Jacob William Hancher
Agency patch
Police Officer

Jacob William Hancher

Myrtle Beach Police Department — Myrtle Beach, SC
Felonious
End of Watch October 3, 2020
Age 23
Tour of Duty 8 mo
The Vigil Panel 173 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Jacob Hancher was shot and killed as he and other officers responded to a domestic incident at an apartment in the 400 block of 14th Avenue South at about 10:00 pm.

A man opened fire on the officers, killing Officer Hancher and wounding a second officer. The subject was found deceased a short time later.

Officer Hancher had served with the Myrtle Beach Police Department for eight months. He also served as a volunteer firefighter for many years, first in Waldorf, Maryland while in high school and then in Horry County, South Carolina where he remained active until his death.

Survivors

He is survived by his mother, father, stepmother, brother, three sisters, and grandparents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-9EE4A677
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Hancher served with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Myrtle Beach community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Hancher.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Myrtle Beach, Horry County, SC
Platform Identity mbpd.horry.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 3, 2020
Tour of Duty 8 mo
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Rifle; 7.62 mm

Police Officer Jacob William Hancher 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 Myrtle Beach Police Department, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Myrtle Beach Police Department
3
of 3 officers
100% Felonious
SC — Statewide
272
of 441 officers
61.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jacob William Hancher's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Jacob William Hancher Compares

Age at Death
23
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
0.7
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jacob William Hancher is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jacob William Hancher was killed by rifle; 7.62 mm.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Myrtle Beach Police Department are honored on badge.nw.