A Columbia police officer is dead and his partner is recovering after a domestic dispute call escalated into gunfire at a public park on Saturday. Officer Christopher Delong, 29, was killed in the exchange, and the suspect who authorities say fired on the officers also died at the scene.
Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook said the incident began when Officer Christopher DeLong initially responded alone to a reported domestic dispute, according to WSOC-TV. The call that sent officers out the door came in early Saturday morning, when a woman told 911 dispatchers that a man was destroying property at her home in violation of a court-issued restraining order, per the Daily Independent.
By the time the confrontation turned deadly, it had moved from the woman's home to Southeast Park, a 62-acre municipal property at 951 Hazelwood Road near Garners Ferry Road and Interstate 77, according to The Post and Courier. The park, known for its walking trails and public tennis courts, was completely cordoned off following the shooting, the report notes.
A Young Officer, A Young Family
Delong was a two-year veteran of the Columbia Police Department, according to WSOC-TV. The Post and Courier reports he is survived by his wife and two young children.
Chief Holbrook, addressing the department in the aftermath, said, “Our hearts are broken this evening.” He added, “I hope that our officers know that they’re not alone in this. We will lean on each other in this tragic time,” per WSOC-TV.
The second officer wounded in the gunfight was identified as David Dymock, who was reported in stable condition at a local hospital Saturday evening, the same outlet's report notes. Dymock arrived later as backup at Southeast Park.
Suspect Identified, Had Criminal History
Authorities identified the man who died in the shooting as 33-year-old Adam Dowdy of Prosperity, South Carolina. Police told the Post and Courier that Dowdy had a lengthy criminal history; he was pronounced dead at the park scene.
Exactly how the confrontation moved from the woman's residence to Southeast Park, and whether Dowdy was lying in wait for officers once they arrived at the park, remain open questions that authorities have not yet addressed publicly.
State Investigators Take Over the Case
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has taken the lead in an independent investigation into the shooting, with operational support from the Richland County Sheriff's Department, according to FITSNews. SLED routinely conducts independent criminal investigations whenever a local agency is involved in a shooting, as outlined in the agency's own SLED update procedures.
State officials confirmed Saturday's shooting; SLED's running tally records 45 such cases investigated statewide in 2025. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued a statement confirming state-level coordination with local law enforcement leaders as investigators examine the incident, the Post and Courier reports.
A Rare Loss for Columbia Police
Delong's death follows the documented line-of-duty death of Officer Stacy Lynn Case, who died on November 7, 2015, in an automobile collision while responding to a call for service, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Case's death is documented as a line-of-duty loss for the department. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Police Officer Greg Alia was shot and killed after responding with two other officers to a suspicious-person call at Richland Mall shortly before 8:00.
Domestic disturbance calls are among the most hazardous assignments patrol officers face nationwide. Federal statistics compiled through the FBI's LEOKA program show domestic disturbance calls account for nearly 29% of all reported officer assaults across the country, a reflection of how quickly such calls can escalate when emotions and personal conflict are already running high.
