South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina
End of Watch: Friday, November 20, 1992
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 709
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 20, 1992
Weapon Used: Handgun; .22 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Corporal Mark Coates was shot and killed after stopping a car for weaving in traffic on I-95 near the Georgia border.
During the traffic stop, the subject began to struggle with Corporal Coates, and they both fell to the ground. The man fired a .22 caliber handgun into Corporal Coates' chest, but the round was stopped by his vest.
Corporal Coates was able to force the man off of him and return fire, striking him five times in the chest with his .357 caliber revolver. As he retreated for cover and to radio for backup, the man fired another shot. The round struck Trooper Coates in the left armpit and traveled into his heart.
The man survived the incident and was sentenced to life in prison. He was denied parole in 2022 and will be eligible for parole in 2024.
Corporal Coates was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for five years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, two stepdaughters, parents, sister, and brother.
The Mark H. Coates Highway is a one-mile portion of Interstate 95 located in Jasper County near Hardeeville and extends one-half mile on both sides of mile marker 7.