After inadvertently shooting himself in the leg late on Sunday night while reacting to a high-profile mass shooting in the Little River region, a North Myrtle Beach police officer is currently recovering in stable condition. The incident occurred when the officer was responding to the shooting.
Around eleven o’clock at night, the event took place close to Harbourgate Marina, which is located in close proximity to the intersection of Sea Mountain Highway and Little River Neck Road. While the officer was dealing with the chaotic aftermath of a separate shooting that injured more than 11 individuals on a boat dock near Watson Avenue, his pistol suddenly discharged twice, causing him to sustain injuries.
It was proven by security video that the officer had both hands on a gate at the time that his rifle shot, as stated in a statement that was posted by the North Myrtle Beach Police Department on their Facebook page. Because the video made it very evident that the officer was not making any attempt to use his weapon, the authorities were able to rule out the possibility of any involvement from suspects in the marina area. The law enforcement officials were able to immediately establish the origin of the shooting with the assistance of this important film, putting to rest any suspicions that there were further shooters in the vicinity.
Immediately after the cop was injured, he was taken to Seacoast Hospital, and then he was transferred to Grand Strand Hospital, where he received surgery. Officials have stated that his injuries are not considered to be life-threatening, and it is anticipated that he will make a full recovery.
“We want to make it clear that no other individuals were hurt in this incident,” said North Myrtle Beach Officer Pat Wilkinson. “We want to make this situation clear.” As of right now, there is no ongoing threat to the safety of the general population.
In the aftermath of the gunshot and the officer’s unintentional injury, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department collaborated extensively with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Horry County Police Department. Law enforcement officials moved swiftly to set up a cordon around the location of the mass shooting and immediately began searching for possible suspects in connection with the incident. Once it was established through video evidence that the rounds were from the officer’s own gun and not from any other source, the search was terminated.
SLED is currently conducting an investigation into the unintentional shot in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the weapon unexpectedly fired.
Officer Wilkinson added that the injured officer was really just getting ready to throw a boat into the water in order to provide assistance to the Horry County Police Department in their ongoing investigation and response to the gunshot that occurred in Little River. More than eleven people were injured in the violent incident that took place on the boat dock earlier that evening, which caused the community to be shaken for a number of reasons.
During high-pressure law enforcement operations, this occurrence has brought up questions regarding the safety of weapons and the protocol that should be followed. It is not uncommon for police departments to be confronted with chaotic and potentially hazardous situations; nonetheless, accidental discharges are extremely uncommon but can have severe repercussions.
Following the events that have taken place, residents of North Myrtle Beach and the communities surrounding it are being urged to maintain vigilance, but they are also being assured by officials that there is no immediate threat whatsoever.
As the officer who was shot recovers from his injuries, the agency will most likely conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unintentional shooting in order to prevent situations of a similar nature in the future.
The North Myrtle Beach Police Department and other agencies associated to it are continuing their investigation and providing help to all people who have been impacted by the mass shooting that occurred in Little River and other situations related to it.
