Greenville, S.C. – Six years after her father, Sgt. Conley Jumper, was killed in the line of duty, Deputy Cat Jumper now serves with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, wearing the same badge her father once wore. Cat Jumper, who joined the department in 2025, described finding her father again through her work, a career path she did not initially envision.
Sgt. Conley Jumper, a 28-year veteran with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, was killed in October 2020 during a traffic stop on Interstate 85. He was a K-9 handler and worked in the department's school enforcement division, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Cat Jumper was a pre-law student at Wofford College, aiming for a career in criminal law, and had no prior interest in law enforcement, she said.
The deputy remembers the day of her father's death vividly, calling it an awful feeling. Her decision to shift from law school to law enforcement developed in the months following her father’s death. Cat Jumper saw the extensive support the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office provided her family, fostering a sense of camaraderie and security, she stated. She noted that the environment felt comfortable and like home, and that being around the department's personnel made her feel happy, secure, and safe.
Letters from community members after Conley Jumper’s death also influenced his daughter. She recalled one letter from a grandmother who shared how Sgt. Jumper made an impact on her grandson by letting him play with the K-9 dogs during off-duty work. This interaction changed the grandson’s view on police and made the grandmother feel safe, according to Cat Jumper. This demonstrated to her the direct impact law enforcement can have, which she felt would be harder to achieve by sitting behind a desk.
Cat Jumper first served with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in Greenwood before joining the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office in 2025. She now patrols some of the same neighborhoods her father once worked, often encountering residents who recognize her name tag and share stories about her dad. She finds these connections rewarding, seeing them as mutual respect.
While growing up, Cat Jumper remembers her father, in uniform, attending her volleyball games, though he shielded her from the inherent dangers of his profession. Even through college, she did not fully grasp the realities of law enforcement, she said.
Her mother, Sara, has been a steadfast support through this transition, Cat Jumper stated. Though her mother was surprised when Cat announced her decision to attend the police academy, she deep down knew that this was going to happen. The family chooses to treat the anniversary of Sgt. Jumper’s death as an ordinary day, acknowledging the pain of such a profound loss.
Wearing her father's uniform has had an unexpected positive effect, Cat Jumper revealed, helping her feel closer to him in an indirect way. She takes pride in the uniform and strives to treat people with the same respect she would want her father to receive, echoing his own actions.
Sgt. Conley Jumper's legacy extends beyond his daughter's service; the Sgt. William Conley Jumper Jr. School Security Center in Taylors was dedicated last October in honor of his decade in school enforcement.