A Columbia police officer and the armed man he confronted during a domestic violence call both died after an exchange of gunfire Saturday at Southeast Park, according to SLED.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a shooting that left a Columbia Police Department officer and an armed suspect dead, according to SLED.
The shooting occurred Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Southeast Park on Hazelwood Road, according to SLED. Columbia police officers had responded to the park for a domestic violence call and encountered a man with a gun in the parking lot, SLED said.
The man, later identified as Adam Tyler Dowdy, 33, tried to flee as officers followed him, according to SLED. Dowdy fired at two officers, who returned fire, resulting in an exchange of gunfire in which Dowdy and both officers were shot, SLED said.
All three were taken to a hospital. The Richland County Coroner’s Office identified the two people who died there as Dowdy and Columbia Police Department Officer Christopher Delong, 29, according to SLED.
The Columbia Police Department identified the surviving officer as Master Police Officer David Dymock, 29. Dymock was released from the hospital and is recovering, according to the Columbia Police Department.
SLED was asked to investigate by the Columbia Police Department. The agency said its agents will interview witnesses and collect and test evidence, with findings to be compiled in a report for prosecutors. SLED said no further details will be released while the investigation continues.
The shooting is the 24th officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2026 and the first this year involving the Columbia Police Department, according to SLED. The state recorded 45 officer-involved shootings in 2025, and Columbia police had none that year, SLED said.
Based on a release from S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Source: S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) original release.
