Columbia officers, DJJ staffers suspended after arrested teen brings gun into jail
An arrested 13-year-old was able to bring a gun into the jail after at least two Columbia police officers and Department of Juvenile Justice staffers missed the gun during searches, according to authorities.
The Columbia Police Department said it suspended the officers who missed the gun and that they are being required to redo training on arrests and searches.
“This incident represents an egregious failure on many levels, including a violation of policy and procedure,” the police department said in a statement. “This lack of a thorough search is unacceptable and risked public and officer safety.”
WLTX first reported on the incident.
The teenager was arrested Wednesday night after he pointed a gun inside Columbiana Centre mall, according to police. Police also arrested 40-year-old La’Kenyatta Moore-Rhodes. Police said that after reviewing surveillance video, investigators discovered that Moore-Rhodes initially had the gun and gave it to the teen.
When officers initially detained the teenager, he ran, the police department said. After officers caught the teenager, they searched him and found a 9 mm handgun. But they missed a second gun the teenager was concealing, according to the police department.
Officers took the teenager to a DJJ facility to jail him. There, DJJ staffers “patted down” the teenager, agency Director Eden Hendrick said in a statement. The teenager was “showered, and dressed in facility clothes.”
The gun again went undetected, according to the agencies.
At some point, DJJ staffers were told that the teenager was in possession of a loaded gun. Staff was able to safely get the gun from the teenager.
“This entire series of events was preventable,” Hendricks said, noting that jailing processing is being reviewed for fixes and that all staff will be retrained on searching and jailing people brought into DJJ facilities. “The safety and security of our staff and youth is our highest priority.”
The unnamed staffers who missed the gun are suspended and the incident is being investigated. The Columbia Police Department has also opened an internal investigation into the matter.
Police charged the teenager with unlawful gun possession by a minor, unlawful carrying of a gun and pointing and presenting a gun. Moore-Rhodes was charged with unlawful carrying, pointing and presenting a gun and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Moore-Rhodes does not have South Carolina concealed weapons permit, police said.
This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 6:37 PM.