In the summer of 2011, a tragic series of events unfolded in Laurens County, South Carolina, culminating in the death of a dedicated law enforcement officer. Roger Dale Rice Jr., a 29-year-old Caucasian male, served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Laurens County Sheriff's Office. On the night of July 14, 2011, he was assisting the Fountain Inn Police Department in the search for a murder suspect, a mission that would ultimately cost him his life.
The suspect, Bennie Ray Brown Jr., was
wanted for the murder of his girlfriend earlier that evening. Law enforcement officers tracked Brown to a residence on Barrel Stave Road in Clinton. As they attempted to apprehend him, Brown opened fire on the officers. In the ensuing gunfire, Deputy Rice was fatally wounded. The other officers on the scene returned fire, injuring Brown and taking him into custody.
The community was left to mourn the loss of Deputy Rice, who had been with the Laurens County Sheriff's Office for 18 months and was remembered as a brave and dedicated officer. He left behind a wife and two children. The incident served as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those in law enforcement and brought an outpouring of support for the fallen deputy's family and colleagues.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the wheels of justice began to turn for Bennie Ray Brown Jr. He was charged with the murder of both his girlfriend and Deputy Roger Dale Rice Jr. Following a trial, a Laurens County jury found Brown guilty on two counts of murder and one count of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was subsequently sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison. Brown remained incarcerated until his death from a heart attack on January 15, 2018.
