South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, July 19, 1979
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 21 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 19, 1979
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Robert Mobley was shot and killed while stopping a person on a motorcycle at 7:00 pm on Highway 51, five miles south of Florence.
Sergeant Mobley initiated the traffic stop of a motorcycle due to a non-working brake light. He was left-handed and was sitting in his patrol car in the driver's seat with the door open to protect the motorcycle while writing the citation when the motorcycle operator snuck up from behind the patrol car, took Sergeant Mobley's sidearm out from the holster and emptied the chamber into Sergeant Mobley. When a deputy arrived on the scene, the suspect retrieved Sergeant Mobley's shotgun out of the patrol car and attempted to shoot the deputy but could not chamber the round.
The suspect was taken into custody and was found guilty initially, but the verdict was overturned when the suspect was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. The suspect spent 25 years in a state mental facility and was released in 2005.
Sergeant Mobley was a United States Marine Corps WWII veteran and had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for 21 years. He was survived by his wife, three children, and two grandchildren. One of Sergeant Mobley’s sons was a member of the South Carolina Highway Patrol at the time of his death.