- The Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced in a press conference that it arrested a 13-year-old and 16-year-old — whose names were not released due to their ages — along with a 17-year-old, identified by police as Damian Brown, who would be tried in court as an adult in connection with a shooting in South Carolina that left a police K9 dog dead last month
- Police said their K9, named Bumi, died on Monday, Dec. 23, after being sent out on a mission with his handler, Ware, to track suspects that “fled from a stolen vehicle.” During the mission, “shots rang out” and Bumi was “struck multiple times and killed”
- “[We’ve] just got too many young people that are just running the streets at all time of the night, going into cars, stealing cars, getting into chases — just continuously breaking the law. And the question I get asked a lot is: ‘Where are the parents?’ ” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said
Three teenagers and a mother have been charged in connection with a shooting in South Carolina that left a police K9 dog dead last month.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced in a press conference that it arrested a 13-year-old and 16-year-old — whose names were not released due to their ages — along with a 17-year-old, identified by police as Damian Brown, who would be tried in court as an adult.
The 13-year-old’s mother, 34-year-old Shameka Williams was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of a felony, according to footage of a press conference obtained by WIS-TV.
“[We’ve] just got too many young people that are just running the streets at all time of the night, going into cars, stealing cars, getting into chases — just continuously breaking the law. And the question I get asked a lot is: ‘Where are the parents?’ ” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said.
“Unfortunately what … we’ve seen too much is that we just have someone who just [doesn’t] care,” he continued. “And if they’re not going to hold their kids accountable, the young people accountable, then we will hold these parents accountable.”
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident.
Police said their K9, Bumi, died on Monday, Dec. 23, after being sent out on a mission with his handler, Ware, to track suspects that “fled from a stolen vehicle.” During the mission, “shots rang out” and Bumi was “struck multiple times and killed.”
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In an initial press conference the day of the shooting, Lott revealed that the suspects that shot at police were teenagers and described the shots as “very fatal.” He said officers took Bumi to the vet “to see what we could do”, but the canine was eventually pronounced dead and two bullets were recovered from “inside his chest.”
“Bumi did have a vest on, a ballistic vest, but it doesn’t cover up underneath,” Lott said during a Dec. 30 press conference. “There’s a certain spot and unfortunately that’s where the 13-year-old shot him, was there.”
Lott said the 13-year-old pleaded guilty in family court to killing a police dog, assault and battery in the first degree — in relation to shooting at police — and possession of a weapon under the age of 18, among other charges. The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to obstruction.
As for Brown, he was denied bond and charged with grand larceny, accessory before the fact, possession of a weapon under the age of 18 and unlawful carry, among other charges, according to police.
Following Bumi’s death, police shared a video of his funeral, which included a police car procession and a special tribute from officers, including the K9’s handler, Ware. The canine’s body could be seen covered with an American flag signifying his death in the line of duty.
“K-9 Bumi and his handler K-9 Specialist Ware had a bond like no other. We will miss you K-9 Bumi, you will never be forgotten,” the department captioned the video.
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