COLUMBIA, S.C. — A suspect has been arrested in connection to a foot chase that lead to the death of a Richland County Sheriff's Department (RCSD) K9 officer Wick on June 20.
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 2, Thomas Taylor, 44, was located in an apartment at North Pointe Estates, in the 100 block of Ripplemeyer Avenue between Two Notch and Farrow Roads. Taylor was taken into custody by RCSD's Fugitive Task Force.
He has been charged with Burglary 1st, Grand Larceny, and Failure to Stop for Blue Lights.
The search for Taylor began after an incident on June 19 when he allegedly stole a van from the 1600 block of Ogden Street. Early the next morning, the van was spotted near the same area by law enforcement. When Richland County deputies attempted to pull the vehicle over, the driver didn't stop. A pursuit began that went down Decker Boulevard and eventually onto Interstate 77. Officers used stop sticks to slow the vehicle down, and the driver pulled over near mile marker two.
After exiting the vehicle, the driver, now identified as Taylor, lead K9 Wick and his handler K9 Specialist Zaid Abdullah on a foot chase along I-77. The leash work by K9 Wick broke and Wick chased Taylor into traffic where the K9 was hit by oncoming traffic.
K9 Wick's funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Riverland Hills Baptist Church, following a procession from 200 State Street in West Columbia to the church at 201 Lake Murray Blvd., in Irmo.