SMOAKS -- A sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in rural northern Colleton County as he responded to a possible home burglary early this morning, officials said.
Deputy Sheriff Dennis Compton, 39, died shortly after the 3 a.m. incident, Sheriff George Malone said. The shooter remained at large.
"We don't have a whole lot of leads at this time," Malone said during a late-morning press conference. "We're looking for anything we can find."
The sheriff gave this account:
An alarm company had called 911 about an activated burglar alarm at 699 Sunflower Drive, between the Smoaks and Lodge communities. The area is about 20 miles north of Walterboro.
Compton responded to the call, which the homeowner's son also received. Several minutes later, the son found Compton wounded outside the house and used the deputy's portable radio to tell dispatchers Compton had been shot. Nobody had been home at the time at the time of the alarm.
Authorities were investigating whether Compton fired his gun or tried to radio for help.
The scene was centered around a single-story white house on Sunflower Drive. The area near Lodge Highway is sprinkled with houses on large acreage wooded lots.
Neighbor Virginia Padgett, has lived in the area for all of her 66 years. She said the woman who lives at the house where the deputy was shot often goes to Walterboro at night to help care for an elderly woman, so it wasn't unusual for her to be away.
Authorities did not comment on whether they found any signs of forced entry at the house, or whether any belongings were missing.
Seventy-five to 100 law enforcement officers soon embarked on a massive manhunt. As dawn broke, a helicopter circled the area. Hours later, deputies continued to stop traffic and search cars on nearby roads.
The State Law Enforcement Division provided a helicopter, a bloodhound tracking team, a fugitive team and crime-scene technicians. Several police agencies from Colleton County were assisting, as were state troopers. Dorchester County Sheriff Ray Nash and Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon both traveled to the scene.
Malone described Compton as an honorable family man who was good at his job: "In my opinion, as sheriff, he was one of the best officers that I've had based on his ability to deal with people."
Compton had been with the agency since June 2006. He had been a certified officer during the past 16 months, having spent the first eight months working at the jail.
The sheriff said the deputy had children, though details about them were not immediately available.
Republished with permission from The Post and Courier
Funeral Information
Visitation will be held Friday, Aug. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home, 117 Paul St., Walterboro, S.C.
A funeral with law enforcement honors will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at First Baptist Church of Walterboro.
