Officers searching for man in east Columbia after trying to stop stolen vehicle

Columbia police were searching for a suspect in east Columbia Tuesday.

ABC 17 News saw officers on scene near Paris Road and William Street around 3:30 Tuesday morning.

Police on scene say an officers tried to pull over a man in a stolen vehicle. They say the suspect refused to stop and took off running, leaving the vehicle behind.

Officers say a K9 unit is searching the area for the suspect right now. They asked our crews to stay out of the search area in an effort to not confuse the dogs.

Police tell ABC 17 News they have already returned the stolen vehicle to its owner. Our crews saw officers collecting items near North William Street. Police tell us those items were the suspect’s shoes.

By 5:00 Tuesday morning, officers were no longer on the scene. ABC 17 News is working to find out if they were able to find the suspect.

Watch ABC 17 News This Morning from 5:00-7:00am for a live report from the scene.