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News Release: UPDATE: Arrest Made in Percival Road Shooting
01/08/2026 Sheriff Leon Lott announces the arrest of Daquan Wilson (DOB: 4/22/97) in connection with a shooting that occurred on January 7, 2026, at the 300 block of Percival Road. On January 7, 2026, around 12:30pm, deputies responded to the 1000 block of North Kings Street in reference to a gunshot victim. Upon arrival, deputies located the victim, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body. The victim was transported by EMS to a local hospital with non-life threate
Jan 81 min read


News Release: Man Arrested for Aggravated Voyeurism
1/8/2026 Sheriff Leon Lott announces the arrest of Michael Liggett (72) in connection with voyeurism - secretly photographing victims without their knowledge. On December 25, 2025, deputies at RCSD Headquarters received a telephone report from one of Liggett’s family members that explicit photos had been found on Liggett’s cellphone. The complainant also stated they found a hidden camera inside Liggett’s home in Richland County. RCSD investigators obtained a search warrant fo
Jan 81 min read


News Release: Deputy Struck at Construction Site on Interstate
01/07/2026 On January 5, 2026, around 11:15pm, a Richland County deputy in his patrol vehicle was hit by another driver while working extra duty at a road construction site on I-126 West near the entrance ramp from Colonial Life Boulevard. The deputy, Jordan Knight, was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and subsequently released; the suspect driver, David Dudley (64) declined EMS. The construction crew was unharmed. “We are very fortunate that our deputy is okay
Jan 71 min read


News Release: 2025 Year End Round Up
01/07/26 Sheriff Leon Lott announced that the safety and security of Richland County citizens remain the department’s top priority. In 2025, Richland County experienced a decrease in murders, with 100 percent of murders solved for three years in a row. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department made 37 arrests for murder with numerous additional arrests on related charges. Murders declined slightly, with 26 cases in 2025 compared to 27 in 2024. From the very beginning of each m
Jan 72 min read


News Release: Active Scene at 300 block of Percival Road
01/07/2026 There is an active incident at 313 Percival Road (Spring Garden Apartments). Deputies responded to the area of North Kings and North Trenholm in reference to a shooting victim on scene. Once deputies arrived and made contact with the victim, who had suffered a gunshot wound, deputies learned the shooting had occurred at 313 Percival Road (Spring Garden Apartments). The victim was transported by EMS to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Deputies re
Jan 71 min read


News Release -UPDATE: Percival Road Open
01/07/2026 Deputies at 313 Percival Road are clearing the scene. Percival Road is re-opened to the public. At this time, there is no active threat to the public. No arrests have been made yet. This is an active investigation.
Jan 71 min read


News Release: Video Surveillance from Alcott Drive Shooting
01/06/2026 RCSD is requesting the community’s assistance in identifying three suspects wanted in connection to a shooting that occurred on January 3, 2026, around 5:45 PM at the 500 block of Alcott Drive. One 24-year-old was struck by gunfire and survived. In the following video, the muzzle flashes of the shooters can be seen in the top right of the screen. At the bottom of the screen is an elementary-aged child that hears the shots and runs for his life. The breezeway the ch
Jan 61 min read


News Release: Woman Arrested After Disturbance in Publix
01/06/26 Sheriff Leon Lott announces the arrest of Cardesha Gilmore (35) after causing a disturbance at a Publix grocery store on Sunday afternoon. On January 4, 2026, at approximately 1:05 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a call for a disturbance at the Publix grocery store located at 4611 Hardscrabble Rd. Deputies learned that the suspect was refusing to leave the store at the direction of store employees and had urinated openly in the front of the store. When deputies arr
Jan 62 min read


News Release: Home invasion leads to Shooting
01/04/2026 Sheriff Leon Lott announces the arrest of Antoine Mobley (45) in an over night incident that led to an officer discharging his firearm. On January 3, 2025, at approximately 9:00 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the 10 block of King Arthur Ct for a home invasion. On arrival, Deputies learned the suspect had fled; K9 deputies began to track the suspect, during this time the suspect was identified. It was discovered he was out bond had an ankle monitor. Deputies loca
Jan 42 min read


