IRMO — The Irmo Police Department has joined a new regional effort aimed at strengthening mental health support for officers through the “aRe yoU OK?” (R U OK) Initiative. The program is a collaboration between The Haven SC and local law enforcement agencies, including the West Columbia Police Department andContinue Reading
LEXINGTON COUNTY — An Orangeburg man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison following his conviction in a 2022 shooting outside a Harbison Boulevard restaurant. Brandon Rashad Benjamin, 34, was convicted April 3 of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Circuit Court Judge ShawnContinue Reading
LEXINGTON COUNTY — A Columbia man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting two deputies during a 2020 domestic violence incident. Albertus David Lewis, 33, entered a guilty plea March 30 to two counts of attempted murder in Lexington County. Circuit Court Judge DebraContinue Reading
On March 28, Columbia’s annual Fire Truck Pull raised approximately $50,000 to support pediatric cancer research. The event was organized by Curing Kids Cancer, a national nonprofit dedicated to funding cures for childhood cancer. The Columbia-Richland Fire Department provided fire engines and personnel for the event, which featured 27 competingContinue Reading
LEXINGTON, S.C. – A Columbia man has been charged with murder following a fatal shooting Saturday afternoon. Latif Shi’Yon Elijah Ross, 23, is charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a weapon by a person prohibited, according to arrest warrants. “Deputies were dispatchedContinue Reading
LEXINGTON, S.C. – Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies have arrested a woman accused of stealing and damaging multiple vehicles at a used car dealership. Da’Niyah Shanesse Fulks, 20, is charged with three counts of grand larceny, two counts of breaking into motor vehicles, and one count each of malicious injuryContinue Reading
Three real incidents demonstrate how RCSD deputies made split-second decisions to save lives — moments the public rarely sees By W. Thomas Smith Jr. [EDITORIAL NOTE: A version of this story appeared in the April 3, 2026 edition of POLICE1.] In my near-10 years with the Richland County Sheriff’s DepartmentContinue Reading
Willis Bowers is the Quiet Hero Beneath the Surface By Tom Mullikin In South Carolina, drowning is not a rare tragedy. It is unfortunately a persistent, but preventable one. Each year, lives are lost in our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, often in silence and often in communities where accessContinue Reading
Members of the Irmo Fire District and the greater community recently gathered to honor and celebrate the life of former Fire Chief George Edward “Ed” Flowers, who passed away Tuesday, March 10. Flowers dedicated much of his life to public service, beginning his career with the Irmo Fire District inContinue Reading
Laclarence Lamarcus Anderson, 43, of Columbia, has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison following a jury trial where Anderson was convicted of 12 counts of drug and gun offenses. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Anderson sold 10 firearms and quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, andContinue Reading
From Washington state, New York, and South Carolina to Belgrade: Crime Stoppers Global Solutions meets with Serbian officials to discuss existing and future threats to children worldwide By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Crime Stoppers Global Solutions (CSGS), the international iteration of Crime Stoppers here in the U.S., met via Zoom,Continue Reading