Armed robbery investigation leads to shooting, standoff with man in Columbia apartment
An armed man was involved in a standoff with deputies Wednesday after barricading himself inside an apartment, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The incident began at about 11 a.m., when deputies went to 716 Zimalcrest Drive in Columbia in response to a report of a robbery, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. That’s near the junction of Interstate 20 and Interstate 26.
The victim told deputies a man armed with a pistol had stolen a gun from them the night before, according to the release.
While speaking with the victim, deputies learned that the suspect — later identified as 22-year-old Ahkeevius Taylor — was seen inside an apartment, the sheriff’s department said. Deputies made contact with Taylor and the other people inside the apartment, according to the release.
While having the occupants exit the apartment, deputies heard shots fired from inside and saw Taylor retreat inside the apartment, where he was alone when he set up a barricade, the sheriff’s department said.
The deputies called for backup and the Sheriff’s Department’s special response team came and evacuated the surrounding apartments, according to the release. A drone and police dog were also used, as deputies told Taylor to surrender, the sheriff’s department said.
At about 12:30 p.m., the special response team used “distractionary devices,” prompting Taylor to surrender without incident and he was taken into custody, according to the release. Information about what the distractionary devices were was not available.
During a search deputies found two stolen guns, the sheriff’s department said. One of the firearms was the gun that had been stolen from the victim during the Tuesday robbery, while the other was stolen out of Newberry County, according to the release.
Taylor was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where he was charged with strong arm robbery, kidnapping and possession of a stolen firearm, the Sheriff’s Department said. No bond has been set,jail records show.
Taylor is scheduled to appear in court again for these charges on Oct. 25, Richland County judicial records show.
In April 2023, Taylor was charged with multiple crimes, including unlawful carrying of a pistol, but all of those charges were dismissed earlier this year, according to court records.
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