South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police

Anderson Police Department

Stop Rewarding Criminal Behavior

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Every time a law enforcement officer is sued and the case is settled without merit, it reinforces the dangerous idea that criminals can break the law, resist, flee, and still walk away with a paycheck.

Across South Carolina and the nation, the attorneys representing insurance companies are choosing to settle lawsuits not because the officer acted improperly, but because it is cheaper and more convenient in the short term. The agency itself does not make this decision. These settlements are driven by attorneys whose priority is closing a file, not defending the truth. But this short-term thinking is creating long-term damage.

When officers are doing their jobs lawfully and within policy, and the criminal still gets paid, it kills morale. It emboldens criminals. It encourages more frivolous lawsuits. And it sends a clear message to the public: officers are open targets, and bad behavior is rewarded.

We are already seeing the results. More suspects are fleeing. More lawsuits are being filed. More attorneys are chasing headlines instead of justice. All because the system is signaling that payouts are easier than pushback. This is not justice. This is not accountability. This is a failure to stand up for what is right.

Fortunately, a recent court ruling in Anderson County broke that trend.

In 2020, Anderson Police officers attempted to stop Grayson Mathis Jr. for reckless driving. He fled, initiating a pursuit that tragically ended in a fatal crash. During the chase, Mathis struck and killed a pedestrian, then crashed into a utility pole and overturned. He died at the scene. Despite his clear role in causing the incident, his family sued the Anderson Police Department and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

But this time, the case went to court. And this time, the judge ruled in favor of law enforcement. The court found that it was Mathis’s own negligent decision to flee that caused the fatal crash, not the actions of officers trying to protect the public.

This was the correct ruling, and it should not be the exception. It should be the standard.

Public agency attorneys and elected leaders must take a hard look at how these cases are being handled. It may cost more to defend a few cases, but once criminals and ambulance-chasing attorneys realize it is not a free lunch, they will stop wasting the court’s time and the taxpayers’ money.

Our officers deserve to know that when they do the right thing, they will be backed, not bought off. These quiet settlements may avoid a court date, but they shout weakness to the people watching. That includes every officer, every criminal, and every member of the public trying to understand whose side the system is really on.

Stop rewarding criminal behavior. Start defending those who defend us.

SC Fallen Officers – April 20

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Today, we remember Hartsville Police Department SC Patrolman Ulysses “Buck” Dobson, Sr., South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Randall Lamar Hester, and City of Anderson Police Department Patrolman Charles Grady Sheppard.

On this date in 1953, Patrolman Dobson succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous night after responding to a call from a woman who was being beaten by her husband. Patrolman Dobson had served with the Hartsville Department of Public Safety for 2 years. He was the first African-American officer to serve with the agency.

On this date in 1994, Trooper Randall Hester was killed in an accident during the pursuit of a speeding motorcycle. He died of severe internal injuries sustained in the crash. Trooper Hester had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for three years. He was survived by his wife.

On this date in 1975, Patrolman Charles Sheppard succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier when a juvenile female intentionally broad-sided his patrol car while he was stopped at a red light at the intersection of North Fant Street and East Calhoun Street. Patrolman Sheppard had served seven years with the Anderson Police Department. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and son.

SC Fallen Officers – April 15

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Today, we remember South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Robert Paul Perry, Jr., and City of Anderson Police Department Patrolman Willis Edwin Sanders, Sr.

On this date in 1987, Trooper Robert Perry was killed in an automobile accident while attempting to pass another motorist during a pursuit. Trooper Perry had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for four hours. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and parents.

On this date in 1947, Patrolman Willis Sanders was shot and killed while investigating a burglary at the Anderson Creamery at 412 North Main Street. The suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and executed in the electric chair on July 11th, 1947. Patrolman Sanders had served with the Anderson Police Department for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, son, father, two brothers, and sister.