Bad turn led to search and teens are locked up for what was in car, SC cops say
A recent traffic stop near Interstate 26 in South Carolina landed two teenagers behind bars, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The teens weren’t locked up because of a traffic violation, but are facing charges because drugs and guns were found in a search of their vehicle, the sheriff’s department said Monday in a news release.
The traffic stop happened at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 22 in the 900 block of St. Andrews Road, according to the release. That’s in a part of Columbia between I-26 and Broad River Road.
A deputy pulled over the vehicle after watching it make an improper turn, the sheriff’s department said. As deputies made contact with the occupants, the law enforcement officers said they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to the release.
That led to a search, where deputies found marijuana and oxycodone in addition to multiple firearms, the sheriff’s department said. The weapons were described as a large AK style rifle and a Glock handgun, the sheriff’s department said in an incident report.
Christopher Cooper, 18, was charged with possession of a schedule 2 narcotic and simple possession of marijuana, according to the release.
Cooper was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, while a 17-year-old passenger in the vehicle, whose name was not made public because of their age, was taken to a South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice facility after getting charged with simple possession of marijuana and unlawful carry of a firearm.
Information about how the teens got the guns, or if they’ve been reported stolen, was not available.
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This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Bad turn led to search and teens are locked up for what was in car, SC cops say."
