Hall of Fame Police officer honored for service
Last Updated on 10/13/2008
Published on 5/8/2008
Written by Scott Harper
At a ceremony in Columbia Wednesday, Tindal was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame for his dedication and sacrifice.
The induction was the culmination of several years of work by Tindal's family and members of the Georgetown Police Department who wanted to honor their fallen comrade.
Now, a plaque bearing Tindal's name hangs on the wall of the Hall of Fame at the Law Enforcement Academy along with many other officers who have died in the line of duty through the years.
It took longer than usual to get Tindal's name on the wall because of the unusual circumstances surrounding his death. Police Capt. Nelson Brown said the induction was supposed to take place two years ago but at that time there was no paperwork linking his death to police activity.
Coroner Kenny Johnson stepped in and researched the death and issued a report which showed the connection.
As Tindal's widow, Thalia Vincent, sat somberly next to her son Devon and granddaughter Elizabeth Conner, Marsha Ardila -- administrator of the Hall of Fame -- told the story of his untimely death.
Tindal was driving as he and Officer Freddie Shelley were patrolling the town on what was supposed to be a quiet, joyful holiday morning. The peace was shattered when a call went out over the radio about a reckless driver in the West End area.
At the area of Emanuel and Winyah Streets, the speeding reckless driver ran the stop sign and rammed the side of the patrol car. The driver died at the scene and both Tindal and Shelley were seriously injured.
"Tragically, Officer Tindal sustained a spinal cord injury that left him a quadriplegic and he was confined to a wheel chair. At the age of only 24 he was forced to retire from active duty on permanent disability. For the remainder of his life he suffered numerous complications from his injuries that eventually resulted in his death," Ardila read.
Police Chief Paul Gardner then presented Vincent and the other family members with memorial plaques as a token of appreciation for his sacrifice.
"With the sacrifice that my dad gave, his name needed to be honored," Devon Tindal said when asked why he worked so hard to make the induction a reality.
Because both the accident and the death occurred on two different Christmas Days, Vincent said it made holiday seasons much less joyful for her children as they were growing up.
"They suffered depression. For years it was hard for them to enjoy Christmas," Vincent said.
However, she said her faith in Christ has helped her stay strong.
"For me it has not been a sad time because we had a great life together. I just thought it was very ironic he died the day and hour of the accident anniversary," Vincent said. "I guess you would have to be a Christian to understand that I was with him when he died and it was so peaceful. It was so spiritual that I couldn't be unhappy. He was ready to go."
Gardner said he is happy the induction took place not only to honor Tindal but to also show appreciation to his family for the 15 years of care they gave him after he was paralyzed.
Vincent said she wanted to thank everyone at the Police Department who worked to make the induction a possibility.
Tindal's plaque hangs just feet away from the plaque of Maj. Spenser Guerry, the only other person in the Hall of Fame from the Georgetown Police Department. Guerry died in 1994 after being shot during a traffic stop.
