<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A 29-year-old police officer died in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday, and a second officer was injured after a man with an extensive criminal record opened fire on the officers in a park.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Christopher DeLong responded to a call around 9:30 a.m. from a woman who reported that a man she had a restraining order against was damaging property at her home, according to the Associated Press. DeLong left the home about an hour later to find a man matching the woman's description near a vehicle, at which point a gunfight broke out.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook stated in a news conference Saturday evening that the second officer involved in the shooting, David Dymock, is in stable condition, and that DeLong had been with the department for two years.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I hope that our officers know that they’re not alone in this,” Holbrook said. “We will lean on each other in this tragic time. Let’s pray for this department.” Holbrook did not take questions at the press conference, but mentioned that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The suspect, 33-year-old Adam Tyler Dowdy, also died in the gunfight. Holbrook noted that Dowdy had been arrested across at least four states and faced charges including disorderly conduct, contempt of court, public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance, and probation violations.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The shooting occurred near South East Park, which is approximately a twenty-minute drive from downtown Columbia.</p>