Update: Myrtle Beach officers and victim in shooting identified
Myrtle Beach police officers who were involved in the shooting of a 40-year-old suicidal man Tuesday morning were put on administrative duty while South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigates the incident, which is standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.
Officers responded about 10:44 a.m. to the in area of 79th Ave. North and Marina Parkway in an attempt to locate a suicidal man. Police made contact with the individual near the Intracoastal Waterway.
Authorities identified the man as Rodolfo Josue Sanchez of Myrtle Beach on Wednesday morning.
During the encounter, Sanchez produced a weapon that made officers fear for their lives, according to a release by Lt. Joey Crosby with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
SLED and Horry County Solicitors Office were called to the scene. There was no information available on the Sanchez’s condition.
The officers involved have been identified as: PFC. Jarrod Mackin, PTL. Matthew Cherba, and PTL. Melanie Best, Crosby said Wednesday morning.
PFC. Jarrod Mackin has been employed with the MBPD since August, 2007. PTL. Matthew Cherba has been employed with the MBPD since July, 2014. PTL. Melanie Best has been employed with the MBPD since June, 2014, and all officers are currently assigned to patrol day shift, Crosby said.
Myrtle Beach police were involved in another officer-involved shooting a little more than a week ago on March 26 that resulted in a 55-year-old man’s death.
Donald Andrew White had recently moved to the Myrtle Beach area before he was killed during an incident with police, who feared for their lives, authorities said.
A caller contacted the Myrtle Beach Police Department about 3:26 a.m. March 26 and told authorities White was acting strangely at 21st Avenue North and Robert Grissom Parkway, Crosby said.
Police saw White had a gun in his hand when they arrived, and a negotiator was called in a short time later. However, officers began to fear for their safety and fired their weapons, Crosby said. White later died from his injuries at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.
Tuesday’s incident was the 12th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2016, and the second this year involving Myrtle Beach police.
Last year, there were 48 officer-involved shooting incidents in the state and none involved the Myrtle Beach Police Department, according to Thom Berry, spokesman with SLED.
“SLED conducts law enforcement involved shooting investigations at the request of the agency involved in the incident. This independent investigation follows SLED’s guidance in conducting interviews, along with the gathering and analysis of forensic evidence. Interviews are being conducted with the responding officers and others,” Berry said in a press release.
“This is rare,” Crosby said of the two officer-involved shootings, but couldn’t comment further because both incidents are under investigation by SLED.
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This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Update: Myrtle Beach officers and victim in shooting identified."