13-Year-Old and His Mother Charged in Connection with Shooting Death of Police K9: ‘We Will Hold These Parents Accountable’

Mar. 15, 2025

K9 Bumi.Photo:Richland County Sheriff’s Department Facebook

Richland County Sheriff’s Department Facebook

Three teenagers and a mother have been charged in connection with a shooting in South Carolina that left a police K9 dog dead last month.

“[We’ve] just got too many young people that are just running the streets at all time of the night, going into cars, stealing cars, getting into chases — just continuously breaking the law. And the question I get asked a lot is: ‘Where are the parents?' ” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said.

Damian Brown.Richland County Sheriff’s Department Facebook

“Unfortunately what … we’ve seen too much is that we just have someone who just [doesn’t] care,” he continued. “And if they’re not going to hold their kids accountable, the young people accountable, then we will hold these parents accountable.”

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the incident.

Police said their K9, Bumi,died on Monday, Dec. 23, after being sent out on a mission with his handler, Ware, to track suspects that “fled from a stolen vehicle.” During the mission, “shots rang out” and Bumi was “struck multiple times and killed.”

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In aninitial press conferencethe day of the shooting, Lott revealed that the suspects that shot at police were teenagers and described the shots as “very fatal.” He said officers took Bumi to the vet “to see what we could do”, but the canine was eventually pronounced dead and two bullets were recovered from “inside his chest.”

“Bumi did have a vest on, a ballistic vest, but it doesn’t cover up underneath,” Lott said during a Dec. 30 press conference. “There’s a certain spot and unfortunately that’s where the 13-year-old shot him, was there.”

Shameka Williams.Richland County Sheriff’s Department Facebook

Lott said the 13-year-old pleaded guilty in family court to killing a police dog, assault and battery in the first degree — in relation to shooting at police — and possession of a weapon under the age of 18, among other charges. The 16-year-old pleaded guilty to obstruction.

As for Brown, he was denied bond and charged with grand larceny, accessory before the fact, possession of a weapon under the age of 18 and unlawful carry, among other charges, according to police.

“K-9 Bumi and his handler K-9 Specialist Ware had a bond like no other. We will miss you K-9 Bumi, you will never be forgotten,” the department captioned the video.

source: people.com