Law enforcement fatalities by gunfire up nationwide; S.C. on par with previous year

A mid-year report released Wednesday by a nonprofit that tracks officer fatalities nationwide found firearms-related deaths have increased by a whopping 78 percent when compared to the same time last year.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported 32 officers nationwide have died so far of firearms-related fatal assaults through July 20. Of the 32 cases, 14 were “ambush-style attacks” carried out on unsuspecting officers, the report states. In 2015, the number of ambush attacks was three.

South Carolina lost one officer to an ambush-style attack in 2016. Greenville police officer Allen Jacobs was involved in a foot chase of a gang member, when the suspect ducked around the corner of a house and sprayed Jacobs with bullets.

South Carolina officials said that despite having one officer killed by gunfire in the line of duty so far, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been attempts on their lives.

“I don’t know that it’s accurate that officers in South Carolina are not being shot and are not being targeted,” said Jarrod Bruder, executive director of the S.C. Sheriff’s Association. “Thankfully, they haven’t succumbed to their injuries.”

Bruder pointed to the February shooting of Berkeley County sheriff’s Cpl. Kimber Gist, who was injured when she was shot by a man she was trying to take into custody. In January, Estill police officer Quincy Smith was shot while chasing a suspect.

On June 20, Jasper County sheriff’s deputy Dan Morgan and a North Myrtle Beach police officer whose name has not been released, were also shot separately.

Ryan Alphin, executive director for the S.C. Law Enforcement Officers’ Association, said the data don’t tell the whole story.

“I think we have to remember that not only do we have to look at the numbers, we have to look at how officers feel,” Alphin said. “Officers across this state, they feel targeted.”