S.C. man sentenced to 22 yrs in prison related to the shooting of a hospital security officer
Laurens SC Dec 13 2020
A Laurens man will spend the next 22 years behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday to charges related to the shooting of a hospital security officer in 2019.
Kevin Boyce Patterson, 28, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, unlawful carry of a pistol and possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a crime of violence.
Circuit Court Judge Thomas Hughston sentenced Patterson to 22 years in prison for attempted murder, one year for unlawful carry of a pistol and five years for possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a crime of violence.
All of the sentences will run concurrently, a release from 8th Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo said.
In 2019, Patterson was spotted carrying a gun while visiting Prisma Laurens County Memorial Hospital. After it was reported that he had a gun, officers confronted Patterson who fired multiple shots before exiting the room.
One shot struck a security officer above his bulletproof vest.
Patterson attempted to drag his father out of the hospital when officers caught up with him and took him into custody. Patterson was shot in the forearm prior to officers disarming him.
“It is absolutely unacceptable to recklessly fire a gun anywhere, but particularly inside a hospital where medical staff are working hard to preserve life and treat those in need,” Stumbo said in the statement. “I hope this long sentence in a maximum security prison sends a message to criminals like Kevin Patterson who want to terrorize innocent people with guns that it will not be tolerated.”
Stumbo praised hospital security officer Michael O’Connell and state Highway Patrol Trooper Cody Ward for quickly eliminating the threat without any loss of life.
“It is a blessing that the innocent people in the emergency room, including the brave officers who confronted and eliminated the threat, were not killed or critically injured that night,” Stumbo said.
