A Columbia, South Carolina police officer died and a second was wounded Saturday after a routine call to a domestic dispute ended in a gunfight that also left the suspect dead.
Story Snapshot
- Officer Christopher DeLong, 29, was killed responding to a domestic dispute call near Hazelwood Road and Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.
- A second officer was shot and is in stable condition, according to police.
- The suspect also died during the exchange of gunfire, police confirmed.
- The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading the investigation, with help from Richland County deputies.
- Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
What Happened Near Southeast Park
Two Columbia Police Department officers responded to a reported domestic dispute Saturday morning, according to Chief Holbrook. The call led officers to a location near Southeast Park on Hazelwood Road, close to Garners Ferry Road. What started as a routine response turned into a shootout that left one officer dead, another wounded, and the suspect dead at the scene.
Officer Christopher DeLong, 29, died from his injuries after the gunfire. He had served with the Columbia Police Department for about two years. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford confirmed his death publicly, and Chief Holbrook spoke about the loss at a press briefing. The second officer, shot during the same exchange, is expected to recover and was described as being in stable condition.
Officers Faced Danger From the Start
Domestic dispute calls rank among the most dangerous jobs officers face. National data backs that up. One study found domestic incidents made up nearly 16% of all police shooting cases between 2015 and 2020. Another report tracking fatal police calls found domestic disputes accounted for 29% of officer deaths on the job between 2010 and 2016.
That pattern matches what happened in Columbia. A call that began as a family or relationship dispute turned deadly within a short span of time. Police have not released the full timeline of how officers moved from the initial call to the location where gunfire broke out, but the outcome fits a well-documented risk that officers accept every time they answer this kind of call.
Investigation Now in State Hands
SLED took over as lead investigator, a standard step in South Carolina whenever an officer fires a weapon or dies in the line of duty. Richland County Sheriff’s deputies are assisting. State law requires SLED to handle these cases independently of the local department involved, separating the agency that responds from the one that reviews what happened.
Chief Holbrook addressed reporters with visible emotion, saying “our hearts are broken this evening” and “we gather under the worst circumstances you could possibly imagine.” Police have said the public faces no ongoing danger following the shooting, and the park area was closed off during the investigation before reopening to residents.
Law enforcement agencies across the Midlands are reacting to the death of Columbia Police Officer Christopher DeLong, who was killed in a shooting on Saturday.https://t.co/vetYq5dUzN
— WACH FOX (@wachfox) August 30, 2026
A procession honoring Officer DeLong drew law enforcement from across the Midlands region of South Carolina, reflecting how departments treat line-of-duty deaths as shared losses across agency lines. Donations for his family have also been organized following his death. The investigation into the exact sequence of events remains active, and additional findings from SLED are expected as the review continues.
