Gunman was shot during hours-long standoff in West Columbia, police say
A Charleston man was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted murder, after he opened fire on law enforcement officers Tuesday during a standoff with police, according to the West Columbia Police Department.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, 34-year-old Russell Saylor was charged with discharging a firearm into a vehicle, two counts of discharging a firearm into a dwelling, three counts of malicious injury to personal property, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, police said Wednesday in a news release.
Saylor shot at officers during a six-hour standoff at a hotel in Lexington County, according to the release.
Saylor was shot in the lower body and was injured by a police dog when he was taken into custody, police said.
The incident at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel at 110 McSwain Drive, near the Sunset Boulevard exit on Interstate 26, began at about 1 p.m., when police responded to a domestic violence call, according to the release.
Officers on the scene spoke with the female involved and continued to the fifth floor to contact Saylor, police said. Saylor shut the door on the officers and told them that he was going to shoot them, according to the release.
Officers trained in crisis negotiations also responded to the scene and tried to de-escalate the situation, but Saylor opened fire and shot through the door and inside the room, police said.
As the barricade standoff continued, Saylor broke through his window to the hotel room overlooking Sunset Boulevard and began firing at approaching law enforcement officers, including members of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, according to the release.
SLED agents returned fire at Saylor, police said.
During the standoff, a police drone as well as SLED’s robots were used for a better view of what was happening in the hotel room, and West Columbia officers took Saylor into custody after making entry at approximately 7:20 p.m., according to the release.
Police did not say if any officers were hurt, but no other injuries were reported.
Saylor was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center and is scheduled to have a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Information about what happened during the domestic violence incident was not available.
In addition to SLED, police said other agencies that assisted during the incident included the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Medical Center Police Department, Cayce Police Department, West Columbia Fire Department, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the Lexington County EMS.
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This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 2:39 PM.
