Santee Police Chief Kenneth McCaster was arrested in Orangeburg early Thursday on traffic violations, including having an open container in his vehicle.

Sid Gaulden, spokesman for the S.C. Department of Public Safety, said that at about 4:05 a.m. a Highway Patrol trooper spotted a vehicle stopped at U.S. Highway 601 and Russell Street. When the vehicle didn't move from the intersection after several cycles of the traffic light, the trooper went to investigate.

"His (McCaster's) vehicle was noticed stopped at a signal light," Gaulden said. "The light turned green several times and it (the car) never moved."

Gaulden said that after noticing the 2000 SUV-type vehicle not moving, the trooper turned around to watch it.

Upon approaching the SUV, the trooper noticed McCaster was asleep at the wheel, the vehicle in park.

"As a result of that, the trooper charged Chief McCaster with improper parking of a vehicle, public disorderly conduct and open container," Gaulden said.

First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said that with the charges being misdemeanors, he doubted his office would handle any aspect of the case.

A message requesting comment left at a residence listed as McCaster's was not returned late Thursday.

A phone call to the Santee mayor's residence went unanswered.

McCaster began his career with the Richland County Sheriff's Office, and later with the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office before taking 21 years of law enforcement experience to Santee when he was hired there on Dec. 5.

McCaster had barely three months of service in Orangeburg County when he was involved in what nearly turned out to be a double cop killing.

While conducting a property check on Stilton Road on Oct. 18, 2005, McCaster and Orangeburg County Sheriff's Lt. James Shumpert approached four men outside an abandoned house.

As the officers approached one of the men, two shots rang out. Shumpert was shot point blank in the ribs. His bulletproof vest stopped a .45-caliber round.

When the shooter fired a second time, McCaster was the target and was wounded in the left upper arm. The bullet entered frontally and exited in the back.

His duties later included chief of security at the Orangeburg County Courthouse.

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516.

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