Roll of Honor

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Trooper

Mark Hunter Coates

South Carolina Highway Patrol — Blythewood, SC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch November 20, 1992

Age 31

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Badge 709

The Vigil Panel 138 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 51

Incident

Corporal Mark Coates was shot and killed after stopping a car for weaving in traffic on I-95 near the Georgia border. During the traffic stop, the subject began to struggle with Corporal Coates, and they both fell to the ground. The man fired a .22 caliber handgun into Corporal Coates' chest, but the round was stopped by his vest. Corporal Coates was able to force the man off of him and return fire, striking him five times in the chest with his .357 caliber revolver. As he retreated for cover and to radio for backup, the man fired another shot. The round struck Trooper Coates in the left armpit and traveled into his heart. The man survived the incident and was sentenced to life in prison. He was denied parole in 2022 and died in prison in 2024. Corporal Coates was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for five years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, two stepdaughters, parents, sister, and brother. The Mark H. Coates Highway is a one-mile portion of Interstate 95 located in Jasper County near Hardeeville and extends one-half mile on both sides of mile marker 7.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, two stepdaughters, parents, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-EA9AE3FA
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Mark is one person.

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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.
Trooper Coates gave the South Carolina Highway Patrol 5 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 November 20, 1992

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 31

Badge Number 709

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Mark Hunter Coates served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Mark Hunter Coates 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