Annual Russ Sorrow and Fallen Officers luncheon brings together remembrance, service and recognition of law enforcement
There are awards given for achievement, and there are memorials established so achievement never causes us to forget sacrifice. Crime Stoppers of Greenville brought those two purposes together at its annual Russ Sorrow and Fallen Officers luncheon, where Greenville County's fallen law enforcement officers were remembered while two members of law enforcement were honored for the work they continue to do.
The annual event grew from the death of Greenville Police Officer James Russell Sorrow, who was killed in the line of duty in 1996. According to Crime Stoppers, the organization sought a meaningful way to preserve Sorrow's memory while recognizing law enforcement officers who demonstrated exceptional service. The James Russell Sorrow Memorial Award was created from that effort, and as Greenville County lost additional officers in the line of duty, the observance grew into an annual tribute to the county's fallen officers since 1996.
That combination of remembrance and recognition remains at the heart of the luncheon. Crime Stoppers describes the occasion as an opportunity to honor local law enforcement while remembering those who paid the ultimate price in service to the community.
A Rose for Those Who Did Not Return
One of the most solemn moments of the 2026 gathering came during the memorial rose ceremony. Deputy Shakita Davis, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office Crime Stoppers of Greenville coordinator, introduced and presented the memorial tribute as the names of fallen officers were read individually. Roses were placed in their memory by relatives, fellow officers and representatives of the law enforcement community.
The ceremony remembered James Russell Sorrow and other Greenville County law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since his death, including officers from the Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Sheriff's Office, Fountain Inn Police Department and South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Roses Presented for Fallen Heroes
- James Russell Sorrow – Greenville Police Department, EOW: Thursday, September 19, 1996
- Carlton Patrick Pope – Fountain Inn Police Department, EOW: Wednesday, October 9, 1996
- Marcus Lyman Whitfield – Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, EOW: Friday, August 13, 1999
- David Travis Bailey – SC Highway Patrol, EOW: Wednesday, April 5, 2000
- Eric Francis Nicholson – SC Highway Patrol, EOW: Wednesday, December 6, 2000
- Antonio Joselito Sapinoso – Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, EOW: Wednesday, April 2, 2003
- Andrew John Mazur - Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, EOW: Sunday, August 17, 2003
- Allen Lee Jacobs – Greenville Police Department, EOW: Friday, March 18, 2016
- Daniel Keith Rebman, Jr. – SC Highway Patrol, EOW: Tuesday, October 24, 2017
- William Conley Jumper, Jr. – Greenville Police Department, EOW: Tuesday, October 20, 2020
For the families in attendance, the ceremony was more than a reading of names. Each name represented a husband, father, son, relative, friend or fellow officer whose absence remains very real.
Remembering a Crime Stoppers Founder
The luncheon also paused to remember Dan Fishner, who died earlier this year and was described as one of the people instrumental in establishing Crime Stoppers in Greenville.
Crime Stoppers board member Joey Hudson told those gathered that Fishner was more than a longtime board member. He had been part of the original committee of local law enforcement and business leaders that explored bringing the Crime Stoppers concept to Greenville. Fishner traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with representatives of local law enforcement and business leaders to learn how the program operated.
What began as an idea eventually developed into Greenville's Crime Stoppers program. Fishner later served as president of the local organization and on regional and international Crime Stoppers boards.
"Every time someone anonymously sends in a tip to Crime Stoppers, it's part of Dan's legacy to this community," Hudson told those attending.
Fishner's wife, Vicki, and son, Todd, were recognized for the years their family shared his time and service with the organization.
From Remembrance to Recognition
Crime Stoppers board member Cindy Hipps, who coordinated this year's event, explained how the luncheon developed from the organization's desire to remember Sorrow while also recognizing outstanding service among those continuing the work of law enforcement.
Following Sorrow's death in 1996, Crime Stoppers established the James Russell Sorrow Memorial Award. As other Greenville County officers were lost in the line of duty, the luncheon evolved into the annual tribute it is today.
Hipps also outlined the standards behind the luncheon's two major awards. The Russ Sorrow Memorial Award recognizes outstanding law enforcement work involving investigation, apprehension or heroism, along with community service and conduct reflecting honor upon the profession. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Award recognizes sustained service and leadership over the course of a law enforcement career.
2026 Russ Sorrow Memorial Award
Hudson presented the 2026 James Russell Sorrow Memorial Award to Master Deputy William "TJ" Busha (Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement) of the Greenville County Sheriff's Office for his investigative work with the Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit.
According to the nomination presented at the luncheon, the investigation developed from a single seized phone into a case involving a five-person drug trafficking organization. The work included developing intelligence, conducting controlled purchases and carrying out extensive surveillance before culminating in "Operation Family Ties," which coordinated approximately 45 personnel for simultaneous searches and arrests.
The investigation resulted in seizures that included fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, firearms and more than $277,000 in U.S. currency.
Accepting the award, Busha directed much of the credit toward those around him.
"I'd just like to say thank you to everybody that put me in the position to be able to do the work that I do. I enjoy every second since I came to work in the Sheriff's Office," he said.
A Career of Service Recognized
Hudson also presented the 2026 S.H.I.E.L.D. Award to Greenville Field Office Deputy U.S. Marshal of the SC District, Pat Pruitt, recognizing a career of sustained service and leadership.
S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for Service, Honor, Integrity, Excellence, Loyalty and Dedication. Unlike an award centered on a particular investigation or act, it recognizes a sustained body of professional work, leadership, integrity, continuing development and service to the community.
Pruitt was recognized for 23 years with the U.S. Marshals Service and for investigative work involving major fugitive cases, including the international pursuit and eventual return to the United States of Dan Heirs Jr., a 15 Most Wanted fugitive. Heirs fled the United States in March 2005 and, after 21 years as a fugitive, was brought back to the United States.
Pruitt also contributed to the 2022 capture of U.S. Army recruiter John Blauvelt, who had been on the run for six years after killing his estranged wife.
In accepting the recognition, Pruitt turned attention toward the people who had worked alongside him, noting that many others could have been standing on the stage with him because of the teams involved in accomplishing the missions for which he was being recognized.
Remembering Service in Both Directions
That may be what makes the annual Crime Stoppers gathering different from an ordinary awards luncheon.
The room applauds those still serving, but it also grows quiet for those who cannot walk to the podium.
The awards recognize investigations completed, fugitives captured and careers devoted to public service. The roses represent something that cannot be measured by statistics or written into an award citation. They represent officers who left for duty and never returned home.
As the luncheon came to a close, Crime Stoppers of Greenville President Felicia Robbins turned once more to the families of the fallen officers.
"Our hearts go out to you, and we continue to pray for you because I know it probably never gets easy," Robbins said.
Nearly three decades after James Russell Sorrow's death gave rise to the memorial award bearing his name, Greenville's law enforcement community continues to gather for the two purposes that brought the room together that day: honoring achievement without forgetting sacrifice.
To remember those who gave their lives, and to recognize those who continue the work they left behind.
