Ride/Reception honors fallen officer

Hardworking, jovial, a blessing to be around, a man who loved his family and friends are just a few of the phrases used to describe the late Walter K. “Walt” Floyd, an investigator with the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office who died in the line of duty on March 1, 2002.

On the 10th anniversary of Floyd’s death, Team Manning SC is honoring their fellow officer with a moment of silence at the Clarendon County Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial on the grounds of the Clarendon County courthouse around 9 a.m. before riding their bicycles 10 miles to the site of the wreck that claimed Floyd’s life. There the officers will pause before riding an additional 15 miles to the Barrineau community where a section of St. James Road near the intersection of St. James and Barrineau roads will be named the Walter K. Floyd Highway in their fallen comrade’s honor.

Following the ride, R.L. Barrineau and Team Manning SC are hosting a reception around 11:30 a.m. for Floyd’s family and fellow officers at his store at Barrineau Crossroads. The public is invited to attend.

The section of highway being named in Floyd’s honor will be dedicated at another date.

Floyd, 44, was married and the couple had two children at the time of his death.

A 15-year veteran of law enforcement, Floyd was driving his deputy vehicle east on June Burn Road when the driver of a second vehicle ran a stop sign. Floyd’s vehicle struck the passenger side of the other vehicle and the young father of two was thrown from his vehicle. He died a short time later at Clarendon Memorial Hospital.

“The doctor met me at the door crying,” said former Clarendon County Sheriff Keith Josey Jr. who worked with Floyd at the Manning Police Department and the CCSO. “Walt and the doctor were very good friends. With tears streaming down his face, the doctor told me, ‘I did every thing I possibly could.’”

Josey described the days following Floyd’s death as “horrible, absolutely horrible.”

“I had never lost an officer before,” Josey said. “We had to continue to work, but not a day went by that we didn’t think about Walt.”

Josey called Floyd “a super guy.”

“He did his job well. He was very knowledgeable. He didn’t have to have a lot of instruction when he was on patrol or when he moved to investigations. He was very competent.”

Maj. Pete Surette with the CCSO and Floyd were both hired in 1989 by the City of Manning.

“He loved to hunt and fish,” Surette remembered. “He was always the life of a gathering. He loved to joke around.”

While Floyd loved to have a good time, he was serious when it came to his job.

“He loved what he did,” Surette added. “He worked hard. He was a good officer.”

Floyd lived on the northern end of the county and would often handle calls in that area even when he was off duty.

“People who called him, he never called it into dispatch. He just went and took care of the situation. That was the kind of person and officer Walt was. He cared about his community.”

“I trained Walt,” said First Sgt. Gene Morris with the Department of Natural Resources. “We worked on a shift together. He was a humble person.”

Morris said Floyd’s laid back, calm demeanor always helped defuse critical situations.

“He had this way of relaying that calmness to those around him, including fellow officers and the public,” Morris said.

Morris said Floyd “got the job done.”

“I never worried when we worked together,” Morris added. “I knew that Walt had my back at all times.”

The moment of silence at the memorial, the bike ride and the reception were organized by members of Team Manning SC as a way to honor their fellow officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities and county.

For the second year in a row, Team Manning SC will be honoring Clarendon’s fallen officers as well as officers from around the country who died in the line of duty in May during the Ride for Hope, a 240-mile bicycle ride from Chesapeake, Va., into Washington.

Team Manning SC will ride with thousands of other law enforcement officers from around the country as well as the survivors of fallen officers on the journey.

Team Manning SC is still accepting donations to cover the cost of the Ride for Hope. Individuals wishing to contribute can log onto www.teammaningsc.com, contact a member of Team Manning SC or drop their tax-deductible donation by the Manning Police Department.