Roll of Honor
Incident
Private First Class Mike Latu was killed in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a call for service at 1:05 a.m.
His vehicle left the roadway on U.S. 76 and struck a bridge pillar underneath U.S. 501 Bypass.
PFC Latu had served with the Marion County Sheriff's Office for five years and had previously served as a dispatcher.
In 2018 he was recognized as both Deputy of the Year and Patrolman of the Year.
He is survived by his parents, step-father, sister, and brother.
Survivors
He is survived by his parents, step-father, sister, and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-FFCBEE54- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Private First Class Latu gave the Marion County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mullins community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Private First Class Latu.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Private First Class Michael Shawn Latu is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In SC, 137 of 438 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.3% of this state's fallen. That is 0.3 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Marion County Sheriff's Dept., 3 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Shawn Latu's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Shawn Latu Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Shawn Latu is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Marion County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
