Following 23 years of service to the department, including a year as its leader, Steven Jonas will retire as police chief for the town of Congaree, according to town officials.
Jonas’ retirement comes a month after he was involved in a two-vehicle collision, where an investigation revealed that Jonas suffered an unforeseen medical event while operating his patrol vehicle, causing him to strike another vehicle after veering left from the center lane on South Beltline Boulevard in Columbia on Aug. 27.
Jonas, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years, joined the police department in the small town near the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in 2002 a news release said. He was appointed chief in August 2024…