Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook announces that the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have completed a thorough investigation of the April officer-involved shooting and have determined that the officer acted in self-defense in the line of duty and therefore have declined prosecution. At the request of Chief Holbrook, SLED has been investigating the incident that occurred on April 8, 2020 on Monticello Road in the area of the Keenan Terrace and Seminary Ridge neighborhoods.
For a recap of the incident, please review two previous news releases: https://columbiapd.net/2020/04/08/officer-involved-shooting-investigation-2/
Officer Kevin Davis began his law enforcement career with the Columbia Police Department (CPD) in September 2015 after being a college intern. In 2018, he was assigned to North Region’s Community Response Team (CRT).
Officer Davis remains on administrative duty with pay, pending the outcome of CPD’s administrative internal review of the incident to determine if policies or procedures were violated.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Joshua Ruffin. While the independent investigation determined the officer acted in self-defense, each of us at the Columbia Police Department understands the tremendous loss the Ruffin family has experienced. The Columbia Police Department recognizes and respects the value and sanctity of each human life and works tirelessly to protect and serve our communities.” said Chief Holbrook.
CPD provided the media with a copy of the officer’s body-worn camera video following the news conference.