FOLLOW UP TO:
Another Plot Twist
Officer Involved Shooting Going to Feds
Gypsy Cops and Small Town Politics
Cottageville, SC
Officer Randy Price, who has been on administrative leave since May of 2011, has been officially laid off by the town of Cottageville due to budgetary constraints. The Mayor and town council voted tonight to relieve him of his duties, cutting the police department down to 2 full time officers for this small town of approximately 800.
Mayor Margaret Steen has made it clear that his termination is not a direct result of the continuing investigation of Randy Price's shooting of former mayor Bert Reeves.
As a recap......
In the afternoon of May 16, Cottageville Police Officer Randy Price put out an officer needs assistance call on his radio. The Police Chief was nearby and was the first to respond. Police Chief John Craddock, arrived to find that Officer Randy Price had shot and killed the town's rather controversial former mayor, Bert Reeves, with one gunshot wound to the chest. The incident happened on a short dirt road and there were no witnesses.
As with all officer involved shootings, the State Law Enforcement Division is called in to investigate the case. SLED long ago conducted their investigation and turned their findings over to the state attorney's office. The State Attorney in turn wrote a letter to the FBI, that read in part..."due to the unique complexities of this case....we request a federal investigation." The FBI is still doing their thing and has no comment on the matter.
Where Randy Price will go from here is anyone's guess. He has a history of being a "Gypsy Cop" and has been forced to leave one department after another.
In 1999, Price was fired from the McCormick Co. Sheriff's Office for unsafe driving.
In 2000, Price was terminated from the Wagener Police Dept. for Insubordination.
In 2001, he was fired from the Aiken County Sheriff's Dept for Criminal Domestic Violence. Records indicate he was allowed to go through a pre-trial intervention program to have the charge wiped from his record.
In 2006, he was terminated from the Blackville Police Dept. for complaints of excessive force.
In 2008, he is hired by the Cottageville Police Dept.
Under relatively new regulations the SC Criminal Justice Academy initiated several years ago, all this information about a police officer is public. Every department is required to submit documentation of a police officer's reasons for separation. The Academy, in their discretion, has the ultimate authority to suspend a police officer's law enforcement certification, which could prevent them from ever working as a law enforcement officer anywhere in the state.
As for former Mayor Bert Reeves.....his past isn't so pristine either.
A former Cottageville police officer had Reeves on tape telling him his job depended on him writing more speeding tickets.
As Mayor, Reeves was once ticketed for driving 105 mph in a 55 mph zone.
He was caught again speeding excessively by a Sheriff's Deputy who let him off with a warning because he didn't want to get entangled in the politics.
Excessive speed was a factor in causing him to crash and over turn his pick up truck. He suffered a severe head injury and was hospitalized for a period of time. The State police were charging him with DUI, but he insists he wasn't drinking. Blood tests later determined he tested positive for marijuana. The DUI charge was dismissed, but the stigma attached itself.
The positive drug test elicited a negative response from the citizenry of Cottageville. Due to the intense pressure from the citizens and council, who often questioned his decision making capabilities since the severe brain injury, Reeves resigned as Mayor.
Approximately a month or so before the shooting, it is said that Reeves and Price exchanged words because Price had written a ticket to an employee of Reeves'. Price wasn't backing down on the charge, and that pissed off Reeves. Rumors abound now, with some saying that Price was intimidating Reeves as he once told his attorney he feared for his safety.
Those that once pressured Reeves out of office have now switched sides, steadfastly believing that Reeves was murdered. Many people wonder how and why a police officer would shoot and kill an unarmed man. The answers to those questions may never be known.
It's 4 months later and the mystery still abounds....
Another Plot Twist
Officer Involved Shooting Going to Feds
Gypsy Cops and Small Town Politics
Cottageville, SC
Officer Randy Price, who has been on administrative leave since May of 2011, has been officially laid off by the town of Cottageville due to budgetary constraints. The Mayor and town council voted tonight to relieve him of his duties, cutting the police department down to 2 full time officers for this small town of approximately 800.
Mayor Margaret Steen has made it clear that his termination is not a direct result of the continuing investigation of Randy Price's shooting of former mayor Bert Reeves.
As a recap......
In the afternoon of May 16, Cottageville Police Officer Randy Price put out an officer needs assistance call on his radio. The Police Chief was nearby and was the first to respond. Police Chief John Craddock, arrived to find that Officer Randy Price had shot and killed the town's rather controversial former mayor, Bert Reeves, with one gunshot wound to the chest. The incident happened on a short dirt road and there were no witnesses.
As with all officer involved shootings, the State Law Enforcement Division is called in to investigate the case. SLED long ago conducted their investigation and turned their findings over to the state attorney's office. The State Attorney in turn wrote a letter to the FBI, that read in part..."due to the unique complexities of this case....we request a federal investigation." The FBI is still doing their thing and has no comment on the matter.
Where Randy Price will go from here is anyone's guess. He has a history of being a "Gypsy Cop" and has been forced to leave one department after another.
In 1999, Price was fired from the McCormick Co. Sheriff's Office for unsafe driving.
In 2000, Price was terminated from the Wagener Police Dept. for Insubordination.
In 2001, he was fired from the Aiken County Sheriff's Dept for Criminal Domestic Violence. Records indicate he was allowed to go through a pre-trial intervention program to have the charge wiped from his record.
In 2006, he was terminated from the Blackville Police Dept. for complaints of excessive force.
In 2008, he is hired by the Cottageville Police Dept.
Under relatively new regulations the SC Criminal Justice Academy initiated several years ago, all this information about a police officer is public. Every department is required to submit documentation of a police officer's reasons for separation. The Academy, in their discretion, has the ultimate authority to suspend a police officer's law enforcement certification, which could prevent them from ever working as a law enforcement officer anywhere in the state.
As for former Mayor Bert Reeves.....his past isn't so pristine either.
A former Cottageville police officer had Reeves on tape telling him his job depended on him writing more speeding tickets.
As Mayor, Reeves was once ticketed for driving 105 mph in a 55 mph zone.
He was caught again speeding excessively by a Sheriff's Deputy who let him off with a warning because he didn't want to get entangled in the politics.
Excessive speed was a factor in causing him to crash and over turn his pick up truck. He suffered a severe head injury and was hospitalized for a period of time. The State police were charging him with DUI, but he insists he wasn't drinking. Blood tests later determined he tested positive for marijuana. The DUI charge was dismissed, but the stigma attached itself.
The positive drug test elicited a negative response from the citizenry of Cottageville. Due to the intense pressure from the citizens and council, who often questioned his decision making capabilities since the severe brain injury, Reeves resigned as Mayor.
Approximately a month or so before the shooting, it is said that Reeves and Price exchanged words because Price had written a ticket to an employee of Reeves'. Price wasn't backing down on the charge, and that pissed off Reeves. Rumors abound now, with some saying that Price was intimidating Reeves as he once told his attorney he feared for his safety.
Those that once pressured Reeves out of office have now switched sides, steadfastly believing that Reeves was murdered. Many people wonder how and why a police officer would shoot and kill an unarmed man. The answers to those questions may never be known.
It's 4 months later and the mystery still abounds....
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