SC officer kills man at nuisance club outside Columbia. Here’s what to know
A Forest Acres police officer fatally shot a man early Sunday outside a Richland County nightclub the sheriff has long sought to shut down. Sheriff Leon Lott said the driver nearly struck a security guard and others in the packed parking lot before the officer opened fire.
FULL STORY: SC police officer kills man outside nuisance club, Richland County sheriff says
Here are key takeaways:
- The shooting happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday at Relapse Bar & Grill at 5024 Two Notch Road in the Forest Acres area of Columbia. The man killed has not been publicly identified by the Richland County Coroner’s Office.
- Cpl. Daniel Haddad of the Forest Acres Police Department fired after a driver moving erratically nearly hit his patrol vehicle, ignored commands to stop and accelerated toward a security guard and others in the lot, Sheriff Leon Lott said.
- Haddad, with the department since July 2021, was placed on administrative leave. Police Chief Don Robinson said it was the first deadly shooting involving a Forest Acres officer in decades.
- The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating through its critical incident team, which is reviewing body cam, dash cam and private camera footage. Findings will go to the 5th Circuit solicitor’s office.
- Deputies have responded to Relapse 64 times since November 2025 for issues including loud noise, assaults, fights, robberies and vehicle break-ins, Lott said.
- Lott said he plans to pursue closing the club, criticizing operators for staying open after the shooting. A social media post from a club representative offered condolences but said the situation “could have been handled differently.”
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
Noah Feit
The State