COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott released dash cam video Friday of a group of robbery suspects firing at his officers, a recording which he says underscores the dangers his deputies face every day.
The video showed the final moments of a high-speed chase following a bank robbery Thursday that ended in a subdivision in northeast Columbia.
"These are the hoodlums out here that we're dealing with, who do not care about anyone's life, do not care what they do, they're out here on a rampage. shooting, robbing, doing whatever," Lott said.
The suspects--Devanta Boyd, 25, Devin Mincey, 25, and Daniel Williams, 19--are accused of robbing the AllSouth Federal Credit Union on Roberts Branch Parkway, just off Interstate 77 and Killian Road, around 11 a.m. Thursday. After getting money from the bank at gunpoint, the suspects took off in a car.
Two deputies in the area--Officers Chris Duke and Bryan McAdams--began pursuing the suspects' vehicle. In the video, the final moments of that chase can be seen, as the suspect's vehicle stops when it reaches a dead-end inside a cul-de-sac in a subdivision. The suspects came out of the car and began firing multiple shots. Lott said one of the guns was a Mac 11, a gun drug cartels used to use in the 1980s.
"It's kind of like a spray and pray, it's not accurate at all," Lott said.
Another of the guns had an extended magazine. "These are not just normal guns, these are instruments of death," Lott added.
He also revealed surveillance video of the suspects, who were all wearing masks.
Duke then fired his weapon, striking one of the suspects in the leg. But they ran to another car, and continued began a second car chase that ended when officers ran the suspect's car off the road.
Lott said Boyd has prior arrests. The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services said he was on community supervision, which is given in "no parole" case and is similar to probation.
"Probation sounds nice, but do you think Mr. Boyd give a rip about being on probation when he got out here with what he was going yesterday?" Lott asked. "These are not first-timers. They've been out there doing stuff."
The sheriff said the court system must do more to keep prisoners behind bars.
"We've got to stop feeling sorry for some of these people and put their butts where they need to be and that's in prison and keep 'em there,"Lott said. "If we don't, we're not going to be lucky next time."
"They need to stay in jail, they don't need to get out," he added.
The sheriff said one of the pistols used in the crime had been stolen out of Lexington County during a home invasion where the homeowner was shot.
As for his officers, Lott called their response "textbook" and asked the public to listen to how calm they are in the chase video.
"It's a training video," he said. "Everything they did was picture perfect."
Still, he admits his officers were scared during the encounter.
"One second you're just riding down the road, nothing's going on, and in an instant, you're in a high-speed chase with bank robbers...and the next, you're being shot at," Lott said.
He said unlike the suspects, his officer made sure he wasn't aiming at a house when he returned fire. Lott said their quick response should show criminals that they're officers could always be around the corner.
"We're going to get you, we're not gonna stop and let you get away," he said.
The suspects are all facing attempted murder and kidnapping charges, but the driver is facing an additional count of attempted murder for running a woman off the road during the chase, deputies say.