Upstate Warrior Solution (UWS) will unveil a portrait honoring Deputy Andrew “Drew” Mazur of Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) on Monday, August 19th, two days after his line-of-duty death 21 years ago. The portrait will be the second hung in the Blessed Are the Peacemakers Gallery at the Rupert House Veteran Center, a resource hub serving both military veterans and first responders.
Drew Mazur served with GCSO from 2001-2003. Born in Kalispell, Montana, Drew grew up in Florida and graduated with a degree in criminal justice from The Citadel before attending the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia. “Drew often volunteered to take extra calls because he believed law enforcement was his calling in life,” shares Deputy Mazur’s widow, Bryce Martin. From how he treated those he arrested to offering rides to those in need, Drew is remembered as always showing respect to those he encountered regardless of their background.
On August 17th, 2003, just two weeks before his 25th birthday and second wedding anniversary, Drew was shot and killed after stopping a 19-year-old drug addict. The teenager fled the scene and committed suicide the following morning after being cornered by GCSO K9s and search teams.
The Blessed Are the Peacemakers gallery opened earlier this year with a portrait commemorating Officer Allen Jacobs from the Greenville Police Department. “Deputy Mazur’s time with the sheriff’s office was cut far too short, but his impact on the community and on those he served with is lasting,” says Theresa Thompson, UWS’s COO and former law enforcement officer. “We’re committed to making sure our local heroes are remembered for years to come; this gallery is our way of doing that.”
