Deputies involved in shootout with barricaded man in Northeast Columbia identified
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The deputies involved in a shootout with a barricaded man in Northeast Columbia have been identified.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) said the nine deputies along with their time in service are:
Deputy Tony Jeon – 1 year
Master Deputy Jamal Christian – 3 years
Master Deputy Charles Freeman – 4 years
Sergeant Peter Hart – 10 years
Sergeant Christopher Blanding – 8 years
Investigator Joshua Grant – 4 years
Investigator David Pitts – 9 years
Master Deputy Cody Sox – 8 years
Master Deputy Jacob Murphy – 8 years
The shooting happened inside a home on Leaside Drive, which is off Two Notch Road, around 8:55 a.m. Monday.
According to RCSD, a power company employee came to the home to do work when a man — who was home alone — went outside, pointed a gun at her, and told her to get off his property.
RCSD said Jeong, Christian and Freeman were the first deputies to respond to the scene and the man “almost immediately fired several shots” at them.
Officials added the deputies — who were not hurt — held their position and requested back-up, with several more deputies, crisis negotiators, and members of the Special Response Team (SRT) arriving a “short time later.”
After negotiations were unsuccessful, RCSD stated SRT went up to the home and tried to communicate with the man, who then exited the home and began shooting at deputies again. RCSD said the deputies returned fire this time.
Deputies said the man was taken to the hospital by EMS where he was pronounced dead.
RCSD identified the officers who shot their weapons as Hart, Blanding, Grant, Pitts, Sox and Murphy. None of them were hurt.
“It’s always a sad day when you have to take a life but this man made the decision when he shot at our deputies,” Sheriff Leon Lott said. “This situation could have been much worse and I’m thankful no one else was hurt.”
After the shooting, deputies said they found discovered electronic devices that had been taken apart and cleared the area out of “an abundance of caution” during their investigation.
RCSD is still investigating the shooting and said it will be turned over to the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office for review.
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Source: WIS News 10
