Suspect identified in Columbia officer-involved shooting

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- Columbia Police have identified the suspect in an early morning officer-involved shooting.

The shooting happened shortly before 3:00 a.m. in the Food Lion parking lot on Broad River Road.

An officer attempted a traffic stop on a Dodge SUV.

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 was driving under suspension and had two outstanding CPD warrants stemming from an August 8, 2019 burglary.

According to police, Legette ignored repeated commands from the officers to get out of the vehicle. As an officer attempted to remove Legette from the vehicle, the suspect is accused of accelerating away with the officer partially inside of the vehicle.

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 weapon striking Legette in the head causing a serious injury.

Back-up officers secured Legette and rendered aid to both the Legette and the officer.

The officer received non-life threatening injuries and was treated at a local hospital and released.

Legette remains at the hospital under law enforcement guard.

Officers recovered a firearm from Legette’s SUV that had been reported stolen from another jurisdiction in South Carolina.

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.