Man who shot at cops while barricaded in hotel goes to prison, SC official says
A South Carolina man who barricaded himself inside a West Columbia hotel before opening fire on law enforcement officers is going to prison, according to the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
On March 27, following a 2-week trial, 36-year-old Charleston resident Jonathan Russell Saylor was convicted by a Lexington County jury on two counts of attempted murder, shooting into a building while occupied, possession of a machine gun and possession of methamphetamine, the solicitor’s office said in a news release.
Judge Shawn Graham sentenced Saylor to 25 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, according to the release.
On March 31, Saylor was taken to Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center, prison records show. That’s on Broad River Road in Columbia.
Under South Carolina law, attempted murder is a violent, most serious, and “no parole” offense, the solicitor’s office said.
Barricaded
The conviction stems from a 2023 incident, according to the release.
On Jan. 17, 2023, officers with the West Columbia Police Department responded to a domestic violence call at the Hilton Inn and Gardens at 110 McSwain Drive, officials said. That’s near the Sunset Boulevard exit on I-26 in Lexington County.
Information about what happened during the domestic violence incident was not available.
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 threatened to shoot them, according to police.
Saylor told the officers that he did not have to leave the room, although it was past check out time, the solicitor’s office said in the release. The hotel manager asked Saylor and his girlfriend leave because of the domestic disturbance, and when the officers tried to get in the room — with the permission of the hotel manager— Saylor racked his AR style machine gun, according to the release.
Open fire
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. Saylor was shooting at the officers and toward an occupied hotel room, the solicitor’s office said.
Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to the hotel, and as one of the SLED agents pulled into the parking lot with his blue lights activated Saylor fired three rounds into the agent’s truck, according to the release. The SLED agent fired back, striking Saylor once in the upper left hip, the solicitor’s office said.
For several hours, SLED crisis negotiators attempted to persuade Saylor to surrender peacefully, according to the release.
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, police said.
Saylor remained barricaded inside the hotel room until 7:10 p.m., when a police dog was released to capture him, the solicitor’s office said. In addition to getting shot, Saylor also was injured by the dog when he was taken into custody, according to police.
When he was arrested, it ended a six-hour standoff, police said.
Evidence and aftermath
During a search of Saylor’s hotel room officers recovered the weapon and 25 spent shell casings that were fired from the gun, the solicitor’s office said in the release. The firearm was classified as a machine gun because of its capability to shoot multiple rounds with one trigger pull, according to the release.
Meth was also located in the room, the solicitor’s office said.
At the end of his trial, two of the officers targeted by Saylor addressed the court during the sentencing phase, according to the release. The officers expressed how this was a life-changing event for them on a personal level and as law enforcement officers, the solicitor’s office said.
In addition to police and SLED, the case was investigated by members of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
Deputy Solicitor Rhonda Patterson and Assistant Solicitor Russell Parker handled the prosecution for the solicitor’s office. Brian Shealey was listed as Saylor’s attorney, Lexington County court records show.
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