GREENWOOD, S.C. — Officers from departments across the Upstate gathered in Greenwood on Thursday evening, Oct. 22, for the annual Patriots’ BBQ, which this year paid tribute to Greenwood police Sgt. DJ Keller, who was killed during a police chase in May.
The free cookout ran from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Old Farmers Market Building on S.C. 72/221 East. Organizers pitch it as a thank-you to local first responders and veterans and a nonpartisan night open to everyone, with plates from Fat Daddy’s served at no charge. The schedule called for a Life Flight helicopter to touch down at 5 p.m. and for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles to be parked where children could see them up close.
State Reps. John McCravy and Daniel Gibson and state Sen. Billy Garrett host the event, which is run by a nonprofit committee. The guest list sent out ahead of time included Congresswoman Sheri Biggs, sheriffs from Greenwood and neighboring counties, Highway Patrol troopers, state wildlife and corrections officers, paramedics, emergency room staff and volunteer fire chiefs. Last year’s turnout topped 300.
Keller, 31, was a Ware Shoals High School graduate who joined the Greenwood City Police Department in 2023 after finishing the South Carolina Police Academy. He became a K-9 handler in 2025, partnered with a dog named Vice.
Before police work he spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, from 2016 to 2020, reaching the rank of E-6, and he was still serving in the South Carolina National Guard. He died May 11.
Section: More Greenwood SC crime news
Filed under: Greenwood SC Public Safety News
