South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police

Greenville Police Department

Open Letter From Greenville County FOP

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The South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police stands firmly with Greenville County FOP Lodge #17 following the recent ambush of a City of Greenville police officer. While we are grateful this officer survived and is now home with his family, this incident is a sobering reminder of the very real dangers law enforcement officers face every day across our state.

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Violence against law enforcement in South Carolina is not isolated, and it is not theoretical. Officers face threats not only while responding to calls for service, but also in places that should represent safety and routine. These attacks impact entire agencies, families, and communities. They underscore the reality that there is no true safe zone for those who wear the badge and commit themselves to protecting others.

In response, Greenville County FOP Lodge #17 issued the following open letter to their community. We are sharing it in full to support their message, amplify their voice, and ask the public to stand with the men and women who continue to serve with courage and professionalism.

Open Letter from Greenville County FOP Lodge #17

Ten days. That is all it took for the new year to be marred by one of the most heinous attacks on law enforcement our state has seen, occurring right here in our own backyard.

Today, we are breathing a collective sigh of relief because, by the grace of God, a City of Greenville officer survived a cowardly ambush. He is home with his family today, but the path to recovery is just beginning. While he is surrounded by the love of his house, the physical wounds sustained will take months to heal, and he faces a difficult surgery in the coming days to begin that process.

What makes this attack so chilling is where it happened: the parking lot of a police station. A place that should be a sanctuary of safety became a scene of brazen violence. It is a stark, heartbreaking reminder that for a police officer, there is no “safe” zone. The dangers they face are not just on the 911 calls or the high-speed chases; the risk is ever-present, even in the places they call home.

We ask the Greenville community to keep this officer in your prayers and your hearts. As he prepares for surgery and the long recovery ahead, please also remember the many men and women from our federal, state, county, municipal, college, and hospital agencies. They go out every day to serve a community they love, knowing full well the sacrifices that may be asked of them.

Greenville County FOP Lodge #17 knows that our officers are only as strong as the community that supports and backs them. In this moment of recovery, we thank you for standing with us.

Respectfully,
Michael Hammett
President, Greenville County FOP Lodge #17 Lodge 17 Statement

We ask our members, community leaders, and citizens across South Carolina to support and share this message. Standing with law enforcement means rejecting violence, supporting accountability paired with due process, and recognizing the sacrifices made daily by officers and their families. When communities stand with those who protect them, everyone is safer.

SC Fallen Officers – May 30

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May 30

Today, we remember Allendale County Magistrate Fred H. Edenfield and Greenville Police Department Chief of Police James Earl Holcombe.

On this date in 1913, Magistrate Edenfield was shot and killed by a fugitive he was tracking in the swamp. On this date in 1915, Chief James Holcombe succumbed to gunshot wounds received 19 days earlier during a barricade situation.

SC Fallen Officers – May 7

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May 7

Today, we remember Greenville Police Department Officer George Staples Burroughs and Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office George David Tilley.

On this date in 1921, Officer Burroughs was shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance call on Westfield Street. While at the scene, he became engaged in a struggle with the suspect, who beat him with a board and a flower pot before shooting him in the abdomen.

On this date in 1947, Sheriff George Tilley died from a gunshot inflicted by a murder suspect he was taking to the St. Matthews jail.

SC Fallen Officers – May 1

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May 1

Today, we remember Greenville Police Department Patrolman Absolom Blythe Hunt and City of Charleston Police Department Traffic Policeman Julian C. Bunch.

On this date in 1932, Patrolman Hunt was shot and killed while attempting to arrest several men on Buncombe Street for several armed robberies. After arresting the two men, three accomplices drove up and opened fire on Patrolman Hunt and two detectives, striking Patrolman Hunt twice. Patrolman Hunt had been with the agency for two years.

On this date in 1932, Officer Bunch was killed when his police motorcycle was struck by a reckless driver at Reid and Nassau Streets at 2055 hours while returning to duty after his meal break. He had been with the agency for four months and was survived by his wife and four children.

SC Fallen Officers – April 13

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Today, we remember South Carolina Governor’s Officers Constable Charles Manley Gregory, Spartanburg Police Department Master Police Officer Jason Gregory Harris, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Christopher LaDue, and Greenville Police Department Police Officer James Patrick Tucker.

On this date in 1938, Constable Manley Gregory was killed in a vehicle crash near the fairgrounds on the Lancaster-Kershaw Highway in a collision with a cabbage truck.

On this date in 2017, Master Police Officer Jason Harris died of injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident while on patrol. Officer Harris had served with the Spartanburg Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

On this date in 2020, Deputy Sheriff Jeremy LaDue was killed in a vehicle crash near the intersection of Savannah Highway and Dobbin Road at approximately 1:40 am. Deputy LaDue had served with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office for 14 months. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

On this date in 1904, Police Officer James Tucker was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a drunk railroad watchman on King Street. The suspect also wounded another officer before being shot and killed by the officer. Officer Tucker had served with the Greenville Police Department for 16 years.

SC Fallen Officers – March 18

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Today, we remember Greenville Police Department Police Officer Allen Lee Jacobs and Greenwood Police Department Patrolman Alvis Benjamin “Pete” Phillips.

On this date in 2016, Police Officer Allen Lee Jacobs was shot multiple times as he and other Community Response Team officers attempted to interview a known gang member at a home near Rebecca Street and Ackley Road in the Nicholtown neighborhood. He is survived by his expectant wife, two sons, his parents, and one sister.

On this date in 1956, Patrolman Pete Phillips was shot and killed while investigating a domestic dispute between a man and a woman at the intersection of East Cambridge Avenue and Hospital Street, near the entrance to Brewer High School. He was survived by his wife, two children, mother, and four siblings.

SC Fallen Officers – February 21

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Today, we remember Greenville Police Department Patrolman William Frank Chasteen, Forest Acres Police Department Patrolman Richey O’Brian Finch, and Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff Ernest Christian Potter, III.

On this date in 1971, Patrolman William Chasteen was shot and killed while he and his partner attempted to question a man about an earlier shooting.

On this date in 1975, Patrolman Richey Finch was shot and killed during a traffic stop at 1:30 a.m. on Forest Drive near Gamewell Drive.

On this date in 1974, Deputy Sheriff Ernest Potter was shot and killed when he and his partner stopped to investigate two men who were hitchhiking on I-20, near U.S. 601.