In the late summer of 1977, a tragic event unfolded in the small city of Walterboro, South Carolina, that would cut short the life of a young law enforcement officer. On September 19, 1977, Deputy Sheriff Stephen Anthony Breland, a 26-year-old White male with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, responded to a call for backup that would prove to be his last.
His fellow deputies were attempting to serve a warrant at a residence on Lewis Street for a man who had reportedly been brandishing a firearm.
Upon their arrival, the deputies were met with resistance. The suspect, Joseph Clemmie Moultrie, refused to exit his home and issued a chilling threat, warning the officers that he would shoot if they attempted to enter. The situation escalated when one of the deputies tried to open the screen door and was immediately met with a gunshot to the chest. As the call for assistance went out, Deputy Breland arrived on the scene, determined to help his wounded colleague and apprehend the armed man inside. In a brave attempt to gain entry and resolve the volatile standoff, he tried to climb through a window of the house. It was at that moment that Moultrie fired his weapon again, striking Deputy Breland.
The young deputy was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he succumbed to the gunshot wound. Having served with the Colleton County Sheriff's Department for two years, his sudden and violent death was a profound loss to his family, colleagues, and the community he had sworn to protect. He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, a brother, and a sister.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Joseph Clemmie Moultrie was taken into custody and subsequently charged with the murder of Deputy Breland. His case went to trial, and while he was not convicted of murder, the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Moultrie was sentenced to a prison term for his actions on that fateful day. He would later die while incarcerated, never again to walk free after taking the life of the young deputy. The South Carolina Supreme Court later upheld the conviction after an appeal was filed.
