Bishopville officer hurt before firing at suspect Person arrested in reported forgery attempt after striking man with vehicle 75 CENTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015
BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com
SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES | VOL. 120, NO. 108
BISHOPVILLE — Reports of check forgery led to a shooting involving a Lee County police officer
Friday afternoon. The incident unfolded just after 3:30 p.m. outside First Palmetto Bank along East Church Street in Bishopville. An officer from Bishopville Police Department responded to a re-
port of someone attempting to forge a check at the bank. Authorities identified the officer as Bishopville Cpl. Michael Hall, who joined the department little
SEE FORGERY, PAGE A11
CELEBRATING CONTRIBUTIONS AFTER 70 YEARS MISSING, COMMENDATION AND CLOSURE
War hero’s medals presented to brother
Black History Month Sumter’s own civil rights advocates, leaders recognized in our special section A7 LOCAL
What’s in the Y’s future? The Sumter Item chats with its director A3
PHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Ted Gardner holds a picture of his brother Charles, a radar operator whose plane was shot down in World War II on April 10, 1944, in New Guinea. In 2013, his remains were found in the wreckage of his plane, and his medals were given to Ted Gardner during a ceremony Sunday at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Manning.
Government branch finds World War II crew’s plane crash site DEATHS, A11
BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com
Sarah J. Barkley John E. Way Christine Dayle Fersner Elizabeth Ballard Travis S. Barnes James L. Lemon Ravenell Dingle Mattie G. Jones
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WEATHER, A12 FINALLY IT’S WARMER Mainly cloudy but warmer today; cloudy tonight HIGH 56, LOW 45
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special division of the U.S. Army helped track down the airplane and identify Ted Gardner’s brother’s remains 70 years after the World War II radar operator’s plane was shot down in New Guinea. On Sunday, Ted received medals that were awarded in his brother’s honor at a special ceremony held at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Manning. The medals included the Air Medal, Purple Heart and four others.
“I am very humbled and very touched,” Ted said at the ceremony. The Department of the Army’s Casualty, Mortuary Affairs and Operations Center’s Past Conflicts Reparation Branch tracked down the airplane crash site and identified the remains of the plane’s crew. Through DNA matching, the branch was able to identify the remains of Army Air Corps Sgt. Charles A. Gardner and bring them back to the U.S. The remains were buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 4 with a funeral procession that included full military honors.
Charles Gardner’s airplane was the only one lost on the bombing mission that day on April 10, 1944, over New Guinea. Charles’ family received a letter a few days later that his airplane had been shot down and that he was missing in action. For nearly 70 years, Ted lived without knowing what had really happened to his oldest brother. And then, in November 2013, the family received a letter from the Department of the Army’s branch. The Gardners were told that remains had been found in New Guinea and that the department
A letter returned to the Gardner family after Charles Gardner’s plane was shot down in the Pacific bears the handwritten message “missing.” His remains were found in 2013.
SEE GARDNER, PAGE A11 Australian coins were found with the remains of Charles Gardner’s body.
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Deputies arrest 2 men with $10K in heroin on I-95 BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitme.com Sumter County deputies nabbed two out-of-state men Thursday morning during a stop along Interstate 95 in which officers found and seized more than $10,000
worth of heroin. Omar Shabazz, 38, of Lakewood, Colorado, was charged with possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana, while Samuel Valles, 40, of Bronx, New York, was charged with trafficking heroin and possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana in connection with
the incident. According to a Sumter County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies recovered 52 grams of the suspected drug with a street value of $10,400 during the search and seizure effort. Officers spotted the suspects traveling southbound on
I-95 in a rented 2015 Dodge Journey and initiated a traffic stop at the 135-mile marker as the vehicle was clocked going over the speed limit. Officers indicated Shabazz, who was driving the car, exhibited signs of panic as he was being pulled over. Deputies could smell the scent of
marijuana wafting from the vehicle and noted a third party was listed on documents as the person who rented the car, reports stated. Officers also said Valles, the passenger in the front seat, feigned sleeping while they
SEE HEROIN, PAGE A11