NEWS RELEASE: One injured in shooting on Alcott Drive
1/3/26 The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a shooting leaving one injured on Alcott Dr. On January 3, 2026, at approximately 5:40 p.m. deputies responded to a report of gunshots in the 500 block of Alcott Dr. When deputies arrived at the scene, they located a male with a gunshot wound to the lower body. Deputies rendered aid until EMS arrived and transported him to a local hospital. This investigation is ongoing. If anyone has information about this inci
Jan 31 min read


Richland County Sheriff’s Department now has an official prayer
December 19th, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Inspired by a century-old Texas Rangers’ prayer, W. Thomas Smith Jr. crafted a modern invocation for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, reflecting faith, courage and service in 2025 Recently when Columbia, South Carolina writer W. Thomas Smith Jr. was reading a few books about the history of the famed Texas Rangers, he came across the Texas Rangers’ Prayer, composed in the early 20th century (no specific date recorded) by the
Dec 19, 20252 min read


Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies ring bells for the Salvation Army
December 9th, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department raised over $1,800 in a single day this year FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) were out in force ringing the bells for the Salvation Army from 10:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. at the northeast Columbia location of Walmart, Thursday, Dec. 4: Sheriff Lott’s shift, which also included deputies regularly fea
Dec 9, 20252 min read


The evolution of an RCSD captain
November 24, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Larry Payne’s life’s work is reflected in his three decades of service to Richland County In January 2018, then-Lieutenant Larry Payne was one of three Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) deputies featured in a national POLICE1 article which examined the department’s unique and first-of-its-kind pre-PTSD conditioning programs: A period of pre-post-traumatic stress disorder counseling and training which all of RCSD’s newly hire
Nov 24, 20253 min read


Bonding, earning trust, and building self-esteem in kids
November 20, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Pictured are students with RCSD deputies and law enforcement officers from other agencies at Ballentine Elementary School. High Five Fridays have become an exciting beginning to the last day of each week For years (during the schoolyear) one of the most enthusiastically anticipated end-of-week interactions between schoolkids and deputies has been HIGH FIVE FRIDAYS (H5F), a Friday morning period when deputies meet and greet elementary
Nov 20, 20254 min read


S.C. Sheriff’s Department demonstrates support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 29, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Sheriff Leon Lott and RCSD employees are pictured wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Oct. 29, 2025. Photograph of Richland County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina becomes PHOTO OF THE WEEK in top national law enforcement publication Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott (on the far right wearing a pink shirt with sheriff’s stars on his collar) was photographed with a group of his Richland County Sheriff’s Depar
Oct 29, 20252 min read


Deputy presented retirement credentials at age 92
October 22, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Pictured (L-R) are Sgt. 1st Class James A. Lawson, Lt. Ricky Griddine, Deputy Chief Maria Yturria, Sheriff Leon Lott, and retired Deputy James Taylor. Sheriff Lott honors retired Deputy and Vietnam veteran James L. Taylor Sr. Mr. James L. Taylor, Sr., a 92-year-old retired deputy sheriff with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) was presented his retirement credentials, during a special ceremony at the RCSD headquarters, Tue
Oct 22, 20253 min read


Three missions before sunrise: Inside Richland County’s Special Response Team
October 16, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Before most of Columbia was awake, Richland County’s tactical operators had already hit three targets, seized weapons and drugs, and regrouped before breakfast. RCSD Special Response Team Operators are seen here during a final briefing at a staging area prior to launching the first raid of the morning, Sept. 5. Hours before sunrise on September 5, 2025, 10 black Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) SUVs — some marked, most unmar
Oct 15, 20255 min read


Richland County Deputies win softball tournament title
October 13, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) defeated both the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division(SLED) and the Columbia Police Department (CPD) in a double-elimination softball tournament which raised funds for local nonprofit SERVE & CONNECT, Sunday, Oct. 5,at Segra Park in Columbia. Participating teams included RCSD, SLED, CPD, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, and
Oct 13, 20252 min read


Richland County Sheriff addresses Spring Valley Rotary Club
October 12, 2025 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Lott says his Richland County Sheriff’s Department has changed the public narrative through new and emerging technologies as well as RCSD’s “peace officer” branding Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott addressed members of the Spring Valley Rotary Club at Columbia’s Northeast Presbyterian Church, Thursday, Oct. 9: The primary focuses of his remarks being how the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) has changed the narrative from hi
Oct 11, 20253 min read


RCSD School Resource Officer receives Servant Leadership award
Richland County Deputy among five first-responders to be honored on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
Sep 11, 20253 min read
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