‘Shocked it would happen here’: Bennettsville police officer shot at during patrol

BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. (WMBF) - A recent and brazen crime in the Pee Dee has put law enforcement in the crosshairs and sparked a citywide search for the culprits.

The Bennettsville Police Department is looking for the person or group that opened fire on a police officer near Patton Street. Authorities said three bullets struck the patrol car, but the officer was not hurt.

Despite being under fire, officials said the officer remained calm, called for backup and secured the area. Despite more officers responding to the area, however, no arrests were made.

“It is still uncertain if this was a targeted act against law enforcement, but regardless of intent, this dangerous and reckless act could have had devastating consequences,” Bennettsville Police Chief Kevin Miller said in a statement. “We will not tolerate such brazen violence against our officers or the community we serve. The individual or individuals responsible for this attack will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

While officers are still working to determine if the shooting was targeted, some neighbors have just as many questions as police do.

“Shocked it would happen here,” said Mike Lear, who added he learned the news from his wife on Sunday.

Lear said he also served as a police officer in the Air Force and that his son is also in law enforcement - making Saturday’s incident hit closer to home.

“I hope they were safe. I hope they weren’t injured. Especially the last day of the year. That’d be a bad way for the family to remember the last day of 2024.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 843-456-7813.

Bennettsville police added that more patrols have been deployed in the area and the agency is operating “with heightened vigilance.”

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