Officer With Young Family Killed by Career Criminal Who Should Have Been Behind Bars

Clear Facts

• Columbia, South Carolina officer Christopher DeLong, 29, was killed and officer David Dymock wounded in a gunfight with career criminal Adam Tyler Dowdy on Saturday morning
• Dowdy had an extensive arrest record spanning four states and may have been out on bond for battery in Georgia at the time of the shooting
• Officer DeLong leaves behind a wife and two young children after just two years with the department

A Columbia, South Carolina police officer was killed and another wounded Saturday morning in a gunfight with a career criminal who had racked up arrests across multiple states. The tragic incident raises serious questions about our revolving-door justice system that continues putting dangerous offenders back on the streets.

Officers responded to a domestic dispute call just after 9:30 a.m. when a woman reported that a man she had a restraining order against was inside her home destroying property. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled the scene.

About an hour later, officers located the suspect and a gunfight erupted. The consequences were devastating for two officers simply doing their jobs.

“Our hearts are broken this evening,” Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook said at a news conference later Saturday.

“We gather under the worst of circumstances you could possibly imagine. We’re deeply hurt.”

“It’s with heartbreak and sadness that I inform you that one of our officers has succumbed to his injuries.”

Officer Christopher DeLong, just 29 years old, had served with the Columbia Police Department for only two years. He leaves behind a wife and two young children who will now grow up without their father.

“Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with Officer DeLong’s family, his loved ones and friends and coworkers,” Chief Holbrook said.

The second officer, David Dymock, is in stable condition and continuing to recover from wounds sustained in the gunfight. Officer Dymock’s condition offers a small measure of relief in an otherwise heartbreaking situation.

The suspect, Adam Tyler Dowdy, was killed in the exchange of gunfire. But Dowdy’s criminal history reveals a disturbing pattern that’s become all too familiar in American law enforcement.

Dowdy had accumulated arrests for disorderly conduct, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, contempt of court, public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance, and probation violations, according to Chief Holbrook. His criminal activity wasn’t confined to one jurisdiction—it spanned four states: South Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Georgia.

Perhaps most troubling, Dowdy may have been out on bond for battery charges in Georgia at the time he killed Officer DeLong. While authorities are still working to verify that information, the preliminary findings point to yet another failure of our criminal justice system to keep violent offenders off the streets.

“We’re still trying to verify that preliminary information,” Chief Holbrook said.

“He has a history of several arrests that span through the following states: South Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Georgia.”

The police chief asked the community to pray for the DeLong family “to have strength as they navigate this unimaginably difficult time.” In the hours following the tragedy, condolences poured in from every law enforcement agency in the region as well as South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., honored the fallen officer and called attention to the daily sacrifice of law enforcement.

“I’m saddened by the tragic loss of Officer Chris DeLong of the Columbia Police Department. Officer DeLong answered the call to serve and protect us all, and he lost his life in the line of duty this morning. My prayers are with his family, friends, and the Columbia Police Department. I’m also praying for Officer David Dymok, who was injured while serving and protecting our community. We’re hoping for his quick and full recovery. Law enforcement officers are heroes who protect us every day. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.”

This tragedy underscores a nationwide crisis that continues claiming the lives of brave men and women in uniform. Career criminals with extensive records are too often released back into communities where they pose immediate danger to law-abiding citizens and the officers sworn to protect them.

Officer DeLong’s death is a stark reminder of the price paid when our justice system fails to hold violent offenders accountable. Two young children will never again see their father walk through the door at the end of his shift, and a community has lost a dedicated public servant who gave his life protecting others.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

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