Marijuana, narcotics, a machine gun. SC teen ran from cops, jailed, police say

A South Carolina teen was arrested after running from deputies during a traffic stop, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced.

Deputies saw a Nissan Altima driving in the area of Brookland Circle in north Columbia around 1 a.m. on Tuesday and initiated a traffic stop for lighting violations, according to the sheriff’s department.

The vehicle’s passenger then fled on foot, reaching for items in his waistband and throwing them as he ran. He was eventually caught and detained, officials said. The driver of the car was detained, but did not incur any charges.

A K9 unit arrived on the scene and found an orange pill bottle with over 10 pink and purple pills and a gun, which were thrown by the teen while he fled, the sheriff’s department said. The gun had an extended magazine and was modified with a Glock “switch,” which turned the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun.

Deputies also found small baggies of narcotics.

The teen, who was not identified by the sheriff’s department, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a schedule 1 narcotic, possession of a machine gun and possession of firearm under the age of 18.

He was taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.

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.