Columbia police officer fired after sheriff’s department charges him with choking woman

The Columbia Police Department fired an officer after he was charged Saturday with a domestic violence crime in Richland County.

Around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Richland County sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic incident at apartments located at 131 Roper Pond in Columbia, where they talked to a man and a woman who were residents.

An investigation found that the man, 30-year-old Columbia police officer Efrain Galdamez, attempted to choke the woman following a verbal altercation, the sheriff’s department said. The assault left minor injuries around her neck.

Galdamez faces a charge of domestic violence in the third degree, a misdemeanor. He was transported to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The sheriff’s department did not indicate whether he was on or off duty at the time of the incident.

According to the Columbia Police Department, Galdamez had been employed there since January 2023. He was fired following the incident.

The Columbia Police Department otherwise declined to comment.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.