Man Robs Bank, Commits Suicide After Pursuit

Following a bank robbery in Concord Friday afternoon, the suspect ended his life after he was chased by Concord police.

The BB&T on Harris Road was robbed by a man shortly after 5:00 Friday. After showing a handgun, the suspect fled on foot and was chased by responding police officers. The pursuit ended about one half mile from the bank when the suspect entered a home's garage on NW Lolabridge Street. Authorities say they aren't sure if the suspect had some kind of association with that address.

Once in the garage, the robbery suspect used his gun on himself, ending his life. No other people were injured in the incident, and the Concord police responding never fired their weapons.

Authorities have declared that until the suspect has been identified and his family notified, they won't release any more information about this case.

Chase, Crash & Death on the Brookshire Freeway

Shortly before 7:30 p.m. on January 8, 2009 Eastway Division officers responded to a 911 call for service in reference to an armed robbery from person at 1705 Eastcrest Dr. The victim was robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped by two black male suspects; who fled the scene in a stolen red Ford Mustang. Approximately thirty minutes later, Eastway Division officers spotted the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop the vehicle. After the suspect vehicle refused to stop for officers; officers initiated a vehicle pursuit. They lost sight of the suspect vehicle and due to the high rate of speed officers terminated the vehicle pursuit.

While continuing to canvass the area for the suspect vehicle; officers encountered a vehicle collision in the 200 block of W Brookshire Frwy., which involved the suspect vehicle. A plain clothed City of Gastonia Officer stopped to render aid to the parties involved in the collision. Then as CMPD officers arrived they witnessed an altercation between the suspects and a plain clothed City of Gastonia officer. This encounter involved a carjacking between the suspect and the Gastonia officer. During the carjacking shots were fired by the officer striking the suspect, the suspect gained control of the officer’s vehicle, and sped off crashing the vehicle into an overhead highway sign post a short distance away.

Upon impact, the vehicle burst into flames, one suspect fled the scene and the second suspect was pulled from the burning vehicle by CMPD officers. The suspect who was pulled from the vehicle was pronounced deceased on scene and the second suspect was taken into police custody at 3113 Southwest Blvd, Apt #4 after an extensive search conducted by several CMPD officers.

Once suspect identification and family notification has been made their name will be released. In addition, the second suspect’s name will be released once he is formally charged.

CMPD Homicide detectives and the HITS unit will be conducting the investigation and interviewing witnesses to determine the exact sequence of events that occurred during this incident. Crime Scene Search responded and is processing the scene for physical evidence. The exact cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Repeat Offenders Jailed After High Speed Chase...

Three young men attempted to burglarize a home in Cornelius this morning and ended up in a high-speed chase with police officers.

It all started when a woman called police around 10:30 this morning. She heard a knock at her door and saw three black males in an unfamiliar SUV parked in her driveway. She opened her upstairs window and loudly told the burglars she wasn't going to answer her door. The burglars took off... but not before she got the tag number. Of course, the SUV they were driving was stolen!

A short time later, an officer spotted the vehicle in a nearby neighborhood. He attempted to stop the vehicle but the suspects took off. Officers chased the car down Old Statesville Road towards Huntersville. Huntersville Officers deployed stop sticks- which flattened the SUV's tires. The suspects finally stopped in a residential neighborhood.

The suspects jumped from the stolen SUV and carjacked two Huntersville Public Works employees at gunpoint. The suspects sped away in a city truck towing a trailer carrying a lawn mower. Officers chased the suspects from I-77 to Harris Boulevard and then South on Statesville Road.

During the chase, the suspects drove carelessly at a high rate of speed. They ran several cars off the road and travelled on the wrong side of the road to pass other vehicles. Finally, the suspects jackknifed the truck and jumped and ran from the vehicle. (Watch Raw Video of the Chase)

Police chased the suspects on foot and caught all three. Marquis Gaines, 17, (Top Photo) Timothy Hines, 18 (Middle Photo) & Steven Staples, 18 (Bottom Photo) are facing a long list of charges... It didn't stop them from laughing on camera as they were hauled off to jail.

I know this may surprise you... all three men are career criminals. Police say they are investigating the suspects to see if they were involved in other robberies and break-in's in the area.

Drug Suspect Runs from Police

Early this morning, police officers conducting a drug investigation attempted to stop Darrian Perry (R) on Kendall Drive.

