Man tried to hit deputy with car after miles-long chase, Richland Co. deputies say

A man faces an attempted murder charge after officials say he led deputies on a miles-long chase and tried to hit one of them with his car early Saturday morning.

It all started when the suspect, 27-year-old Lawrence Bobby Armstrong, ran a traffic light at Assembly Street and Rosewood Drive in downtown Columbia around 1 a.m., according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

When Armstrong refused to stop for deputies, they pursued him for several miles until he crashed on the off-ramp between Interstate 26 and Bush River Road, deputies say.

A deputy exited his car and walked toward Armstrong’s vehicle, deputies say, at which point Armstrong put his car back in drive and attempted to hit the deputy.

Another deputy attempted to block Armstrong, and Armstrong’s vehicle hit the front end of the patrol car, deputies say.

The pursuit resumed until, deputies say, Armstrong fled on foot near Zimalcrest Drive and Bettys Lane. A police dog tracked Armstrong to a house nearby on Friendly Lane, where he was arrested.

Armstrong faces a slew of charges: failure to obey a traffic signal; failure to stop for a blue light; driving with a suspended license; seatbelt violation; hit and run; littering; and attempted murder, according to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he was being held Saturday morning.

This story was originally published March 4, 2017 at 10:14 AM with the headline "Man tried to hit deputy with car after miles-long chase, Richland Co. deputies say."