COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia Police Department says they received a disturbance call around 8 pm to the Department of Social Services (DSS) office on Two Notch Road.
The department says seven teens, male and female, aged 13-17 were arrested for attacking staff members.
“It’s shocking, it’s really shocking, it's disturbing,” says James Pearson a resident in the neighborhood.
He lives just feet away from where the facility is located.
“When I was heading to work I seen it, There were plenty of sheriff’s and city cops, it was plenty, it was a lot,” he adds.
After hearing what happened Pearson says he's growing concerned about his community of mostly seniors, especially now that the DSS office neighbors “The Haven” a new senior living facility that's under constriction and expected to bring 150 seniors to the area.
“I would love to see a little bit more patrol, I really would especially at night if these kids are out here at night,” he adds.
We reached out to DSS for an interview, and they declined but provided us with a response saying, “There was an altercation at the Richland County DSS office… Tuesday evening that involved seven older teenagers in foster care. Five of the teens did have a foster care placement identified by DSS but refused to go to the placement. This event is under further investigation by the agency.”
Adding, “Thankfully, it appears none of the teens involved were injured and the DSS professionals present during the incident were not seriously injured. DSS will continue its work with these teens, in collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice and other community partners, and will make appropriate resources available for staff that were impacted,".
Pearson and other residents are concerned.
“That young to be so violent, you know that's very young, ” Pearson adds.
“When I first heard about it, It really shocked me, because you know young kids, they got to understand that you don't go to do it in violence," Alphonza Dozier, Columbia resident says.
DSS added in its response, "DSS and its counterparts in other states have seen an increasing number of older youths enter foster care since the pandemic with escalated challenges and needs that can sometimes manifest in the difficult behaviors seen during the incident last night,".
The teens are facing various assault resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges according to police.