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A shootout took place between law enforcement officers and an armed gang member just west of downtown Columbia, South Carolina late Tuesday morning – prompting a massive police response.
Thankfully, no one but the shooter was wounded – and the incident ended with him being taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. Not surprisingly, the gang member had an extensive criminal past.
According to city of Columbia, S.C. police department deputy chief Melron Kelly, the shooter was “prohibited from carrying a weapon, on probation and (is) a documented gang member.”
Kelly did not immediately identify the shooter, but indicated a review of his “criminal history” and “mental health history” was underway.
“He absolutely had no regard for the lives of the members of the public that he was shooting at or the officers that encountered him,” Kelly said.
The shootout began at approximately 11:41 a.m. EDT on Tuesday – four minutes after Columbia police received reports of “a man with a gun firing shots into the air as he walked along (the) Stoneridge, Greystone Boulevard area” just west of downtown Columbia.
Richland County sheriff’s department deputies arrived on the scene of the shooting “almost at the same time we did,” Kelly said.
Immediately upon arrival, they were greeted by gunfire …
“Officers returned fire and he fled the area,” Kelly said, referring to the suspect – who was reportedly armed with a “handgun.”
Sheriff’s deputies encountered the suspect in a nearby tree line. He was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
The suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the torso, which Kelly described as a “non-life-threatening” injury. Meanwhile, one law enforcement officer was injured during the shootout. Thankfully, no other injuries were reported in connection with the incident – however several law enforcement vehicles were struck by bullets.
“One of our investigators’ cars was actually hit by the suspect as he shot at them,” Richland County sheriff Leon Lott told reporters.
Kelly said his agency “had a police car which was shot multiple times as well.”
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Both law enforcement leaders touted the swift, coordinated response of their respective agencies.
“We were able to contain the scene very quickly,” Lott said, praising the collaborative work of his deputies and Columbia police officers. “Teamwork. This is why we train together.”
Agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) were requested by the city of Columbia to investigate the shooting. SLED investigates officer-involved shootings as a matter of protocol in the vast majority of local law enforcement jurisdictions in the Palmetto State – presenting independent, investigative reports to the solicitor with jurisdiction over the county or municipality where the shooting transpired.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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2 comments
Greystone isn’t downtown.
Hey cut em a break! This is The Island Packet, Western Bureau. They aren’t familiar with Columbia geographical features on a grand scale.
:-D