Saturday, August 17, will be a day that Larue Coker and his wife, Barbara, will not forget. When they awoke and began to prepare for the day, they soon found out that their day would be far from ordinary.
That morning at 7am, one of them looked out of the window and noticed an unfamiliar truck parked in their yard. The truck was a newer model Chevrolet Z-71 quad cab. Larue went outside to investigate and determine if the owner was asleep inside the truck. Seeing no one, he turned to go back inside. That was when he saw a large man seated in a chair on his porch.
After the initial shock of finding someone on his porch, Larue and the stranger began to talk. The man identified himself as Jeffrey (last name withheld). Larue said that he did not feel like the man was dangerous. He asked his wife, Barbara, to call Pastor Devon Coker of Unity Christian Church, to come over and assist with the situation. When Coker arrived, he and Larue both agreed that the man did not appear to be intoxicated or pose a threat.
“The man looked like he was at least 6’2, and weighed over 300 lbs,” said Coker. “He had long curly hair and a beard. He seemed to be confused and was not sure about where he was.”
During the conversation, Jeffrey told them that he was headed to Duke University from his small hometown in the upstate. He said that he had been traveling for six days, was out of money and could not buy gas to continue his trip. Coker told the man to follow him to Central Quick Stop on US 378 and he would buy him food and gas. On the way, Coker called the Clarendon County Dispatcher and asked them to send a deputy to meet them at the store. While eating breakfast, Coker was able to use the information given to him by the man to contact his parents.
“Deputy Cody Jones of the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the store,” said Coker. “At first, Jeffrey was scared, but Jones sat down and talked him in a friendly manner that put him at ease.” As Jones and the man talked, Coker walked away to call Jeffrey’s home. He made contact with his father, who said that Jeffrey had been gone for several days and did not have his medications with him that he needed for a mental condition.
“Jeffrey’s father told me that he was a retired pastor,” said Coker. “He said he had been praying that Jeffrey would stop somewhere and ask for help. Since he lived many miles away, he asked me to keep his son distracted until he could drive there to help. I informed Deputy Jones of the father’s request, and he devised a plan to have an ambulance come to the store to evaluate Jeffrey.”
Clarendon County Emergency Medical Services arrived at the store. Lee Dennis and Denise Pack-Howard were able to reassure the man and convince him to go with them to the emergency department to be evaluated.
“With no power to hold Steve without his consent, I watched as these loving people went above and beyond what was required of them,” said Coker. “With the care and concern resembling that of loving parents more than county employees, they were able to talk Steve into the ambulance where he was transported to McLeod Health Clarendon Hospital in Manning for treatment and then picked up by his family later in the day.”
“As I reflected on this event I can see so plainly how an elder pastor’s prayers for his son were answered through the kindness and compassion of citizens, Sheriff’s Office and EMS staff of Clarendon County,” said Coker. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matt 5:9”
