor for 15 years.
