>>
>> THE
>> THE COLUMBIA POLICE CHIEF4@ SAID THEY FOUND MORE THAN 8004@ VIOLATIONS RIGHT HERE AT THE
ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY.
MORE ON THE INVESTIGATION4@ IS
COMING UP TONI4@GHT.
>> THE FIFTH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR'S
OFFICE WILL4@ NOT PURSUE CRIMIN
CHARGES IN THIS4@ MATTER.
>> THERE NOT A CRIMINAL STATUTE,
AND I ASKED LAWMAKERS IF THEY
WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING THAT4@
AFTER WHAT HAPPENE4@D AT ALLEN
BENEDICT PROPERTY.4@4@4@
>> THANKS FOR STAYING WAS.
I'M BRANDON TAYLOR.
WE BEGIN WITH AN UPDATE4@ ON TH
ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY
INVESTIGATION.
NO CRIMINAL CHARGES WILL BE
FILED IN THE TWO DEATHS THAT LED
TO THE EVACUATION OF THE ALLEN
BENEDICT PROPERTY APARTMENTS IN
COLUMBIA.
CALVIN WIT4@HERSPOON JUNIOR, AN
DEREK ROPER DIED FROM CARBON
MONOXIDE4@ POISONING IN JANUARY.
CALVIN WIT4@HERSPOON JUNIOR, AN DEREK ROPER DIED FROM CARBON MONOXIDE4@ POISONING IN JANUARY@
FOLLOWING THEIR DEATHS MORE THA@
400 OTHERS WERE FORCED TO FIND A
NEW PLACE TO LIVE.
TODAY INVESTIGATORS4@ SAY EVEN
THOUGH THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF
CITATIONS AGAINST THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY, CRIMINAL CHARGES WILL
NOT BE FILED.
>> THERE HAVE4@ BEEN SITINGS FO
FAILURE TO HAVE CARBON MONOXIDE
NOT BE FILED. >> THERE HAVE4@ BEEN SITINGS FO FAILURE TO HAVE CARBON MONOXIDE@
DETECTORS, AND WORKING SMOKE,
AND FIRE DETECTORS.
HAVING NO F4@IRE EXTINGUISHERS
HAVING THOSE4@ THAT WERE
UP-TO-DATE MEANING THEY4@ HAD
EXPIRED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, AND
THE PRESENCE OF EXPOSED WIRES.
>> I ESSENTIALLY4@ THERE WAS
QUALITY OF LIFE VIOLATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY IS4@
PERVASIVE.
UNLIVEABLE CONDITIONS.
YOU KNOW, OLD APPLIANCES, AND
OLD4@ HEATERS.
JUST POOR MAINTENANCE IN
GENERAL.
THE4@ INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE
REQUIRED THE4@ HOUSING AUTHORIT
TO EQUIP CARBON MONOXIDE
DETECTORS IN ALL UNIT AS THE
ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY COURT.
THE INSPECTION FORMS, AND4@ TENT
FILES WERE FILLED OUT INCOME
LETLY OR NOT AT ALL.
MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE FOUND
IN SIMILAR4@ CONDITIONS, AND THE
WAS NO4@ PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE
DONE ON APPLIANCES, AND LACK OF
TRAINING WITH STAFF WITH RES4@PT
TO REPAIRS OR4@ OTHER GENERAL
MAINTENANCE DUTIES.
SINGLE4@ INSPECTOR WAS TASKED W@
350,000 UNITS HEAR EACH YEAR,
AND4@ THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
>> IT DOESN'T MEAN THERE WERE
JUST FOUR VIOLATIONS, BUT WE PUT
ALL OF THEM TOGETHER ON ONE
SUMMONS FOR ALL THE4@ VIOLATION
THAT WERE EXPOSED4@ WIRING F4@R
WHERE THE SMOKE ALARMS WHERE
SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED?
AND ALSO FOR NOT HAVING AN
UP-TO-DATE4@ EXTINGUISHER.
YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE 4@MEANS
FOR AT LEAST THEM TO BE4@ ABLE
GET TO AN EXTINGUISHER, AND THAT
WAS NOT PROVIDED.4@
THERE WERE NO CARBON MONOXIDE
DETECTOR, SO ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL4@ FIRE CODE THEY
HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT.
>> AFTER THE4@ ANNOUNCEMENT THE
HOUSING AUTHORI4@TY IN COLUMBIA
SAID IN PART QUOTE, COLUMBIA
HOUSING HAS DONE A NUMBER OF
THINGS TO ENSURE THE JANUARY
17TH TRAGEDY NEVER4@ HAPPENED I
AGAIN.
FOUR NEW4@ COMMISSIONAIRES, AND
NEW BOARD APPOINTMENTS, AND HAS
NEW LEADERSHIP, AND GOES ON TO
SAY WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A
HOST OF THINGS TO INCLUDE A
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COLUMBIA
FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE4@
IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRE SAFETY
EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR OUR4@
STAFF, AND RESIDENTS.
