COLOMBIA – With the reinforced police presence in the state capital before the inauguration, a man was arrested on Sunday two blocks from the South Carolina City Council after a gun was found in a vehicle, officials said.
University of South Carolina police stopped a car at around 9 am at the intersection of Assembly and Washington streets in downtown Columbia, where a passenger was found in illegal possession of a gun, school spokesman Jeff Stensland said.
The case remains under investigation and no further details have been released. The arrest comes after an FBI alert warning of possible armed protests in Washington, DC, and in all capitals until Wednesday, when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.
Sunday morning’s arrest came just hours before a small demonstration on the Statehouse grounds to protest social media sites by removing some conservative accounts, including President Donald Trump, and refusing to host conservative sites, such as social media site Parler . About 50 people attended the rally, which remained peaceful.
Officers from the Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the state’s Bureau of Protection Services were among those patrolling the site. They were wearing bulletproof vests and uniforms and carrying their weapons outdoors. Some officers were posted outside Governor Henry McMaster’s office and barricades were erected around the State House.
No arrests or incidents on the Statehouse premises were reported today, said the SC Department of Public Security.
Earlier this week, law enforcement agencies in the capital region said there would be a greater presence of police in the city center by Wednesday.
“Police officers know what to look for – public safety is a priority,” the Columbia Police Department tweeted on Sunday.
The department posted on social media that police could stop drivers or pedestrians to “facilitate safety” in the coming days, offering advice to cooperate with authorities.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.