Man killed in officer-involved shooting in Myrtle Beach

An armed man was shot and killed by Myrtle Beach police early Friday in the second MBPD officer-involved shooting this month, according to authorities.

“This morning at approximately 12:30 a.m. officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department were involved with the second officer-involved shooting this year,” said Capt. Joey Crosby, spokesman with Myrtle Beach police, in a video statement released early Friday morning.

Police were called to the area of Spivey Park and Collins Street after getting reports of a “suspicious person” in the area, Crosby said.

Officers saw he was armed, and as police interacted with him, he pointed his gun toward them, according to Crosby, who said authorities then fired.

“In fear for their lives, officers discharged their weapons at him,” Crosby said. “Officers immediately began CPR and other life-saving measures; however, that person has been pronounced deceased here on scene.”

Rodney Wayne Martin, who lives nearby, said he called police just before 12:30 a.m. when he saw a man pacing in the area in front of his home.

“I don’t know what his intentions was, but it smelt bad, and I called the police,” said Martin, who stated the man walked around in front of his home, went into the nearby cemetery, and walked back and then sat on a brick planter in Spivey Park.

“I’m thinking, well, I want to go to bed and I can’t, I said he’s making me awfully nervous,” Martin said. “I eased in the house and I called Myrtle Beach police.”

He said police quickly arrived and began interacting with the man.

“Officer’s got a spotlight on him, and he’s telling him, he’s like ‘man, drop it, drop it, let me see your hands, drop it,’” said Martin.

“He’s saying no, no, and … he kept proceeding (with) an officer right behind him, and about that time I noticed other officers are starting to show up,” said Martin, who stated police followed the man down Withers Swash Drive toward a grassy field. Martin said he heard two gunshots next.

Martin said he thought police gave the man multiple chances.

“It just doesn’t surprise me for the area, because a lot of stuff goes on around close by this area, but … I hate that that happened to the guy, but he had plenty of opportunity to drop whatever he had.”

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings.

“The officer involved in this incident has been placed on administrative duty pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Crosby said by email.

The other deadly officer-involved shooting Myrtle Beach police were involved in this month happened Sept. 3 in the area of the Mystic Sea Motel at the corner of 21st Avenue South and Ocean Boulevard after police received calls about an “erratic” driver, authorities said.

Jarvis Hayes, 31, of Greensboro, N.C., was injured when police fired at him after officers said he backed his vehicle toward them and struck one of the officers, police said. Hayes died later that week in the hospital from multiple trauma from the shooting, according to the Horry County Coroner’s Office.

The officers involved in the incident were placed on administrative duty as per protocol, and SLED also is investigating that incident.

On Aug. 4, Myrtle Beach police were called in to investigate an officer-involved shooting in the Surfside Beach area that involved Horry County police and SLED agents.

Aaron Payne, 33, of the Surfside Beach area, died about 5 a.m. at Grand Strand Medical Center following the incident. Horry County police and SLED agents responded to the call around midnight for a “suicidal subject” at 1451 Turkey Ridge Road in the Deerfield subdivision near Surfside Beach, police said.

“During the incident, the male approached officers on the perimeter and pointed his weapon at officers,” according to a previous release from Crosby. “An officer fired his weapon at the male subject striking the male. SWAT medics and EMS provided immediate medical attention, and the male was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.”

SLED typically investigates officer-involved shootings, but as SLED was involved, Myrtle Beach police took the reins on that investigation.

This story was originally published September 15, 2017 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Man killed in officer-involved shooting in Myrtle Beach."