COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Richland County Sheriff's Department says an hours-long standoff with a barricaded suspect in the St. Andrews area of Columbia has ended peacefully.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Tuesday afternoon that the man, who hasn't been identified publicly by law enforcement, had been removed from a home in the 100 block of Morningside Drive.
Lott said officers used tear gas inside the home and then went inside to get the suspect. He was taken to the hospital to be evaluated and then will be taken to the jail. Lott said he'll be charged with aggravated criminal domestic violence.
The sheriff said the incident began with a domestic incident where the suspect threated a woman at a home there. Lott said shots were fired during the confrontation but no one was injured.
The woman then went to the sheriff's department's region headquarters to report the crime. Deputies said they went to the home and the man inside refused to open the door. They also heard a gunshot but no one was hit by gunfire.
Lott said his officers had been negotiating with the man since 10:30 a.m. to come out of the home. A loudspeaker could be heard in the area asking the man to surrender.
Lott said his Special Response Team was sent to the scene and used a drone and a robot to monitor the situation. During the standoff, the sheriff said the man continued to make threats through online postings and text messages.
Lott said after using the tear gas, officers found the man in the bathroom of the home.
He said some people living in the area were evacuated as a precaution. Residents were asked to shelter in place.
"Everybody's safe....now the neighborhood can get back to normal," Lott said.