The SC Department of Public Safety is proud to welcome three new K-9s to the South Carolina Highway Patrol including one whose name will be significant to Dillon residents.
As a gesture of gratitude for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, each new K-9 bears the name of a South Carolina state trooper killed in the line of duty. One is named in memory of Trooper George Radford.
“Our law enforcement family would not be complete without our K-9 counterparts,” said Colonel Christopher Williamson, Commander of the Highway Patrol. “Naming our K-9 officers after fallen troopers gives us the unique opportunity to honor those who sacrificed more than most could ever imagine.”
K-9 Radford:
K-9 Radford is named in honor of Trooper First Class Tillman Radford, a 16-year veteran of the Highway Patrol. On October 29, 1989, TFC Radford was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Dillon County.
K-9 Radford will serve in the Lowstate alongside her handler, Master Trooper J.T. Sarvis.
“My dad loved dogs,” Cassie Radford said. “To know that there’s a K-9 going up and down I-95, which is the same stretch of road that my dad patrolled, is the biggest honor.”
The other active SCHP K-9s are:
K-9 Alverson:
K-9 Alverson is named after Patrolman First Class David Lee Alverson of Spartanburg County. PFC Alverson was on duty in a construction zone in Orangeburg County on November 12, 1981, when a tractor-trailer hit his patrol car. He died the next day.
K-9 Alverson will serve in the Midstate alongside his handler, Master Trooper L.A. Maule.
K-9 Chappell:
K-9 Chappell is named after Lance Corporal Michael Allen Chappell. On April 17, 1995, L/Cpl. Chappell was attempting a traffic stop on a violator when his patrol car veered off the roadway and overturned. He died as a result of his injuries.
K-9 Chappell will serve in the Upstate alongside his handler, Master Trooper J.H. Pruitt.
“It means the world to our family,” said Diane Chappell, L/Cpl. Chappell’s widow. “Mike loved dogs, and he always wanted to be a K-9 trainer for the Highway Patrol.”
To learn more about the SC Highway Patrol K-9 Unit, visit: https://scdps.sc.gov/schp/K9
