Deputy Joseph Price was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious vehicle.
Deputy Price was on driving home at the end of his shift when he noticed a suspicious vehicle parked on the side of the road. As he approached the vehicle he encountered the suspect, who was intoxicated and attacked Deputy Price with a knife and then drew a weapon and shot him several times.
Despite being mortally wounded, Deputy Price was able to return fire and then drive to the parking lot of a nearby business to summon help to his location. The suspect remained at large for 7 years. He was arrested in 1960, convicted of Deputy Price’s murder, and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in 1972.
Deputy Price had served with the agency for 7 years and had previously served with the United States Army during World War II. He was survived by his wife and son.
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Deputy Fox was shot and killed after he and several other officers responded to a disturbance in Batesburg, South Carolina, at 0130 hours. While on the scene the suspect was able to gain control of another officer’s .38 caliber service weapon and open fire, striking Deputy Fox four times in torso and head. Another officer was able to return fire and wound the suspect. The man was convicted and sentenced to 30 years.
Deputy Fox had served with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for 9 years and was survived by his wife, five children, and four grandchildren.
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Deputy Sheriff Douglas Jones drowned after accidentally driving into a drainage pond during a severe rainstorm. Deputy Jones was en route home when he volunteered to answer an alarm call at a business off of I-20 on US Route 1.
The following morning Deputy Jones failed to show up for work. A short time later a person at the business called to report that a blue light was sticking out of the surface of the pond. When the pond was drained Deputy Jones’ patrol car and body were found. Deputy Jones had been able to exit his patrol car but was unable to crawl up the bank of the pond, as the bank kept giving way.
Deputy Jones had served with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for 15 years. He was a widower and was survived by his seven children.
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Deputy Mills was killed in a single-car accident while he was responding to a 911 hang-up call. During the response his cruiser veered off the road and flipped over several times.
Deputy Mills had been a military police officer for approximately five years and had served with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department for approximately one year. He is survived by his wife and son.
Kimberly Shaye Harrison was a correctional officer at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Harrison tragically died of a heart attack while on duty on December 26, 1999.