THE COLUMBIA4@ HOUSING AUTHORIT
HAS MADE CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL
LEADERSHIP STARTING IN JUNE.
THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RETIRED AFTER WORKING THERE4@ F
50 YEARS.
IVORY MATTHEWS WAS NAMED4@ INTEM
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND HE HAS A
12 MONTH PLAN TO RESHAPE THE
COLUMBIA HOUSING4@ AUTHORITY.
NEWS 19 LOOKS AT WHAT TYPE OF
RETIREMENT BENEFITS GILBERT
WALKER WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO4@
RECEIVE.
HE WOULD RECEIVE FULL4@ BENEFIT.
>> WE LOOKED INTO SOUTH CAROLINA
RETIREMENT SYSTEM HANDBOOK. THE
DOCUMENT SAYS YOU MAY JOIN AS AN
EMPLOYEE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, A STATE OR4@
POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
ACCORDING TO A4@ T4@ABLE IN THE
POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THE UNITED STATES. ACCORDING TO A4@ T4@ABLE IN THE@
DOCUMENT, SOMEONE RETIRING AFTE@
FOUR YEARS, AND MAKE MORE THAN
$110 WOULD4@ GET $6607 A MONTH,
AND THEN $167 EXTRA FOR EACH
YEAR PAST 40 THEY'VE BEEN
EMPLOYED.
GILBERT WALKER STARTED IN THE4@
LATE 60S, AND4@ TOOK OVER AS 4@
DIRECTOR.
HE WAS EARNING4@ $167 THOUSAND
YEAR, AND THAT COMES FROM
SPECIFIC HUD MONEY, AND THEN
USING CALCULATIONS4@ BASED ON T
HOUSING OCCUPANCY.
CYNTHIA4@ HARDY SAID ALL EMPLOYS
RECEIVE BENEFITS.
>> WELL, IT'S4@ BEEN OVER TEN
MONTHS SINCE4@ THE TWO MEN DIED
RECEIVE BENEFITS. >> WELL, IT'S4@ BEEN OVER TEN MONTHS SINCE4@ THE TWO MEN DIEDT
ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY.
HERE'S A LOOK HOW4@ WE GOT HERE.
>> JANUARY 16TH.4@
EMS AND FIRE CREWS RESPOND TWICE
TO THE SAME UNIT.
TWO PEOPLE ARE TAKEN TO THE
HOSPITAL IN TWO SEPARATE CALLS
TO THE UNIT.
JANUARY 17.
POLICE FIND TWO PEOPLE DEAD IN4
THE BUILDING.
>> JANUARY 18TH.
MORE THAN 4004@ FAMILIES AT THE
ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY
APARTMENTS HAD TO BE EVACUATED
AFTER4@ MULTIPLE GAS LEAKS WERE
DISCOVERED.
PART OF THE ISSUE OWNERS SAID
THEY ARE SOME OF THE OLDER IN
THE COUNTY.
THEY PROMISE ANY WORK4@ ORDERS
WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.
WE4@ LEARN THE NAMES OF THE TWO
THEY PROMISE ANY WORK4@ ORDERS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC. WE4@ LEARN THE NAMES OF THE TWO@
VICTIMS.
30-YEAR OLD DEREK ROPER, AND
16-YEAR-OLD CALVIN4@ WITHERSPOO
JUNIOR.
JANUARY FIRST,4@ CALVIN'S DAUGHR
SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HER FATHER'S 4@
LIFE, AND JANUARY 23RD MAYOR 4@
TRAVELS TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR
U.S. CONFERENCE, AND TWEETS OUT
LIFE, AND JANUARY 23RD MAYOR 4@ TRAVELS TO WASHINGTON D.C. FOR U.S. CONFERENCE, AND TWEETS OUT@
HE WILL MEET WITH HUD SECRETARY
BEN CARSON FOR A $30 MILLION
GRANT.
THE EVACUATED RESIDENTS ARE
LIVING IN TEMPORARY HOU4@SING
SPREAD OUT BETWEEN 7 HOTELS
THROUGHOUT COLUMBIA, AND THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY SAID A STAFF
MEMBER IS PLACED AT ALL HOTELS
TO HELP RESIDENTS.
THEY RELEASE SCORES, AND SCORE
AN 86 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 100 FOR
2017.
JANUARY4@ 24TH.
THE DEEP DIVE4@ TEAM SPENDS THE
MAJORITY OF THE DAY LOOKING FOR
WORK ORDERS FOR ALLEN BENEDICT
PROPERTY APARTMENTS, AND NEWS 19
OBTAINS THE LETTER FROM COLUMBIA
FIRE CHIEF4@ AUBREY JENKINS
INCLUDING MAINTENANCE 4@
VIOLATIONS, AND THE PRESENCE OF
NATURAL GAS DEEMED UNSAFE FOR
THE COMMUNITY, AND OCCUPANTS.4@
JENK4@INS WROTE DUE TO THE
SEVERITY OF THE NOTED DEFICIENC
THE COMMUNITY, AND OCCUPANTS.4@ JENK4@INS WROTE DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE NOTED DEFICI
DEFICIENCIES IT'S DETERMINED
THAT ALL BUILDINGS AT THIS
LOCATION ARE UNSAFE.
