Columbia Police Chief W. H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces that a police officer has been released from a hospital after an overnight officer involved shooting. Meanwhile, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been requested to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Shortly before 3:00 a.m., an officer who was on patrol in the Broad River Road area, initiated a traffic stop on a Dodge SUV at the Food Lion parking lot located at 1013 Broad River Road.
An additional CPD officer who was in the area, along with a Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputy provided back up to the initiating officer.
After a check of the driver’s name and vehicle information, officers confirmed that the driver, identified as 29-year-old Sir Brandon Legette (DOB: 7-25-1990) was driving under suspension and had two outstanding CPD warrants stemming from an August 8, 2019 burglary.
After initial contact, Legette is accused of ignoring repeated commands from the officers to get out of the vehicle. As the initiating officer attempted to remove Legette from the vehicle, the suspect is accused of accelerating away with the officer partially inside of the vehicle.
As a result, the officer was dragged several hundred feet around the parking lot, while attempting to get Legette to stop the vehicle. Moments later, the vehicle careened down an embankment at the back of the store, with the officer still struggling with Legette.
During the struggle, the officer fired his department-issued weapon striking suspect Legette in the head causing a serious injury.
Back-up officers traversed down the embankment, securing Legette and rendering aid to both Legette and the officer.
Again, the officer received non-life threatening injuries and was treated at a local hospital and released a short time ago. Suspect Legette remains at the hospital under law enforcement guard.
During a search of the suspect’s vehicle, officers recovered a firearm that had been reported stolen from another jurisdiction in South Carolina.
Also at the time of this incident, Legette was on bond for an unrelated 2018 charge of Domestic Violence of a High and Aggravated Nature and Unlawful Neglect of a Child. During a court hearing for those charges, a judge set a $25,000 surety bond.
SLED is conducting the officer involved shooting investigation. CPD is conducting a concurrent criminal investigation of potential crimes committed by Legette during the traffic stop. CPD’s Office of Professional Standards, Internal Affairs Unit will also complete an administrative review of the incident.
The involved officer will be on administrative duty with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.