Ben Wesley Strickland

South Carolina Highway Patrol — Blythewood, SC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch May 31, 1974

Age 40

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 51

Incident

Patrolman Ben Strickland was shot and killed after making a traffic stop of a speeding car at a rest stop on I-20 near Columbia at 3:00 a.m. After arresting the driver and placing him in handcuffs, the passenger approached him from behind and opened fire, killing him. Hours later, a Cayce police officer spotted the car and pursued it into a subdivision, where the two suspects exchanged shots with the officer as they abandoned the car and ran. The next night, at a home in Columbia, a man awoke to the sound of a shotgun blast through his front door. He was abducted by one suspect who forced him to drive to Columbia. As he was driving toward several police cars, the suspect attempted to crawl into the back seat. The driver slammed on the brakes, hit the suspect with his fist, and jumped out a ran to the police. Police officers discovered he had knocked the suspect out when they took him into custody. The other suspect was apprehended minutes later during a search of the area. Both suspects, 21 and 22, were charged with murder. The gunman was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. The other was convicted of accessory to murder and sentenced to 10 years. Patrolman Strickland, a U.S. Army veteran, served as a St. George police officer before starting his 16-year career with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He was survived by his wife and two sons. In 2012, mile marker 49 on South Carolina's I-20 in Lexington County was named for him on the 38th anniversary of his death.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-2580BB30
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman First Class Strickland gave the South Carolina Highway Patrol 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of South Carolina, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department South Carolina Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Blythewood, SC

Platform Identity schp.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 31, 1974

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Ben Wesley Strickland served in the U.S. Army (1951â1957) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman First Class Ben Wesley Strickland 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In SC, 271 of 440 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.6% of this state's fallen. That is 61.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At South Carolina Highway Patrol, 20 of 52 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 38.5% of this agency's fallen.

South Carolina Highway Patrol

of 52 officers

38.5% Felonious

SC — Statewide

271

of 440 officers

61.6% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious