Dennis Carl Compton

Colleton County Sheriff's Department — Walterboro, SC

Felonious

End of Watch August 6, 2008

Age 39

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 4 mo

The Vigil Panel 157 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Dennis Compton was shot and killed while responding to a residential alarm call on Sunflower Drive, in Smoaks, at approximately 3:00 am.

The homeowner's son had also been notified of the alarm by the alarm company. When he arrived at the home he found Deputy Compton wounded and used his radio to alert dispatchers.

In September 2008 two suspects were arrested and charged with Deputy Compton's murder. Both were convicted of murder and subsequently sentenced to life in prison in December 2011.

Deputy Compton had served with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office for sixteen months, starting as a detention center officer.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-99D14AA6
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

You barely got started.
Deputy Sheriff Compton gave the Colleton County Sheriff's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Walterboro community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Compton.

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

Agency

Department Colleton County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Walterboro, Colleton County, SC

Platform Identity ccso.colleton.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 6, 2008

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 4 mo

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Shotgun; 12 gauge

Deputy Sheriff Dennis Carl Compton 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 Colleton County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Colleton County Sheriff's Department

of 4 officers

50% Felonious

SC — Statewide

272

of 441 officers

61.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious