West Columbia, SC 03/24/2023 (Paul Kirby) – On Thursday, March 23, 2023, the West Columbia Police Department’s Crisis Negotiation Team were called into action around 4:20 p.m. Before this emergency was over, they were able to safely talk Michael Moore, a 59-year-old man, down from a perch where he had climbed a utility transmission tower. This all happened near the old K-Mart building that is now home to U-Haul’s Super Store and Storage. For best reference, this is all located at the intersection of Charleston Highway, Airport Boulevard, and Williams Street across the intersection from the original Piggie Park BBQ in West Columbia, SC.
After receiving the initial call for service, police officers with West Columbia called for assistance from the City of West Columbia and Cayce Fire Departments, the Lexington County Fire Service, and the Cayce Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Personnel form all of these teams worked together to assist in safely getting Moore down without anyone being injured. After police officers from the Crisis Negotiation Team persuaded Moore into coming down from the tower with them, he was lowered to the ground by the fire crews where he was transported to the hospital for medical and mental health evaluations.
West Columbia Police Chief Marion Boyce stated, “This type of call illustrates how our officers work with assisting those in a mental health crisis. I am thankful that we were able to bring Mr. Moore safely down and make the needed resources. Thank you to the Cayce Police Department, Cayce Fire Department, Lexington County Fire Department, and the West Columbia Fire Department for the assistance that they provided.”
