Horry police deputy chief leaves over investigation. It’s similar to Scott Spivey case
In yet another allegation of police misconduct, a second Horry County Police deputy chief has stepped down following an internal affairs investigation.
This is the second deputy chief to either retire or resign in the past year after reports of alleged wrongdoing was discovered by officials.
Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt in an emailed statement Tuesday said that Deputy Chief Lance Winburn had announced his retirement. The announcement came in the same email regarding an internal affairs investigation launched earlier this month.
It appears the investigation stems from the June 2022 arrest of Thomas Wade Long, the son-in-law of former Horry County Council member Harold Worley. Long was arrested on charges of misuse of 911.
Winburn’s retirement came after the internal investigation was launched on April 9, according to a text Wednesday from Horry County Police spokesperson Thomas Bell.
The investigation began after a Freedom of Information Act request was submitted asking for documents related to a 2022 arrest incident, the statement said. There was an internal affairs investigation in 2022 regarding the incident under previous leadership, “so I was not immediately aware of it,” Leonhardt said in the statement.
The new internal affairs investigation this month found that an HCPD policy violation occurred in relation to the 2022 incident, which led to Winburn’s retirement, the statement said.
The internal affairs cover sheet provided to The Sun News on Wednesday said Winburn had violated the department’s policies for ordering the arresting officer to return Long to Little River, the incident location, after he had already been handcuffed and was being taken to J. Reuben Long Detention Center. Winburn told the officer to issue him a citation instead.
What happened in arrest
Long filed a lawsuit on April 3, 2025, against HCPD, former Chief Joseph Hill, former Deputy Chief Brandon Strickland and two other HCPD officers alleging false arrest and violation of his Fourth Amendment.
Long’s arrest happened during Harold Worley’s election campaign as a Horry County Council incumbent. Worley had served on the council for more than 20 years.
According to the lawsuit, Long had placed a campaign sign on his Little River property promoting Worley’s election. One of the officers traveled to the property and asked who had placed the sign at the location. The officer then went to the person who was paid by Long to place the campaign sign and forced him to drive back to the Little River location and remove it. The officer used his “blue lights” to escort the boom truck, which is in violation of South Carolina law, the lawsuit claims.
The defendants’ illegal actions were based on the content of the signs as defendants supported Harold Worley’s opponent in the county council race, the lawsuit alleges.
About a month later, Long, who was in litigation with a neighboring business, went to retrieve a hut that had been improperly removed by the business, the lawsuit said. Members of the business climbed onto Long’s tractor and prevented him from moving, the suit said. Long called 911 and 45 minutes later an HCPD officer came and arrested Long, failing to provide him with a reason why, the suit said.
While he was being transferred to jail, the officer received a phone call and was ordered to return Long back to Little River, the suit said.
Winburn not first deputy chief to step down
Winburn’s internal affairs investigation and retirement follows the resignation of Deputy Chief Brandon Strickland last year. Strickland resigned after being told he was under investigation for his involvement related to the shooting death of Scott Spivey in 2023.
Strickland resigned and is currently under criminal investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for his alleged conduct with Weldon Boyd, one of the two men who shot and killed the 33-year-old North Carolina man.
The HCPD originally investigated the shooting death. However, after Spivey’s family raised several concerns about the department’s handling of the case and alleged misconduct by officers, many of whom were friends with Boyd, both the Attorney General’s Office and SLED were asked to review the case.
An internal investigation by HCPD led to at least five officers being accused of misconduct. Three officers were disciplined after seven videos of officers’ dash cam footage from the night of the shooting was discovered. The footage was said to be mislabeled.
The officer investigation came after 90 audio recordings and hundreds of text messages from Boyd and officer body cam footage showed that Boyd was allegedly getting preferential treatment because of his relationship with officers on the force.
One of those recordings was a call between Strickland, who told Boyd he was working “in the shadows” to help him.
“Our officers must adhere to all policies and fulfill their duties in accordance to the oath they are sworn to,” Leonhardt said in Tuesday’s statement. “HCPD is full of professional, dedicated officers that serve this community every day.”
“As Chief, I have made it a priority to review and update policies, and work to ensure officers are adhering to them. My focus is on the present and the future. I know the public has shared concerns and frustrations, but I want everyone to know we are doing everything in our power to be responsible, accountable, and available to this community.”
