Police officer killed in the line of duty in Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WWAY/AP) — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says a police officer was killed during an exchange of gunfire after responding to a domestic call in Myrtle Beach late Saturday.

The division said in a statement Sunday that a second officer was shot, and a suspect, 20-year-old John Derek Aycoth, was found dead after the shootout.

The second officer was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock identified the fallen officer as Jacob Hancher.

Prock said Hancher had been a community service officer for four years and had been a patrol officer for less than a year. He also served Horry County as a volunteer firefighter.

Hancher’s father took to social media to release a heartfelt message.

On Monday, officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Dept. escorted Hancher’s body to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and back.

People gather for the police escort of the body of PFC Jacob Hancher on Oct. 5, 2020. (Photo: Amanda Kinseth/WPDE)

This is the first time the Myrtle Beach Police Department has lost an officer since 2002.