Myrtle Beach leaders praise police work despite three gang shootings in a week
Despite the three gang-related shootings on Ocean Boulevard this past week, Myrtle Beach officials lauded themselves and the police department for their diligent work in ensuring a “peaceful” Memorial Day weekend while criticizing members of the community for their negative perception.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, officials defended their actions in employing nearly 500 law enforcement officials over the holiday weekend, but failed to discuss any preventive measures to ensure there’s not a repeat of these types of consecutive shootings. Officials said the “senseless acts of a few thugs” occurred within feet of police officers.
“This is something we cannot plan for, this is something that we cannot change the behavior of people, and just like you don’t know where I’m going when I leave this room today, we don’t know the intentions of the people that come here,” Mayor Brenda Bethune said. “I can tell you we had more than enough police presence.”
Bethune added it was the “most peaceful and calm” Memorial Day weekend she’s ever seen, though asserting the city’s reputation has been ruined.
Three gang-related shootings took place along Ocean Boulevard within an eight-day stretch, drawing strong condemnation from local leaders and on social media.
Around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers went to Ocean Boulevard near 12th Avenue North for a shooting that left four injured. Police took six people into custody in connection to that incident. All of the victims in that shooting are expected to recover.
The next day, Myrtle Beach police responded to a reported shooting around 12:45 a.m. near the Landmark Resort on Ocean Boulevard near 15th Avenue South. The Horry County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Cadric Elmore Jr., of Greenwood, and classified his death as a homicide. One was taken into custody.
Around 7:15 p.m. on May 17, officers went to Ocean Boulevard near 11th Avenue North for a shooting. Investigators say in that incident, rival gangs from Chesterfield County brought their dispute to Myrtle Beach and it ended when two groups fired across the street at each other. This event took place the first weekend the city reopened for tourism.
Along with the shooting, that weekend saw heavily congested roadways, chaotic behavior, and a lack of police enforcement. Following those incidents, Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock in a city council meeting last Monday shifted blame to the business community for not keeping her department informed on the influx of tourists the city was expecting.
While community members, including former Mayor Mark McBride, shared their frustrations during Tuesday’s meeting over the shootings, officials aggressively shot back claiming that nothing more could have been done to prevent the shootings from happening.
Bethune said officers could have been placed every 10 feet on the boulevard and the shootings still would have happened.
“This is not an everyday occurrence,” Bethune said. “This is a very sad, sickening and unfortunate occurrence but … we cannot predict what people are coming here for and what they are going to do.”
Bethune, along with other council members, also condemned McBride for criticizing and questioning the city’s efforts in its attempts to ensure the safety and wellness of both residents and tourists. While he pressed the city should take another approach to public safety, Bethune said he has an obligation to serve his community “forever,” “respectfully” and “simply” and has chosen not to.
Additionally, she argued crime is two-thirds lower than it was when McBride served in office.
“This body will continue to invest in public safety because it is our number one priority,” Bethune said. “But for a former mayor and former member of council who served this community, to criticize is disgusting.”
Bethune also had a community member removed from the meeting after he interrupted Prock to request she talk into the microphone while speaking. Prock had aired her frustrations about the shootings during the meeting, often turning away from the microphone to speak out to the audience.
Despite her frustration, Prock praised the department for their work in reducing violent crime over the last two years, further commending the active response time in apprehending all suspects involved in all three shootings. She added those involved brought their problems to Myrtle Beach with no regard for the safety of the community and its visitors.
“There were two serious incidents that occurred within city limits; they were reckless, unnecessary, and done from individuals from outside of our community,” Prock said. “We want to be clear that these persons brought their problems from outside of our community but it is the victims and the Myrtle Beach community that is suffering.”
Prock asserted she’s frustrated, stating violent behavior will not be tolerated within city limits.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 12:25 PM.
