Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)   COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A judge has sentenced a Columbia man to prison after he pled guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm, said the DOJ. Tron Martelle Harrison, 40, of Columbia was sentenced to more than five years to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Evidence presented to the court showed that Harrison was stopped by the Columbia Police Department (CPD) for a traffic infraction on Oct. 27, 2023. While speaking to the officer, Harrison ate two multi-colored pills that were sitting on the center console, said police. When the officer asked if he just consumed MDMA, Harrison nodded in agreement before spitting out one of them, and then put his car in gear and sped away. CPD officers chased Harrison’s vehicle for more than 9 miles at speeds exceeding 100mph before Harrison finally stopped after almost flipping his vehicle. During the chase, an officer saw Harrison throw an object from his vehicle and notified other officers of the location, according to CPD. Columbia PD says officers recovered a 9mm pistol from the location where the officer saw it being thrown. Harrison is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions. In 2011, he was convicted of criminal conspiracy related to an armed robbery, and in 2012, he was convicted of misprision of a felony related to a murder. Most recently, Harrison was convicted of the same federal firearm offense in 2016. His sentence came after the government made a motion for an upward variance based on the extremely reckless nature of the chase and the number of firearm-related offenses Harrison has been convicted of in recent years. The judge granted the motion in part, which allowed her to sentence Harrison above the sentencing guidelines applicable to his case. Categories: Local News, Richland Tags: Columbia Police Department