| Constable Hampton Patterson Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office South Carolina End of Watch: Sunday, August 26, 1923 Biographical Info Age: Not available Tour of Duty: 2 years Badge Number: Not available Incident Details Cause of Death: Gunfire (Accidental) Date of Incident: Sunday, August 26, 1923 Weapon Used: Officer's handgun Suspect Info: Not available Constable Hampton Patterson was killed when his service revolver fell from its holster and discharged when it struck a rock.
He and another constable were returning from Greenville, where they had dropped off a prisoner, when they stopped on the Greenville-Reidville Highway to get a drink of water from a natural spring. As Constable Patterson stooped down to get a drink from the spring his .32 caliber revolver fell from its shoulder holster and discharged. The round struck him in the chest.
The other constable and a citizen took him to a local hospital where he died a short time later.
Constable Patterson had served as a constable for 2 years and had previously served as a guard for a chain gang. He was survived by his wife and eight children. |