Police say Perry attempted to strike the officers with his vehicle and fled the scene. A short vehicle pursuit ensued and stop sticks were deployed which successfully stopped the suspect vehicle.

Perry was taken into custody after resisting arrest and being tased. Perry is charged with four counts of assault on an officer, flee to elude arrest, DUI and various drug charges.

UPDATE: Carjackers Shoot at Police & Officer Returns Fire

UPDATE III: Anthony Crawford (R) was released from the hospital and booked into the Mecklenburg County jail today. He is charged with three counts of assault on a Gov't Official with a gun, three counts of robbing an individual with a dangerous weapon, one count of first degree sex offense and going armed to the terror of the people. His bond is set at $260,000.

UPDATE II: The identities of the three subjects involved in the carjacking and officer shooting have been released. The man who fired shots at the officer and was shot in return is named Anthony Jamel Crawford.

The other two culprits involved in the carjacking were Russell Gibson (Middle) & Grayland Welch (Bottom) Not surprisingly, all three men have a criminal history.

UPDATE I: Police located and arrested the third robbery suspect. They are looking into the possibility that other suspects are involved, so the identities will be released after detectives have made contact with victims and witnesses from the robberies.

Original Post_________10/08/2007_________________________
On October 8th, three thugs went on an armed robbery spree in East Charlotte. Police caught two of the three suspects two hours later. One of the suspects fired shots at a police officer and the officer fired back- hitting & injuring the suspect. The second suspect was apprehended when a police K-9 tracked him down and bit him.

The robbery spree started around 2:30 am. Police say a Hispanic couple were robbed at gunpoint by three black males at 5900 Monroe Road. In addition, the female victim was sexually assaulted by one of the suspects. The suspects fled the scene on foot headed towards Florence Avenue.

At 3:00 am, four suspects robbed a Hispanic woman at gunpoint at 5300 Independence Blvd. The robbers stole the woman's black 1997 GMC Jimmy during the robbery.

One hour later, a CMPD Officer spotted the stolen vehicle on Independence Blvd near Albemarle Road. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle and the thugs took off. A police chase ensued until the three suspects dumped the car on Florence Avenue and ran.

As police officers pursued the suspects on foot, one of the suspects shot at an officer. The Officer returned fire and hit him. (Note to thugs: police officers train with their weapons so they will always have better aim!!) The second suspect was apprehended by a police dog a short distance away. Police are still searching for the third suspect.

Two Men Shoot at CMPD Officer

UPDATE: 10/13/07: Avram Massey was released from jail after paying his bond. Hopefully, the mere 10 days he spent in county jail will remind him not to shoot at police officers!

Early Monday morning, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer responded to a call at an apartment complex (Camden at Timber Creek Apartments) on Scaleybark Road. The person who called 911 saw two men breaking into cars in the parking lot.

When the two men, Avram Massey, 23, and Jonathan McInnis, 18, saw the police car, they fired several shots at the officer & shot several cars in the parking lot.

After shooting at the officer, the two men took off and led police on a chase until they crashed at the intersection of Runnymede Lane and Sharon Road. Officers quickly apprehended the two suspects. McInnis was injured in the crash and transported to the hospital.

Here is the kicker... a Mecklenburg County Magistrate set Massey's bond at a mere $62,000! If you've read this site and looked at arrest records for any given time, you will know this is an extremely low bond for this type of offense.

Considering these two men could have hit the officer- I am appalled to see such a low bond. I can only imagine how CMPD Officers feel about this!

Police Chase Ends in Crash & Capture

Terrell Thomas, 21 and Ebony Oates, 22, robbed the Nile Beauty Supply Store at gunpoint this afternoon and fled the scene in a silver Buick car. CMPD Officers were alerted to the suspects vehicle description and a short time later, an officer spotted the suspects at the intersection Statesville & Sunset Roads.

The Officer attempted to stop the vehicle but the suspects continued driving and a pursuit began. The chase remained at low speeds as the suspects led officers through the University area onto Old Concord Rd. The couple then intentionally drove off the road towards the railroad tracks, crashed the car and ran towards the woods.

The getaway vehicle burst into flames shortly after the suspects ran from the vehicle. The suspects were caught a short time later. Police say the two armed robbers are believed to be involved in other armed robberies in the area. WCNC captured the crash and the fleeing suspects: Video of Crash

Repeat Offender Leads Police on High Speed Chase

Carlos Devon White, 30, is the man who led police on the 30 minute chase yesterday in the University area of Charlotte. If you view the video of the chase, you will see White driving on the wrong side of the road and across medians. It is amazing he did not cause more than one accident or seriously injure someone.

