Lake City names new police chief
LAKE CITY, S.C. (WBTW) — Lake City officially selected a new police chief on Friday.
Emmanuel Williams will be the new chief of police, the city said. The department hasn’t had a permanent chief since Jody Cooper resigned in October.
Williams, a Coker University grad, is currently a sergeant with Bennettsville police. He will take over as Lake City police chief on March 4 and officially be sworn into office in early April.
The city said its search garnered more than 24 candidates, but that ultimately the decision came down to Williams and Maj. Patrick Miles, who was placed on unpaid administrative leave in late December as part of an investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Lake City Administrator William A. Hall gave News13 the following response when asked about Miles being a finalist and the investigation:
“Yes, Patrick Miles was being considered and one of the finalists. The decision was very difficult to make. After much consideration, the decision to go with new blood to fill this open position was the best decision.”
Hall also said Miles was cleared within 30 days of SLED’s investigation and had already returned to his duties.
News13 has reached out to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for Williams’ training records.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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