A 47-year-old West Columbia man is facing an attempted murder charge after state investigators say he fired a shotgun at a Lexington County Sheriff’s deputy last month.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Robert Glenn Hardee on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in connection with a Sept. 18 shooting at a home in the 200 block of Shadowfield Drive in West Columbia.
Calls to 911 before deputies arrived
According to SLED, deputies were sent to the home after Hardee called 911 several times asking for law enforcement. Investigators say he made threatening statements to dispatchers during those calls, telling them he was waiting on his porch and that deputies should come prepared.
A Ring camera recorded Hardee sitting on his front porch with a shotgun across his lap, according to a warrant. The footage also showed him walking in his driveway with the shotgun and a box of ammunition.
Shots fired
Two deputies arrived separately in marked patrol cars and tried to talk to Hardee. Investigators say he pointed a semi-automatic shotgun at a master deputy and fired at least one round.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said earlier that both deputies fired back. Hardee was hit several times and taken to a hospital by Lexington County EMS. Neither deputy was hurt.
Investigators later recovered a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun and several used shotgun shells.
Charges
Hardee is charged with:
- Attempted murder
- Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person convicted of certain crimes
- Possession of a weapon during a violent crime
According to the warrants, Hardee was not allowed to have guns or ammunition because of a 2019 conviction for cocaine possession.
He was booked into the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston County.
SLED is still investigating at the request of the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. The 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.
Hardee is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
We’ll update this story as more information becomes available.
Sources: South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; WACH; The State