Mullins police corporal fired following shooting; charged with attempted murder

MULLINS, S.C. (WMBF) - A corporal with the Mullins Police Department was fired after his involvement in a shooting Thursday night near Latta, according to documents.

Capt. Phil Mostowski confirmed Cpl. John Pettiford was fired after what the department called an “incident” on Thursday night in Marion County.

WMBF News obtained Pettiford’s records with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy which includes his separation documents.

Those documents show Pettiford was terminated due to misconduct.

As for the reason, it states that “John Pettiford was arrested by SLED and is under investigation for attempted homicide and/or homicide that took place in Marion County on 09-28-2023.”

The State Law Enforcement Division confirmed it was called to investigate a shooting in Marion County, and that one person was hurt and taken to the hospital. Mostowski said the shooting took place near Walker Court.

Arrest warrants show Pettiford and the victim were in a physical altercation before he shot the victim multiple times.

Pettiford was booked into the Marion County Detention Center, which shows he was arrested by SLED.

He is charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime and attempted murder.

In a phone call, Mostowski said, “Due to the facts of the incident, we made the decision to terminate him. Our prayers go out to the victim and his family.”

According to Pettiford’s SCCJA files, he has been with the Mullins Police Department since April 2019. Before that, he had been with the Dillon Police Department for two years.

SLED is the lead agency in the investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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