Three charged in Richland County shoplifting, crash that injured deputy
Richland County, SC October 16 2018— Richland County deputies say three men have now been charged after an off-duty deputy’s patrol car was struck Saturday night in northeast Columbia.
Deputies said the incident happened just after 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Deputies were patrolling the Village at Sandhill when they spotted a suspicious vehicle without a license plate sitting in front of a department store. A deputy then attempted to stop the vehicle.
About a half of a mile down the road, deputies say the suspicious vehicle struck another vehicle, which then struck an off-duty deputy’s patrol car.
On Sunday afternoon, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced three arrests related to the incident:
Jonathan Branham, 22, is charged with shoplifting and failure to stop for blue lights.
Christopher Reeder, 20, is charged with shoplifting and simple possession of marijuana.
Jonah Furqan, 26, is charged with simple possession of marijuana.
Deputies say two of the suspects were transported to the hospital after an airbag deployed in the vehicle they were in. One suspect remains in the hospital for injuries sustained during the accident, according to officials.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Lieutenant Stacey Davis was injured in the accident and is recovering. Lt. Davis is a part of Region 8, which covers Eastover, Gadsden, and Hopkins.
In September, Sheriff Leon Lott announced that the Village at Sandhill agreed to hire deputies to work security on Friday and Saturday nights to address a growing problem of teens hanging out after curfew.
WLTX
