Ground search continues for armed suspect after robbery, car crash at Forest Acres bank

Four schools in the Forest Acres area were on lockdown while police investigated an armed robbery and multi-car crash that shut down part of Forest Drive and searched for an armed suspect who remains on the loose.

Two armed people, a man and a woman, entered the S.C. Federal Credit Union on Forest Drive on Tuesday morning, said Chief Marion Sealy of the Forest Acres Police Department.

The man was identified as Samuel Levone Neathery Ton uesday night in a news release from Forest Acres police, which said a ground search is continuing.

The suspects tried to leave the bank parking lot when police arrived but crashed their gold Toyota sedan when an officer fired at the vehicle, hitting the female suspect, Sealy said. That caused the car to crash into three other vehicles.

Neathery exited the car and ran back into the bank, Sealy said. Police believed it was a hostage situation; however, they learned Neathery ran out a back door and remains on the loose in the area.

The 29-year-old Neathery was described by Forest Acres Police as 5-foot-8, 170-pound white male with a goatee.

“Our main aim is, we have to catch him,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. “We don’t believe he has any connections in the area.”

A State Law Enforcement Division helicopter, Richland County plane and K-9 teams assisted in the search for Neathery, who should be considered armed and dangerous, Sealy said. Some area residents have already called police to report a suspicious man they saw in their yards.

Several blocks of Forest Drive remained closed for hours after the incident.

Lott, whose tactical team is assisting, urged residents to call 911 if they see anything or anyone suspicious.

“Nothing’s too big or too small,” he said.

The female suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment, Sealy said. Her condition was not available. Police recovered money the woman had.

Sealy said the female suspect will be identified when she is taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and charged, according to a news release. Sealy said the female suspect could be taken to the Richland County jail by Wednesday morning.

The car used by the suspects has a Georgia tag.

Four schools in that area were placed on full lockdown: Satchel Ford Elementary, Brockman Elementary, Bradley Elementary and Crayton Middle, according to Richland School District One spokeswoman Karen York.

“Our security folks are in communication with law enforcement and monitoring the situation,” York said.

At dismissal, students who ride the bus or walk home were initially held at their schools, York said. Car riders were released to go home. A.C. Flora High School students were also not allowed to take the bus or walk home even though the school was not shut down because of the incident.

At about 3 p.m., the district allowed buses to bring students home after consulting with law enforcement, York said. The schools were allowed to continue with normal dismissal.

Katie Ballard works at another business near the bank and heard the “bang” of the car crash.

“By the time we got to the window, officers had her on the ground,” she told The State. “Then two officers had guns on the doors” of the bank.

They later saw a female officer holding pressure to the gunshot wound on the female victim, Ballard said.

“We hear (car) accidents all the time,” she said. “But this one was a big bang. We heard two gunshots.”

Robert Epps also works nearby and said they’re used to hearing the sound of trucks backfire on the busy Forest Drive. The gunshots that preceded Tuesday’s crash sounded different, though.

“That’s when I looked out the window and (said), ‘That’s not a truck; that’s somebody shooting at someone,” Epps said.

Other businesses around the bank were on lockdown. Forest Drive was closed from Laureate Drive to Trenholm Road. The sidewalk on the side of Forest Drive where the bank is located is closed to pedestrian traffic; however, pedestrians can still use the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

SLED spokesman Thom Berry said their agency will investigate the officer-involved shooting portion of the incident.

This is the second armed bank robbery in Forest Acres in just over two months. The day after Thanksgiving, two armed suspects robbed the Capital Bank in Trenholm Plaza on Forest Drive just down from where Tuesday’s robbery happened. No injuries or arrests were reported in that robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 803-782-9444 or Crimestoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

This story was originally published February 5, 2019 at 11:30 AM.