Man shot in the throat, found near Krispy Kreme is behind bars, SC cops say
A man who was on the run with his two juvenile children after he had been shot while in South Carolina’s Lowcountry was arrested Monday morning in Richland County, according to the Yemassee Police Department.
Yemassee resident Charlie E. Simmons was taken into custody near the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on Clemson Road, police said in a news release. That’s in a part of Columbia that’s densely packed with restaurants and retail businesses, near Exit 80 on I-20.
The children were safe and are in the custody of their mother, according to the release.
Simmons had been shot in the throat, police said. He was taken to an area hospital where his non-life-threatening injuries were treated before he was released and taken to the Hampton County Detention Center, according to the release.
Simmons was charged with first-degree domestic violence (of a high and aggravated nature), police said.
The charge stems from an assault early Monday morning, according to the release.
At about 4 a.m., officers responded to a person who wanted to meet with law enforcement regarding an incident involving his mother and her boyfriend, later identified as Simmons, police said. The person said he fired a shot to defend his mother, who was being attacked by her boyfriend, according to the release.
Information on the woman’s condition was not available. There was no word if the domestic violence victim’s son will face any criminal charges.
Simmons was tracked down by police, who said they were aided by members of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. All three of those law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate the incident.
“I commend the outstanding dedication of my colleagues and extend heartfelt appreciation to SLED and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department for their prompt and safe collaboration in bringing this case to a resolution,” Police Chief Gregory Alexander said in the release.
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This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Man shot in the throat, found near Krispy Kreme is behind bars, SC cops say."
