COLUMBIA, S.C. — On three separate occasions, Richland County deputies have been notified of people having been drugged at a local bar.
Sheriff Leon Lott is warning Columbia college students about the incidents at TLC Sports Bar and Grill on Stadium Road, also known as "The Loose Cockaboose."
“It’s happened three times now, and so again, that should be a warning to people," said Lott. “Its basically a college bar. USC students are probably the main ones to go there, and we’ve had three incents now that we’ve had three females that have been drugged without their knowledge, so its something I’m concerned about, the community should be concerned about.”
Lott tells News 19 that deputies are currently running tests and looking at video footage to try to piece together how this happened.
The incidents took place on September 13th, October 31st and November 1st.
Dr. William Richardson is an emergency medicine physician with Prisma Health.
“So if you’re drinking alcohol, ethanol, and all of a sudden you’re having more issues with memory or coordination or maybe you’ve only had one drink but you think you’re very intoxicated or feeling a lot more than you expect, then that’s kind of when you would be suspicious that something like this had happened because the symptoms are very similar to even alcohol," said Richardson. "It can be mild dizziness, confusion but often more memory loss or an exaggerated response where someone feels they might be very intoxicated and maybe they’ve only had one drink.”
Richardson adds that bar goers need to pay attention to their drinks.
“When you’re at a bar, you’re at a restaurant, you need to be really careful where your drinks are coming from and who you’re around, that you know the people and trust the people that you’re around, you’re not getting drinks from strangers and you’re not sitting your drink on the end of the bar walking away and coming back," Richardson said. "This is something that quite often can be prevented if you are careful with those sorts of approaches when you’re out at restaurants and bars.”
Sheriff Lott warns the public that this could have been a lot worse.
“We’ve being lucky so far, but it can be worse," said Lott. "These things happen for a reason. Somebody puts the drug in somebody’s drink, and then usually someone ends up being sexually assaulted, that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
News19 reached out to TLC Sports Bar and Grill for a comment but none was made.
The investigation is still ongoing.