The tiny South Carolina town of McColl, whose entire police force quit earlier this month, was thrust into further turmoil after its mayor was killed during a car crash.
While being pursued by neighboring Marlboro County deputies Tuesday afternoon, McColl Mayor George Garner II was killed in a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler truck.
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“When the incident occurred Mr. Garner was being pursued by a Marlboro County deputy. The pursuit was not related to any laws being broken. The pursuit was taking place in an effort to protect the well-being of Mr. Garner,” Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee said, adding that he would “make a ruling on the manner of this death in the coming days.”
The town of McColl holds roughly 2,000 residents. Its late mayor, Garner, was connected to an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at the time of his death. The details of the SLED probe remain unknown. The law enforcement agency did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
Marlboro County Emergency Management praised Garner as a “truly a remarkable individual” in a Facebook post, adding, “Our hearts are heavy during this difficult time.”
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The shocking death follows an announcement on Nov. 21 from the city’s five-person police force that similarly stunned the Palmetto State.
Citing budget cuts and alleged harassment and personal attacks from one of the six members of McColl’s city council, former chief Bob Hale led his colleagues in resigning from the town’s police department.
“This lack of investment hampered our ability to operate at the standard the citizens of the Town of McColl rightfully expect and deserve,” Hale said in a Facebook post. “The safety of the residents and the well-being of the officers should have been prioritized by committing the necessary resources to build a department capable of addressing the complexities of 21st-century policing. Sadly, this was not the case and the majority of my tenure as Chief of Police was spent clearing the names of my officers as well as myself, from the numerous falsehoods that were made against us.”
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At the time, Garner said the news put the community in a “difficult situation.”
“We’re actively working to hire a new police chief and more officers,” the late mayor said.
