Charleston police seek to increase gender diversity
VIDEO: Charleston police seek to increase gender diversity By Danielle Seat | March 9, 2021 at 4:59 AM EST - Updated March 9 at 7:28 AM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Police Department says they are pushing to increase diversity in the organization.
While female officers make up 17% of the the department, CPD Recruiter Terry Cherry says having equal representation is important to the community and there is still a long way to go.
The CPD’s ratio of female officers is 5% above the national average, but Charleston City Council will review a Letter of Intent Tuesday pledging to make hiring, retaining, and promoting qualified women a strategic priority in the department.
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While several states are pursuing Constitutional Carry legislation this year, in South Carolina lawmakers are taking a more cautious approach to expanding the right to bear arms. A bill that would allow those who possess a concealed carry license to also openly carry has cleared a statehouse committee, but not without some objections from Democrat lawmakers and members of the public.
One of those testifying against the bill is Dr. Betsy Oddo, a South Carolina pediatrician who’s now penned an op/ed declaring that the legislation would endanger children if it becomes law.
H.3094 would be detrimental to the safety of our community, and therefore the safety of our children, for several reasons.
Charleston police officer shoots murder, carjacking suspect
January 22, 2021 GMT
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) The police officer who shot and wounded a murder and carjacking suspect in South Carolina was a five-year veteran of the Charleston Police Department, authorities said.
Officer Sammy Stevens and his partner on the force’s Quick Response Squad spotted a car whose driver told 911 he had just been carjacked Tuesday evening and tried to pull it over, Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis said.
After a short chase near downtown, Stevens shot Montrez Cyrus Simmons, Francis said in a release.
The statement said Simmons was armed, but did not say if he fired at the officer.
Charleston police identifies officers involved in shooting that killed man
Charleston Police Department identifies officers involved in shooting that killed man By Ray Rivera | December 31, 2020 at 5:28 PM EST - Updated December 31 at 7:14 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Officials with the Charleston Police Department have identified the police officers involved in a shooting that killed a 28-year-old man.
The shooting took the life of Jason Cooper who died at the scene of the incident at the Bridgeview Village Apartments. Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said Cooper exchanged gunfire with five police officers after police responded to a domestic incident at the apartment complex.