Tag: Sheriff Leon Lott

Former Deputy Arrested, RCSD Announces Position of Body Cam Reviewer

By News Release, , , ,

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announces the termination and arrest of former deputy sheriff Kyle Oliver, 29, on charges of assault and battery – third degree.

On Monday, Aug. 31, the department’s command staff was notified of an incident that took place on Jan. 7 involving then-deputy Oliver and a suspect who was in custody. After learning of the incident, Sheriff Lott ordered an immediate criminal investigation and a review of the body camera footage.

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department consulted with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which resulted in the issuance of a warrant. On Wednesday, Oliver was arrested and booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.…

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Blythewood Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking Charges

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Brian Leroy Watson/ASGDC

Brian Leroy Watson/ASGDC

A Blythewood man was indicted for forcing or attempting to force several victims — including a minor — into prostitution during a three-year span, authorities announced Thursday.

Brian Leroy Watson, 48, was taken into custody on Thursday by the FBI. He is scheduled to make his first appearance at the federal courthouse in Columbia on Tuesday, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Watson was indicted on attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted sex trafficking and seven counts of sex trafficking.

The indictment alleges Watson forced seven victims into prostitution from May 2016 through November 2019 during different time periods. Also, between January and February 2016, he attempted to force a victim into prostitution, the indictment states. During that same time period, he attempted to prostitute a minor, a teenaged girl, who he advertised on websites, according to the indictment.…

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‘Peace Officer:’ How RCSD Transitioned From Warriors to Guardians

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Deputies with Peace Officer patch

RCSD deputies donning uniforms retrofitted with the new “Peace Officer.”

The next time you see a Richland County deputy, you may notice something different on their uniforms.

To be specific — it’s their patch.

In addition to “Deputy Sheriff,” the patches on the uniforms and vests of the deputies will now say, “Peace Officer.”

On July 2, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced that the department had retrofitted all of the uniforms and vests of deputies with the new patch, culminating an effort to shift the department’s culture that started nearly a decade ago.

The groundbreaking initiative is the result of a partnership with Police2Peace, which started with adding decals to all of the department’s vehicles that read “Peace Officer.”…

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‘Boogaloo’ Agitators of Columbia Riot Arrested

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Joshua Barnard’s property

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced on June 4, 2020, the arrest of the man wearing the blue floral shirt that he sought to identify earlier in the week.

Joshua Barnard — 24 — was arrested on charges of breaking into a motor vehicle, looting, larceny, aggravated breach of peace and instigating a riot for his actions during the protest on Saturday, May 30.

Also, he was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute a schedule I substance. He was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on June 4, 2020.

On June 12, Sheriff Lott announced Barnard had been arrested for a second time in as many weeks. This time, Barnard was charged with 11 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He was booked into the jail the same day.…

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