20-year-old dead and K-9 deputy wounded after shooting on Hunt Club Road
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — A 20-year-old man is dead and a K-9 officer is wounded after deputies were dispatched to Hunt Club Road, the Woodfield neighborhood of Columbia, early Wednesday morning.
According to Sheriff Leon Lott with Richland County, K-9 Specialists Richard Jeffcoat and Robert Beary were dispatched to the Creekside Apartment complex after a 911 caller said two men were attempting to go into and steal from multiple vehicles.
“I see two people now in the parking lot walking towards the entrance, one’s got a red hoodie and one’s got a black hoodie, they’re actually walking toward the entrance now,” said the unidentified 911 caller.
Upon arrival, the deputies say they encountered the two suspects identified from the 911 call — who both began to run away.
Sheriff Lott released K-9 Specialist Jeffcoat’s body camera footage during the press conference.
20-year-old John Williams quickly surrendered and was placed under arrest. 20-year-old Degeorge Darby opened fire at Jeffcoat and his partner K-9 Kiro.
“Get down! Get down!….Shots fired! “Jeffcoat can be heard yelling.
Lott says Jeffcoat returned fire on Darby, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Darby was arrested in December 2024 for carrying a stolen pistol. That charge was later dismissed in April 2025.
“I’m thankful I’m not standing here talking about either one of those officers being killed or a police dog being killed but unfortunately a young man did lose his life by some decisions that he made last night,” says Lott.
K-9 Kiro was struck in the ear but survived. K-9 Specialist Jeffcoat was not injured. Williams faces two counts of theft from a motor vehicle.
ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams asked neighbors Kay Tuttle and Karen Davis if they felt safe living at the complex, near a sign that says the area is under surveillance by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
“Yea! We just rarely have anything go on. It’s mostly an adult community,” says Tuttle.
“It’s sad that, they were probably just out, didn’t think anything would happen, they would steal a few things and go on their way. Life can be very short,” says Davis.
