Roy Andrew “Drew” Barr, 28, was killed in the line of duty early Sunday morning while on a call for service. The person suspected of shooting Barr is also dead, taking his own life, after a 7-hour standoff.

Cayce Police Chief Chris Cowan said Barr gave the ultimate sacrifice and he described Barr as a dedicated public servant who was also a volunteer firefighter and an EMT.

“He was committed to this community, and he cared about nothing else than serving this community,” Cowan said.
Cayce Mayor Elise Partin said all of Cayce is mourning Barr’s death.

Three officers responded to a domestic disturbance call just before 3 a.m. Sunday and made contact with a man who was in the front yard of a residence on Rossmore Drive. Cowan said shots came from inside the home and hit Barr.

“There was no call for it, there was no reason for it,” Cowan said. “It was inexcusable,” Cowan said.

Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene and Columbia Police negotiators worked for seven hours to reach a peaceful resolution, but the suspect eventually took his own life. The suspect was later identified as Austin Henderson, 36, of Cayce.

Barr had been with the agency since 2016, Cowan said, and had been with the K-9 unit since 2020. He was not married and had no children.