Guard J. T. McAteer
Lancaster County Sheriff's Office
South Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 5, 1977

Biographical Info
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, July 5, 1977
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available

Guard J.T. McAteer was shot and killed with his own service weapon at the Lancaster County Prison Camp during an escape attempt by an inmate.

He had allowed two prisoners into the guard shack to use the telephone. One of the inmates grabbed his .22 caliber pistol and shot him in the chest three times, killing him. The inmate then shot at the other prisoner, but did not hit him.

The suspect fled from the prison and forced a woman to drive him from the area. The man turned himself in 90 minutes after the shooting. He had only served one week of a 30-day sentence when he murdered Guard McAteer.

He was convicted of Guard McAteer's murder and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007, but was re-arrested after making death threats at a county building.

Guard McAteer had served as a part-time guard at the prison camp for 1 year. He is survived by his parents, four sisters, and three brothers. His father also served as a part-time guard at the prison camp.