A 19-year-old St. Matthews man is accused of illegally carrying a pistol and an estimated 70 rounds of ammunition during Sunday’s protest in downtown Columbia, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Columbia Police Department.
Dominic Gladden was charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol and illegal acts during a state of emergency, the agencies said.
Authorities claim Gladden was among a crowd that refused to disperse once a curfew took effect at 6 p.m. Sunday. More than a dozen people were arrested.
Once in custody, the weapon and ammunition were allegedly found in a backpack he was carrying.
Gladden is a former standout football player at Calhoun County High School and has no criminal history, according to The Post and Courier.
The Charleston newspaper spoke to Tyrone Archie, a friend of Gladden, who said the St. Matthews man was trying to ensure the weapon wasn’t stolen from the car.
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“The day before, they were setting cars on fire. We didn’t want to give them a reason to take the weapon. We were forced to bring it,” Archie told the Post and Courier.