A Columbia Police Department officer died and another was injured after exchanging fire with a suspect at a park on Saturday morning. (FOX 9)
A South Carolina police officer was killed and another officer was injured after what was described as a gunfight between them and a suspect who also died in the confrontation, Columbia Police Department Chief W.H. "Skip" Holbrook said.
Big picture view:
The fallen officer, who was identified as Christopher DeLong, 29, had been with the Columbia Police Department for two years and leaves behind a wife and two young children, a visibly choked-up Holbrook said during a news conference. He added, "Our hearts are broken this evening."
DeLong’s wife paid tribute to her husband in a post that described him as the "best dad to our babies" and said that she was "living a nightmare."
What they're saying:
"I hope that our officers know that they’re not alone in this. We will lean on each other in this tragic time," Holbrook said. "Let’s pray for this department."
When the news conference ended, Holbrook and other officers joined in the procession from the hospital. The chief said the wounded officer, David Dymock, was still in the hospital, but his condition had been stabilized.
Timeline:
The events that led to the Saturday morning gun battle at a Columbia park began around 9:30 a.m. when a woman called police to report that a man who she had a restraining order against was outside her home and destroying her property. The man left before DeLong arrived, but the woman gave the officer a description of him and his vehicle.
About an hour later and just minutes after leaving the woman’s home, DeLong reported a suspicious person near a vehicle that matched the woman’s description. Holbrook explained that Dymock arrived as backup and, just minutes later, he radioed that officers "were hit and the suspect was down."
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The other side:
Holbrook identified the suspect who died in the exchange as Adam Tyler Dowdy and pointed out his lengthy criminal record. Dowdy, 33, has been arrested in at least four states and accused of crimes including disorderly conduct, public intoxication, contempt of court, and possession of a controlled substance, according to the chief.
What's next:
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division will take over the investigation into the shooting, Holbrook noted. A spokesperson for the agency said its investigation is ongoing.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.