and Bell were nowhere to be seen and Winkeler's gun was missing.

Eventually, Florence County sheriff's deputies spotted the Chrysler and stopped Bell.

During the arrest, deputies found Winkeler's police-issued gun and a magazine that matched the 9mm handgun left at the shooting scene.

The officer's death raised immediate questions among some officials about why an untrained officer was out on patrol by himself.

Geoff Alpert, a criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina and expert on high-risk police activities, called the loophole "a recipe for disaster."

"You don't put untrained people out on the street," Alpert said.

Winkeler's training record shows this wasn't the first time he'd been left on his own.

Troubling history

Documents included with Winkeler's training history show he was accused of misconduct while working with the Latta Police Departmentin 2017.

The town hired him in December 2016 and he worked as an uncertified officer for about three months while he waited for a spot at the academy. He left after the misconduct allegations arose.

Heavily redacted documents included in Winkeler's training file contain few details about what happened.

Latta Police Chief Derrick Cartwright was told by officers on March 23, 2017, that he should review Winkeler's body camera footage. Descriptions of the video and alleged misconduct were expunged from Winkeler's record after the state Law Enforcement Training Council ruled to dismiss the charge last year.

Documents show that during the incident in question, Winkeler was on patrol by himself and his only training was with his field training officer, who was not present at the time.

Cartwright could not be reached