30-04-2025
Horry County patrol division sergeant fired amid internal probe of deadly 2023 road-rage shooting
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — An Horry County police patrol division sergeant has been fired as part of the department's ongoing international investigation into a high-profile deadly road-rage shooting in 2023.
Paul Damon Vescovi's last day with the department was on Wednesday, HCPD said in a news release. He had been with the department for 23 years.
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'Since March 2025, when HCPD requested a review of the incident, HCPD has been cooperating with SLED in the state agency's potential misconduct investigation,' the department said. 'A simultaneous HCPD IA investigation is also being conducted. In April 2025, as part of the incident and case review, law enforcement identified conduct unbecoming of an officer, as defined by HCPD General Orders, as well as a violation of general Horry County employee conduct guidelines.'
The internal investigation is ongoing, and the department said it will continue to review the case and take immediate action as needed, and to cooperate with the South Carolina Law Enforcment Divison, which is conducting a criminal investigation into potential misconduct related to the Sept. 9, 2023, Camp Swamp Road shooting that resulted in the death of 33-year-old Tabor City resident Scott Spivey.
'We will continue to pursue the truth in this incident,' Police Chief Kris Leonhardt said in the news release. 'Any of those found to be in violation of policy or law will be held accountable. Misconduct will not be tolerated at HCPD, regardless of when it occurred, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards moving forward.'
Vescovi's firing comes about seven weeks after Brandon Strickland, then a deputy chief, resigned amid SLED's alleged misconduct in the Spivey investigation. He had been with the department since 2005.
This is a developing story. Count on News13 for updates.
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Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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