Myrtle Beach pauses to say goodbye to a police officer known as the gentle giant
Jacob Hancher died doing what he loved — being a police officer.
On Friday, Myrtle Beach said goodbye to the man known as a gentle giant, a genuine person, a volunteer firefighter and a smile as big as his 6-foot-5-inch frame.
“You could see him a mile away,” said Richie LaPera, a volunteer fire chief in Horry County. “His stature. You knew who it was and you could expect when you drove by that he’d have the biggest smile on his face ever. It was like nothing bothered him.”
Police Chief Amy Prock said Hancher devoted himself to others and showed that one person can make a difference.
“He had an infectious smile, a quick wit and a deep desire to help anyone who needed it,” Prock said. “Anyone.”
The love the community had for Hancher was evident on Friday afternoon as they shared stories and love during a memorial service for the fallen officer. Hancher died in a shootout on Yaupon Drive on Oct. 3.
A second funeral will be held next week in Maryland, where Hancher will be buried.
Friday’s ceremony contained pomp and circumstance, which Hancher’s parents said he would have loved. A 20-minute procession of cars from Conway along U.S. 501, a full bagpipe band and everyone in their dress blues — though now with masks for COVID-19 protections.
Most of the Myrtle Beach police force was in attendance during the ceremony and a few shared their thoughts about Hancher. Pfc. Grant Barratt said he would see Hancher in the department’s hallway and he had that thousand-watt grin.
“He is just always smiling,” Barratt said.
Later he added that Hancher gave the most anyone could for the job.
“He gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Barratt said. “He passed away doing something he loved.”
Detention Center officer Autumn Ward and Hancher were on an 11-hour transport the day before the shooting. Despite the length, the two still had plenty of fun singing songs the entire way.
“We were singing so bad on purpose,” Ward said.
Prock called Ward and asked her to sing at the ceremony-and she belted out “For Good” from the musical Wicked, which they sang on the trip. The detention officer choked up a bit discussing being asked to sing during the ceremony.
“It was special,” she said.
When asked what she would tell Hancher today, Ward choked up and looked towards the front stage where Hancher’s remains would lay about an hour later. She wanted people to know he was kind and gentle. For him, she had just eight letters.
“I love you.”
During the ceremony, several speakers talked about the guy who loved his BBQ sauce, Chick-fil-A and serving the community.
Lt. Mike Guthinger served as a mentor to Hancher since his teen years. He told Hancher about the cadet program and how it was grunt work, officers didn’t want to handle.
“He got this big grin,” Guthinger recalled, then Hancher said. “‘I like that. I’ll do that.”
Even as he started his police training, Guthinger told Hancher not to let his commanding officer ruin his spirit.
“I want you to keep that. I don’t want you to be polluted and lose that attitude,” Guthinger told Hancher.
On Oct. 3, Hancher heard the call for the domestic incident with at least two people in trouble and responded, Guthinger said. The lieutenant added that Hancher saved lives that night.
“He went down fighting,” Guthinger said. “He was a true warrior. He did everything right that night.”
Prock strode to the podium and took several deep breaths before she addressed the crowd. She sniffled as she started to talk about the love the department saw from the community during the last week.
She said that one of her first conversations with Hancher was after he asked why she wanted to be a cop. She told him about helping others, taking bad guys to jail, stopping others’ pain and making a difference.
“Jacob said, ‘I’m going to be that, I’m going to do all those things,’” Prock recounted. “The things I loved about being a police officer is what made Jacob special about doing his jobs.”
Hancher hoped for a better tomorrow for everyone and Prock said she hoped the police would continue to respond to calls like the 23-year-old did.
“I hope that every one of us all, every one of us, every single one of us will never forget to honor Jacob and what he meant to us,” the chief said.
Patrolman Justin Barrick said Hancher constantly talked about moving from the community service division to being a full police officer. He couldn’t be on patrol when he first joined the department because of age restriction.
But, when he was 21 years old, he applied. Though Hancher might have lagged behind some other in physical testing, he pushed through to fulfill his dream job.
“He might have looked like he was ready to pass out, but he didn’t give up,” Barrick said. “That is how bad he wanted this job.”
Hancher’s personality never changed through the police academy or when being chewed out by his training officer, Barrick said.
The night of the shooting, Barrick sent Hancher a text asking if he was OK. He expected some sarcastic reply, but it never came.
“That night we lost one of the good guys. I lost my partner. I lost my friend and most importantly, I lost my brother,” Barrick said.
Hancher was looking down at everyone at the service and his spirit would remain with them in the future, Barrick said. He had plans to meet Hancher this weekend for beers, but that changed with his passing. Still, Barrick still planned to head out with his friend.
“Whether he likes it not,” Barrick said of Hancher’s spirit, “he’s still coming.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 12:56 PM.
