Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott confirmed that one of the department’s K9s was killed during an early morning police chase with a group of adolescent suspects. A 13-year-old has been charged with the death of K9 Bumi.
Lott spoke Monday afternoon, confirming the loss of K9 Bumi, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois.
The incident began shortly before 2:30 a.m. Monday, when deputies discovered a stolen vehicle in the 7400 block of Parklane Road. Lott said the automobile had been taken in the Columbia area a few hours before.
Lott said deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to pull over, so deputies pursued it for a short distance. At the intersection of Alida Street and Wilkes Road, deputies employed stop sticks, causing the car to crash and come to a stop.
One person in the vehicle, a 16-year-old, was apprehended. Lott said that two others fled. K9 Specialist Alan Ware and K9 Bumi then began hunting the two. According to Lott, Bumi rushed ahead, out of sight of Ware and the other deputies. Moments later, Lott said deputies heard five gunshots and raced toward the noise, where they discovered Bumi.
Lott claimed the dog seemed to have been hit three times, and the sheriff said the rounds passed under the K9’s vest. Lott stated that the dog was transported to the vet and was pronounced dead.
Deputies say they apprehended a 13-year-old without incident at his home at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
The 13-year-old is charged with attempted murder, unlawful killing of a police dog, malicious injury to personal property in excess of $10,000, breach of peace of a serious and aggravated nature, possession of a weapon under the age of 18, unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Lott said the event highlights the persistent issue of violent teenagers committing crimes. Lott said two weeks ago that adolescents shot at his deputies during a pursuit, and two teens were killed in weekend shootings last week.
“If you don’t think this is dangerous and this is not a war zone that these young people are doing, then you’re fooling yourself,” Lott told the crowd.
Lott said the 16-year-old in jail has a lengthy criminal record, including choking a police officer. Lott said the teen was on an ankle monitor that had not been charged since early December.
This is the Richland County Sheriff Department’s third canine to die in the line of duty in 2024, after K-9 Wick in June and K-9 Kodak in October. K-9 Coba, an officer with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), was shot and killed by a suspect in Newberry County in June.
Specialist Ware and K9 Bumi have been working together for two years, first at another law enforcement agency and then at the sheriff’s department three months ago.
“That handler spends more time with the dog than they do with anybody else in their family, the kids, their spouse, their friends, it’s more time so that there’s a bond,” Lott told me. “They’re there to protect one another. The dog we saw last night or this morning sacrificed his life to protect his handler. That deputy is prepared to do the same thing to protect his dog. That is a bond that is difficult to imagine.”
Lott said he hopes the state legislature increases penalties for those who kill police dogs. A bill had been pre-filed at the State House to accomplish precisely that.
More arrests are expected, according to deputies.