City of Columbia police officers William Mayes, left, Melissa Reck and Ronnie Arnold (a Blythewood community resident) pose in their Post Office parking lot ‘patrol center’ June 30. Not pictured are Sergeant C. B. Williams and Master Patrol Officer Paul Myers.
Blythewood residents may have noticed a swarm of Columbia City Police patrol cars in the Blythewood Post Office parking lot June 30, from about 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
That was the headquarters for the day of the City of Columbia Drug Suppressant Team that filled in for Richland County Sheriff’s deputies who normally patrol Blythewood.
The deputies were off to attend the funeral of S.C. National Guardsman, First Lt. Ryan Rawl, a member of Richland County law enforcement, who died last week in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked by a suicide bomber.