THEY CALL FOR THE RESIGNATION O@
COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
GILBERT WALKER.
NEWS 19 TRIES TO4@ ATTEND A
MEETING HELD BY THE COLUMBIA
HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND WE'RE
TOLD IT IS A PRIVATE MEETING FO@
RESIDENTS ONLY, AND HOUSING
AUTHORITY SPOKESMAN SAID4@ NO O
WILL BE ALLOWED TO RETURN4@ TO E
HOUSING COMPLEX.
THE RICHLAND CORONER RELEASES
THE CAUSE OF DEATH OF THE TWO
MEN FROM THE ALLEN BENEDICT
PROPERTY APARTMENTS AS CARBON
MONOXI4@DE POISONING.
JANUARY 29TH, WLTX REPORTERS4@
JENNA KURZYNA, AND SUSAN WERE
PLACED4@ HANDCUFFS BY COLUMBIA
HOUSING AUTHORITY POLICE WHILE
TRYING TO ACCESS THE BUILDING
THAT HOUSE4@S THE PUBLIC4@ DOCUS
RELEASED BY THE COLUMBIA HOUSING
AUTHORITY FOR ALLEN BENEDICT
PROPERTY APARTMENTS.
THE4@ COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORIT
AUTHORITY FOR ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY APARTMENTS. THE4@ COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORIT@
ISSUED AN APOLOGY TO WLTX.
JANUARY 31ST.4@
THE COLUMBIA BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS HOLDS A PUBLIC
MEETING FOR RESIDENTS, AND THE4
COMMUNITY. FEBRUARY FIRST.
TWO NEW LAWSUITS ARE FILED.
THE FIRST IS A4@ WRONGFUL DEATH
SUIT FILED BY THE FAMILY OF
DEREK ROPER, AND4@ P4@ERSONAL IY
BY ROBERT4@ BALL LORD.
ROPER'S NEIGHBOR THAT LIVED IN
BETWEEN THE APARTMENTS WHERE THE
TWO DIED IN ALL THREE LAWSUITS
HAVE NOW BEEN FILED.
FEBRUARY 2ND.
MAJOR STEVE BENJAMIN SAID THE
COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL
NOT4@ RECEIVE THE HUD CHOICE4@
FEBRUARY GRANT THIS YEAR.
CITY LEADERS HOLD A NEWS
CONFERENCE, AND CHIEF HOLBROOK
SAID, THUD SOLICITORS OFFICE,
AND OTHERS ARE WORKING WITH
COLUMBIA POLICE TO INVESTIGATE
THE DEATHS, AND THE EVENTS THAT
LED UP TO THE4@ LETHAL CONDITIO
AT ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY
COURT.
FEBRUARY 6TH.
TWO COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
COMMISSION MEMBERS ANNOUNCE
RESIGNATIONS DURING A SPECIAL
MEETING.
BETSY4@ WATT WATSON, AND JENNIF
RUBEN SAID THEY WERE STEPPING
DOWN.
FEBRUARY 7TH, A FOURTH LAWSUIT
HAS BEEN FILED IN CONNECTION4@
WITH THE ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY
APARTMENTS.
THEY CREATED UNSAFE LIVING
CONDITIONS.
ROBERT GIBSON, AND GILBERT
WALKER HAVE BEEN NAMED AS
DEFINITES IN THE 4@LAWSUIT.
FEBRUARY 12TH.
A SUIT IS4@ FILED BY FORMER ALL
BENEDICT PROPERTY RESIDENT
CLAIMING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY
SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE 4@
REPEATED, AND ON-GOING GAS
LEAKS, AND FAILED CORRECT4@ THE.
THEY PROPOSE4@ LEGISLATION TO
ALLOW COUNTY LEGISLATORS TO
DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY4@
A HOUSING AUTHORITY SUSPENDING
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, AND
LEAVING MAYOR IN CHARGE.
NEWS 19 OBTAINS 911 CALLS FROM
RESIDENTS OF THE APARTMENTS.
TH4@EY DETAIL DAYS OF POTENTIAL
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING INSIDE
BUILDING-J.
FEBRUARY 21ST.4@
COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY
GILBERT WALKER ANNOUNCED HE'LL
RETIRE FROM THE AGENCY JUST OVER
A MONTH AFTER THOSE TWO
RESIDENTS OF ALLEN BENEDICT
PROPERTY COURT4@ DIED.
HIS RETIREMENT IS EFFECTIVE ON
JUNE 30TH.
>> AGAIN THAT WAS A LOOK BACK AT
THE 4@TIME-LINE, AND THIS MORNI
ON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH IT
WAS ANNOUNCED THERE4@ WILL BE N
CHARGED FILED.
WE'LL BRING YOU THE LATEST OF
THE ALLEN BENEDICT PROPERTY