Fundraiser supports Springfield police chief shot during Barnwell County chase

Springfield Police Chief Adam Evans was shot during a pursuit that began in Orangeburg County and ended on Gardenia Road in the Blackville area of Barnwell County, a case that quickly became a regional public-safety issue for neighboring counties including Bamberg.

Authorities said the suspect, 37-year-old Lacey N. Cushman, fired at Evans’ vehicle during the chase. Evans was taken to the hospital with a wound near the armpit and was later reported in stable condition. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division issued a Blue Alert around 10:30 p.m. while Cushman was still on the run, using the statewide warning system designed to rapidly spread information when a law-enforcement officer has been seriously injured.

Cushman was later found in Orangeburg County and taken into custody. WACH reported that she faced six charges, including attempted murder. SLED said the investigation was requested by the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, that Cushman was booked into the Barnwell County Detention Center, and that the case will be prosecuted by the 2nd Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

The shooting also exposed how thinly stretched some small-town police departments can be. Evans is the only member of the Springfield Police Department, meaning the chief’s injury temporarily removed the town’s lone sworn officer from the street and left the department with no built-in backup. In a region where departments regularly depend on mutual-aid agreements for public-safety functions, a chase that crosses county lines can shift in seconds from a single-agency problem to a multi-county response involving local sheriffs, state investigators and prosecutors.

The fundraising effort for Evans became another measure of the toll. A GoFundMe campaign set up for him said he will be out of work for an extended period, and that Springfield does not carry workers’ compensation insurance. The page described Evans as a devoted husband and father of two and said the money is meant to help with the long recovery ahead and the financial strain on his family.

By May 4, the campaign had raised $856 toward an $8,000 goal. That total underscores how quickly a law-enforcement shooting can turn into a personal financial crisis, especially in a small department with no insurance backstop. For Bamberg County residents, the case is a reminder that when a pursuit spills over county lines, the effects can reach far beyond the original traffic stop, touching emergency response, jail capacity, court prosecution and the family left behind.