Horry County Sheriff’s Office takes action against two deputies in drowning case

The Horry County Sheriff’s Office fired two deputies who drove a transport van into floodwaters, leading to the death of two mental health patients.

The agency announced the decision late Wednesday in a news release. The decision was part of an investigation into the actions of deputies Stephen Flood and Joshua Bishop.

Nikki Green and Wendy Newton drowned in the back of a sheriff’s transport van on Sept. 18 when it was swept away by Hurricane Florence floodwaters on U.S. Highway 76 in Marion County.

“We are thrilled,” said Donnela Green-Johnson, Nikki’s sister, “because it’s the first formal acknowledgment there was wrongdoing.”

Green and Newton were mental health patients under court order for transport from a Conway area facility. Around 5:45 p.m. the deputies drove around a road barricade, where they encountered floods that pinned their van against a guardrail.

The South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy said the deputies intentionally drove around the barricades despite a safer route that was available, according to a report from our news partner, WPDE.

The report said “on 09-18-18, Officer Stephen Flood made a conscious decision to drive a transport van around a barricade and into flood waters (a substantial risk) that resulted in the death of patients after being provided a safe route by supervisors to avoid flood waters.”

Flood and Bishop tried to rescue the women but were not successful, officials said in September. The deputies waited on top of the vehicle until rescue teams from Marion and Horry counties arrived.

Green and Newton were not shackled or restrained in the transport, officials said, but there is a cage door to the holding area.

The women remained in the van for more than 24 hours after their drowning until rescuers could safely remove their remains.

Green-Johnson said Wednesday’s announcement was the first step in justice for Nikki and Wendy. Future milestones include other police agencies finishing their investigations and a decision on criminal charges for the deputies, she said.

“It helps a little bit with the healing,” Green-Johnson said.

Sheriff Phillip Thompson called the Green family to tell them about the decision before the announcement, Green-Johnson said. They appreciated the gesture, she said.

The sheriff’s office stated in its release that no further details of the deputies’ termination could be provided because of an ongoing internal investigation and one by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Horry County Sheriff’s Office takes action against two deputies in drowning case."