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Local Highway Patrol officers honored
Lawmen part of rescue attempt during standoff in Abbeville
February 7, 2004
By
MISTY EBEL
Index-Journal staff writer
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State Sen. Billy O’Dell, left, shakes the hand of Highway Patrol officer L.S. Berry Friday morning as he presents him a certificate honoring his service during an Abbeville standoff. State Sen. Phil Leventis and fellow officer R.E. Fox look on.
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It’s not a fun reputation to have – they’re the guys who write traffic tickets.
But last December, several Highway Patrol officers showed they do much more than just pull out a notepad and issue fines.
Among the first on the scene of a deadly 14-hour standoff Dec. 8 in Abbeville, they, along with a parole officer, retrieved the body of a fallen state constable and provided cover fire against two men holed up inside a home on Union Church Road.
“I’ve had so many people come up to me and thank me for what we did that day,” Highway Patrol officer Steve Sluder said. “I definitely think people see us in a different light now.”
Father and son Arthur and Steven Bixby are charged with murder in the shooting deaths of Constable Donnie Ouzts and Abbeville Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Wilson, who was found inside the Bixby home. Arthur’s wife Rita, who staged a smaller standoff at nearby Abbeville Arms apartments, is also charged in connection with the deaths, which officials say were planned.
Friday morning, state officials gathered at the patrol’s Greenwood office to honor the men who put their lives on the line that day.
State Sens. Phil Leventis and Billy O’Dell and state Reps. Anne Parks and Gene Pinson were on hand during the ceremony to present the Blue Granite Recognition to several law officers.
Leventis, who instituted the honor last year, said it recognizes state employees who have achieved extraordinary results, but should serve as a reminder of the service they provide every day.
Pinson agreed.
“We’re here to recognize you not really for the immediate action you took,” he said. “We’re here to recognize you for the day-to-day things you do.”
Law officers are not seeking honors when they do their jobs, O’Dell said.
“I know you didn’t seek recognition for what you did,” he said. “You just had the guts to get out there and do what you had to do.”
The granite plaque, engraved with “S.C. Law Enforcement,” honors not just the patrol, but all state law enforcement officers, Leventis said.
The plaque will be displayed at the Greenwood office.
“Every time I see that, it will definitely be a reminder of that day and how law enforcement and the people of Abbeville came together,” Sluder said. “The whole town came together.”
It will also serve as a reminder of the officers who gave their lives that day.
“We would be remiss if we didn’t remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Officer Don Reese said during a closing prayer.
Misty Ebel covers education issues and general assignments in Greenwood and the Lakelands. She can be reached at 223-1811, ext. 3308, or: mebel@indexjournal.com
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