South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina
End of Watch: Friday, May 31, 1974
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 31, 1974
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Ben Strickland was shot and killed after making a traffic stop of a speeding car at a rest stop on I-20 near Columbia at 3:00 a.m.
After arresting the driver and placing him in handcuffs, the passenger approached him from behind and opened fire, killing him. Hours later, a Cayce police officer spotted the car and pursued it into a subdivision, where the two suspects exchanged shots with the officer as they abandoned the car and ran.
The next night, at a home in Columbia, a man awoke to the sound of a shotgun blast through his front door. He was abducted by one suspect who forced him to drive to Columbia. As he was driving toward several police cars, the suspect attempted to crawl into the back seat. The driver slammed on the brakes, hit the suspect with his fist, and jumped out a ran to the police. Police officers discovered he had knocked the suspect out when they took him into custody. The other suspect was apprehended minutes later during a search of the area.
Both suspects, 21 and 22, were charged with murder. The gunman was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. The other was convicted of accessory to murder and sentenced to 10 years.
Patrolman Strickland, a U.S. Army veteran, served as a St. George police officer before starting his 16-year career with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In 2012, mile marker 49 on South Carolina's I-20 in Lexington County was named for him on the 38th anniversary of his death.