FAIRFIELD COUNTY — A 53-year-old man faces multiple charges after leading deputies on a cross-county pursuit Tuesday morning and attacking six law enforcement officers and a police dog with bear spray, authorities said.
Keith Kasyjanski was arrested following the joint operation between the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO).
According to a joint statement from Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery, the incident began around 10:40 a.m. when an RCSD deputy pulled over a vehicle for speeding and failure to maintain lane near the intersection of Fairfield Road and Interstate 20.
When asked for identification, the driver—later identified as Kasyjanski—refused to comply and sped away from the stop.
Deputies initiated a pursuit that stretched northward into Fairfield County. The chase ended near Columbia Road and Ninth Street when an RCSD K-9 unit successfully performed a Precision Immobilization Technique maneuver to disable the fleeing vehicle.
Even after the vehicle was stopped, authorities said Kasyjanski remained non-compliant. When K-9 Ares was deployed to assist in taking him into custody, Kasyjanski sprayed the dog with bear spray. He then directed the chemical spray at five RCSD deputies and one FCSO deputy who were attempting to apprehend him.
Deputies deployed a Taser to subdue Kasyjanski and safely take him into custody.
Emergency Medical Services responded to decontaminate all six exposed deputies at the scene, while K-9 Ares was treated and decontaminated by his handler.
Kasyjanski was taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment for a dog bite and injuries related to the Taser deployment. Officials noted that Kasyjanski was already wanted on outstanding warrants by both the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Winnsboro Department of Public Safety.
He now faces additional charges from RCSD for reckless driving and failure to stop for blue lights and sirens. The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office has also charged him with six counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer while resisting arrest and one count of injuring a police dog.
Upon his release from the hospital, Kasyjanski will be transported and booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.