Incident
Patrolman Hunt was shot and killed while attempting to arrest several men on Buncombe Street for several armed robberies. After arresting the two men three accomplices drove up and opened fire on Patrolman Hunt and two detectives, striking Patrolman Hunt twice. The five men escaped and four were eventually apprehended. Only one of the men was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He escaped from the Boykin Prison Farm in 1957 and remained at large for six years. In 1963 he was recaptured by the FBI in Montana. In 1964 a judge ordered that the suspect was to be given a new trial, stating that his first trial was mishandled. The suspect was released from prison after posting a $10,000 bond. A year later the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed the judge's ruling and ordered that the suspect be returned to prison. But, the suspect was no where to be found. In 1967 he was again recaptured by the FBI in Tucson, Arizona. A year later the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision and ordered a new trial in which the suspect was acquitted December 4, 1968. Patrolman Hunt had been with the agency for two years.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-SC-ADECECF8- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Hunt gave the Greenville Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hunt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Absolom Blythe Hunt is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In SC, 272 of 441 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.7% of this state's fallen. That is 61.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Greenville Police Department, 11 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 91.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Absolom Blythe Hunt's cause is highlighted.
How Absolom Blythe Hunt Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Absolom Blythe Hunt is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Absolom Blythe Hunt was killed by gun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Greenville Police Department are honored on badge.nw.








