Author Archives: cloudjh

Eight years ago today, nine people died as a result of a twisted attempt to ignite a race war in Charleston and the rest of the country. The perpetrator, and I won’t dignify him by naming him, failed in that attempt.

Charleston stood strong. Charleston stood together. And the ENTIRE country rallied behind us. Remember, hate and violence don’t have to be our only choices. We can CHOOSE to love. And it took a horrible tragedy and our resiliency in the face of that tragedy to prove it and to prove it works.

Don’t forget those who died. But DO forget the dirt-bag who killed them. He’s exactly where he belongs.

I began editing this post at 9:05 PM, when the incident started on June 17, 2015. By 9:11 PM, it was all over, and the perpetrator had left the church. Six minutes. That’s all it took.

I was already on the job then. I remember those tense days until he was caught. And I remember that his original intended target, as later indicated directly by him, WAS in fact the College of Charleston. I was a PSO then, usually on foot patrol; I’m a shift Sergeant now. He wanted to commit an active shooter mass killing at the school, in order to get the largest body count and most shock value possible. What changed his mind and his target of choice was our department’s very diligent and very visible and continuous police presence, a presence that our department has ALWAYS made a point of maintaining. Simply put, we spooked him and he simply chose an easier target. A target that could not shoot back. He was a coward and chose defenseless victims and settled for a smaller body count. Again, these are his and his acquaintances’ words, not mine.

Like I said, he’s a cowardly dirt-bag and is where he belongs, languishing.

Be strong, be diligent, be kind. And this kind of hate won’t ever win. Remember those nine souls. And when you see me and other members of the Department of Public Safety on and around campus, remember, days like that one are why we do our jobs here.

Be safe.

-Sgt. James Cloud

The College of Charleston Department of Public Safety mourns with the Temple University Police Department. One of their ranks, Officer Christopher Fitzgerald, was killed in the line of duty by a suspect that has since been apprehended. Officer Fitzgerald was a two year veteran of the department. He was 31 years old and leaves behind a wife and four children. Keep his family, friends, and department in your thoughts as they process this difficult situation.

The officers, command staff, and support staff at the College of Charleston Department of Public Safety mourn with the Summerville Police Department over the recent loss of one of their ranks, Captain Larry “LJ” Johnson, after a battle with cancer.

Captain Johnson was a twenty-year veteran of the Summerville Police Department, having previously served with the MUSC Department of Public Safety.

Keep Captain Johnson, his family, his friends, and his department in your thoughts as they walk this difficult path.

The College of Charleston Department of Public Safety stands with the Summerville Police Department in their time of grief.

Rest easy, brother… we have the watch now.

The following is from Summerville PD’s own Facebook page:

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of our very own Captain Larry “LJ” Johnson, who lost his battle with cancer.

Captain Johnson came to the Summerville Police Department in 2002 after serving four years with the Medical University of South Carolina’s Department of Public Safety.

Captain Johnson has risen from Patrolman to our Criminal Investigative Division commander. He has served as Uniform Patrol Division Corporal, Narcotics Investigator, Uniform Patrol Division Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Division Commander. He is also a graduate of FBI’s Carolina Command College and the University of Phoenix with an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. The Knights of Columbus awarded him Police Officer of the Year in 2006 and 2007 by the Summerville Police Department.

He proudly served as a founding member of The Dignity Project, and he is a member of the Cathedral of Praise church in North Charleston.

Captain Johnson is a man of God who is deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. He never met a stranger and was quick to bring a smile to anyone’s face, whomever he met. The men and women of the Summerville Police Department and our community members are all better people for having met our brother, LJ. Please continue to pray for his family and our SPD family as we work through this difficult time.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ~ John 3:16

College of Charleston Student Life just posted a Halloween 2022 PSA video. It has some good advice on how to keep yourselves safe:

The College of Charleston Department of Public Safety stands with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department as they mourn the loss of one of their own.

At approximately 3:20 PM on June 21, 2022, Deputy Sheriff Austin Derek Aldridge of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department was responding to a domestic violence call, when the suspect ambushed responding officers and opened fire, striking and ultimately killing Deputy Aldridge.

Deputy Aldridge served with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department for three years. He is survived by his wife.

Keep Deputy Aldridge’s friends, family, and department in your thoughts as they all process these difficult times. As law enforcement officers, we all know the risks when donning the uniform and duty belt, but nothing lessens the pain from the loss of one of our ranks.

Deputy Aldridge was 25 years old. His death marks the second SC line of duty law enforcement death in 2022. Deputy Aldridge’s end of watch was 21 June, 2022.

Rest easy, brother… we have the watch now.

Deputy Chief Broughton and Chief Searson are pictured with three of our new Public Safety Officers, Kirchenbauer, Smith, and Bravo, who graduated on June 10^th from the SC Criminal Justice Academy.  Chief Searson served as the Guest Speaker for Basic Law Enforcement Class 761.  These officers have successfully completed 20 weeks of Training to this point.  They now begin the next phase which is Field Training.  Congratulations to these three on this important accomplishment.

The College of Charleston Department of Public Safety honors our fallen during National Police Memorial Week, May 11-18, 2022.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK 2022 – National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (nleomf.org)

Schedule of Events – National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (nleomf.org)