Columbia Code Officer Fired, Charged After Allegedly Pointing Gun at Family Member

A 45-year-old Columbia code enforcement employee lost her job after police arrested her on assault and firearm charges stemming from an armed dispute with a family member at her home. Molly Jamella Washington was taken into custody Wednesday and now faces charges of Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature and Pointing and Presenting a Firearm at a Person.

According to WYFF4, Washington was arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged assault involving a family member, with the Columbia Police Department confirming it was notified of her arrest and immediately terminated her employment. The incident occurred at Washington's home in the 1100 block of Landon Place Drive, according to police, and the Richland County Sheriff's Department conducted the investigation. Police told the outlet they would not share additional details at this time, and no mugshot was immediately available.

A Municipal Employee Under Police Oversight

Washington worked as a code enforcement employee for the City of Columbia, a division that operates directly under the Columbia Police Department rather than as a separate city agency, enforcing municipal property maintenance and nuisance ordinances. That structural link between code enforcement and police administration meant the police department handled the employment response, while the Richland County Sheriff's Department conducted the investigation. Departmental conduct policies, cited by the police department in a statement shared on Facebook, prohibit employees from engaging in activities that bring disrepute upon the department or the law enforcement profession, giving the city grounds for the swift dismissal that followed news of her arrest.

The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center was identified in connection with Washington's bond proceedings and provided charge information; per the arrest report, her bond had not yet been set as of Wednesday. The City of Columbia Municipal Court describes bond court sessions there for people arrested by Columbia police in Richland County, convening daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to the City of Columbia Municipal Court. A Lexington SC Domestic Violence Lawyer firm's overview discusses no-contact bond restrictions, though it remains unclear whether such an order was issued in Washington's case.

What the Charges Could Mean

Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature, codified under South Carolina Code § 16-3-600, is a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to Justia Law's summary of the statute. The charge represents the state's highest statutory tier of assault short of attempted murder, a framework lawmakers established through 2010 reforms that replaced older common-law assault definitions with defined statutory degrees, per the South Carolina Legislature.

The second charge is Pointing and Presenting a Firearm at a Person; the available sources do not provide its penalty. The available information does not say whether the firearm was loaded or whether shots were fired.

Case Moves to Circuit Court

A law-firm overview says DVHAN cases are referred to the 5th Circuit Solicitor's Office, but the available sources do not establish the prosecutorial venue for Washington's case. The municipal court source says the court hears criminal, traffic and city-ordinance matters. A law-firm overview discusses firearm-possession restrictions for certain convictions.

Several details remain unresolved, including the specific argument that led to the confrontation at Washington's Landon Place Drive home, the condition of the family member involved, and the outcome of her bond hearing. Police have said they will not release further information at this time.