Columbia, S.C.One man was hurt when a parking dispute at a gas station in Columbia turned violent on Saturday morning, and the suspect was taken into custody hours later in Georgia.
Verbal argument over parking space turns violent
Following a reported gunfire, deputies from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) were sent to Circle K on Parklane Road at approximately 9:45 a.m. on July 28. When they got there, they discovered a man who had been shot in the lower torso. The victim’s present health has not been disclosed, but EMS took him to a nearby hospital.
According to RCSD investigations, the shooting was the result of a verbal altercation over a parking space. The suspect—later identified as 34-year-old Cedric Simon—became irate over the victim’s parking and started shouting, witnesses told deputies.
Simon allegedly pulled out a gun during the altercation, shot the victim in the leg, and then ran away.
Suspect tracked down and arrested the same day
Simon was promptly located by law enforcement, who then initiated a cross-state manhunt. Authorities have not disclosed Simon’s precise location or the specifics of his capture, although he was captured in Georgia later that same day. As he awaits extradition to South Carolina to face charges, he is presently being detained in Georgia.
According to the official RCSD announcement via WLTX, Simon has been charged with possession of a weapon during a violent incident and high and aggravated assault and battery.
Sheriff condemns violence over trivial conflict
Sheriff Leon Lott described the incident as mindless violence over a parking space and stressed how lucky he was that no one was killed. He also expressed gratitude to investigators for finding the suspect so quickly.
The sheriff’s office has asked anyone with more information to get in touch with Crime Stoppers or RCSD as the investigation is still underway.
Have you ever seen a quarrel that started over anything minor turn into this?Please share your opinions in the SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com comments section.
