Joseph John McGarry Myrtle Beach Police Department Sunday, December 29, 2002

Officer Joseph McGarry was shot and killed when he and his partner investigated a suspicious person on North Kings Highway at 0030 hours. The officers were inside a restaurant when they observed a group of suspicious people. They asked the four to step out of the restaurant to talk to one of them. As they were talking to a male, he pulled out a .45 caliber handgun and opened fire, striking Officer McGarry in the head. Officer McGarry's partner returned fire, striking the suspect in the leg. The suspect and a female friend fled the scene but were later apprehended. The man was charged with murder, resisting arrest, and assault. The male subject was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Officer McGarry had been employed with the Myrtle Beach Police Department for four years, and was assigned to the Street Crimes Unit. Joseph John McGarry's name has been engraved at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC. His name can be located on panel 23, West-35. A plaque bearing Joseph John McGarry's name is displayed at the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in Columbia. Views: 5,699

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