8/3/2019 LOOKING BACK; Police officers killed in Aiken County in the last century

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Aiken Standard • EditEd By: Brandon Lockett  Sunday, January 29, 2012 • 11aLocaL News

July 1902: Aiken CountySheriff’s Office deputy ChesterAhl was shot in the back andkilled as he rode his horse up toa suspect.

November 1911: Aiken Public Safety officer WadeHampton Patterson was shot and killed while trying to

arrest a man after a dispute.

April 1950: Aiken Public Safetypatrolman Rufus H. Rodgers was shotand killed with his own weapon afterresponding to a domestic dispute betweena father and two sons.

JuNe 7, 1961: New Ellenton Police DepartmentChief Thurston Meeks was fatally shot.

mArch 1990: Aiken CountySheriff’s Office Sgt. CharlesFreeman died due to two heartattacks after he was attackedand kicked in the chest whileattempting to subdue a suspect.

A looK bAcK: Officers that have died in Aiken County in the last century

19401900 1910 1920 1930 1950 1960 1970 1980

November 1923: Aiken Public Safety officer CharlieJohnson was shot in the chest and killed in while he,along with the chief of police, attempted to arrest a manfor drinking in public. The chief returned fire and killed thesuspect.

April 1925: Former Aiken County Sheriff HenryHampton Howard was killed in an exchange of gunfirewhile he and three sheriff’s deputies responded toa suspected bootlegging operation near Monetta.Annie Lowman, the wife of the homeowner, hit one ofthe deputies with an ax handle, and the deputy shotand killed her. The homeowner’s son and nephewexchanged gunfire with the sheriff, fatally shootinghim. Three Lowman family members were convictedof the murder, but during a retrial, vigilantes stormedthe jail, took the three prisoners out and killed them.

December 1977: Aiken County Sheriff’sOffice Deputy Herbert A. Williams died ofa fatal heart attack after responding to a

domestic disturbance call.

JANuAry 1978: Aiken PublicSafety officer Mike Harveydied at age 27 when he waselectrocuted as he attemptedto check out a fire call onJehossee Drive in Aiken.

1990 2000

December 2006: AikenCounty Sheriff’s Office DeputySgt. Jason Sheppard diedafter being struck by a passingmotorist when he stopped toassist with traffic control nearVerenes Industrial Park after achemical fire ignited.

November 2008:Aiken CountySheriff’s OfficeDeputy Lt. MichaelFrank died frominjuries he sustainedin a single-car crashin Greene County,Ga., on his way backto Aiken County fromAtlanta. He crashednear mile marker 132on I-20.

JANuAry 2009: Aiken County Sheriff’s deputyLarry Cleveland was shot twice during anarmed robbery at a Whiskey Road conveniencestore, and was hospitalized for gunshots tohis shoulder and hip. Cleveland fired back atthe gunman, 26-year-old Rodney Hamilton Jr.,killing him with a fatal shot to the chest.• Also, Former New Ellenton Police ChiefJohnny Hamilton died after his police cruisercollided with a full-sized truck in Perry.

JuNe 2009: North Augusta PublicSafety officer Kevin Hayes was shot byTimothy Houston, who was sentencedto 20 years in prison earlier this year.Houston led Hayes and another officeron a chase through Aiken County,eventually firing eight shots at Hayes’vehicle, including one that grazedHayes’ nose.

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011oct. 27, 2009: New Ellenton PoliceDepartment volunteer Joe Randalldied in a motorcycle accident.

Dec. 2011-preseNtDec. 20, 2011: Aiken Public Safety officers Scotty Richardson and Travis Griffin were bothshot during a traffic stop on Brandt Court. The suspect, Stephon Carter, was also shot.Griffin, who was struck in the chest but saved by his bullet proof vest, was taken to AikenRegional. Richardson and Carter were taken to Georgia Health Sciences Medical Center.Dec. 21: Richardson dies in the early morning.Dec. 27: Richardson is laid to rest.

JAN. 2: Carter is released from the hospital and booked into Richmond County Jail. Carter ischarged with murder and attempted murder.JAN. 3: Carter is then booked into the Aiken County detention center.JAN. 5: Carter is denied bond at his hearing.

JAN. 28, 2012• 7:41 a.m.: Officers get a call about suspicious vehicles in Eustis Park.• 7:49 a.m.: Officer Sandy Rogers says she’s in the area.• 7:50 a.m.: Another officer gets to the scene and approaches one of the vehicles, which wasdescribed as a red truck, while Rogers approaches the blue vehicle.• 7:50:45 a.m.: Rogers’ number is called – she doesn’t respond.• 7:51 a.m.: An officer said shots were fired.• 7:51:35 a.m. Officer reported down, EMS is requested and sheriff’s office is notified.• 7:52 a.m.: The chase of the suspect begins.• 7:57 a.m.: Officer loses sight of suspect vehicle, a 2002 blue BMW• 8:03 a.m.: Search helicopter is requested.• 11:35 a.m.: 26-year-old Joshua Tremaine Jones is taken into custody in Batesburg.

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