Officers charged in drowning death granted bond

Photo courtesy: WPDE

MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — The two Horry County Sheriff’s Office correctional officers who drove into flood waters after Hurricane Florence with two women in their transport van were served warrants and made their initial court appearances Friday.

12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements.

Stephen Flood and Joshua Bishop turned themselves in to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office about 7:30 a.m. Friday.

They arrived separately with their families, and deputies escorted them into the Sheriff’s Office.

Flood is charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of involuntary manslaughter, while Bishop is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

The reckless homicide charges carry a prison sentence of zero to 10 years and the involuntary manslaughter charges carry a prison sentence of zero to five years.

In their initial court appearance Friday morning, bond was granted for both men.

Wendy Newton, 45, of Shallotte, N.C., and Nicolette Green, 43, of Myrtle Beach, were in the back of the van when Flood and Bishop drove around a barricade and into flood waters in Marion County on Sept. 18.

Flood and Bishop were fired from the Horry County Sheriff’s Office. Termination papers state they were fired for “wanton disregard for the safety of persons.”