It all started early yesterday morning when a woman was robbed of her red Dodge pickup truck. She was not in the running truck at the time but was nearby and saw White jump in. The woman tried to get in the passenger side of the vehicle to stop the theft. Carlos White dragged the woman for a short while and she broke her foot. The woman fell out of the truck and White sped off.

Later the in day, shortly before 4 pm, CMPD officers spotted the stolen pickup. White and a woman were in the truck. The police followed the pickup and called in the helicopter to follow the truck. At one point, the woman passenger jumped out of the truck and was injured. (See photo with fire truck) The chase lasted nearly 30 minutes before police used stop sticks to deflate the truck's tires. Shortly after White ran over the stop sticks, the red truck came to a stop. Police moved in and arrested Carlos White.

As usual, Carlos White is a habitual repeat offender. According to NC Department of Corrections records, White has 42 arrests since 1995. He serves his jail time- is released and continues his criminal behavior. In fact, White was released from prison last December after serving a year and a half in jail for causing an accident with serious injuries. He was also charged with DUI, driving a stolen vehicle and reckless driving.

Photographer Jonathan Jones was at the scene and took pictures of Carlos White, (in the police car) the stolen truck, and the scene where the woman passenger jumped out of the truck during the chase.

Police Catch Four Robbery Suspects

Four men robbed the Quik Mart located on Prosperity Church Road this morning. The four robbed an employee of his money and took money from the cash register. The store clerk was not hurt in the robbery.

After the robbery, the men jumped into their getaway car and tried to get away. However, police arrived on the scene, located the suspect vehicle and followed it. The robbers ran into some bad luck when they tried to get away. First, they got their car stuck in the mud and then they turned down a dead end street.

The men realized they were busted so they jumped and ran from their car. Police set up a perimeter and caught the suspects within minutes on Falls Ridge Lane. One of the robbers was a juvenile and the other three were adults. Two of the men are said to be students at Derita Alternative School.

High Speed Chase Ends in Charlotte

David Keith Spalty, 33, led Mint Hill police on a high-speed chase from Mint Hill to Woodcrest Avenue in South Charlotte this afternoon. Matthews Police and the State Highway Patrol were involved in the chase and the CMPD helicopter assisted, but CMPD officers were not involved.

Police say the chase began around 4 pm on Willgrove-Mint Hill Road when Mint Hill police officers attempted to stop a stolen blue pick-up truck. The driver of the truck (Spalty) sped away from officers with a female passenger in the front seat.

If you watch the video of the chase- you see the the truck driving in the wrong lane, weaving through traffic, driving up on curbs and even collides with a mini-van. Thankfully, the woman in the mini-van was not hurt.

The truck finally stopped at a south Charlotte home and the man and woman got out. The two casually wandered through the backyards of homes in the Wilmore neighborhood before they were captured by a CMPD officer. Police have not charged the female passenger in the truck.

Spalty has a long arrest record in Mecklenburg, Union and Cabarrus County. NC DOC records show Spalty spent some time in jail in 2000, 2001 and 2005. He was convicted of breaking and entering into motor vehicles, possession of burglary tools and felony B&E.

In December of 2004, CMPD busted Spalty with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen goods, B&E, possession of heroin, larceny, flee to elude arrest and many other charges. When Spalty wasn't in jail in 2005, he was arrested three times in Union County, with similar charges.

One additional thing I would like to mention is how much Spalty has aged in the past 6 years. The photo on the right is a mugshot taken by Cabarrus County in 2000. The mugshot shown at the top of this post is from today.

Spalty is only 33 years old but looks much older. I cannot confirm this in Spalty's case but many times the 'aged' look is related to drug use and 'street' life. Video of the Chase: WBTV, WSOC-TV (photo)

Police Arrest Murder Suspect

CMPD officers were busy chasing murder and robbery suspects today. Police believe the men they were chasing may have gunned down a man at Waterford Creek Apartments in east Charlotte around 8:15 pm Sunday.

The second possible case involving the suspects is a robbery at a convenience store on Albemarle Road on Saturday morning. In both cases, a similar vehicle was involved. The vehicle was reported stolen on Nov 20th. Police have not said these crimes are definitely connected.

It all began when police said they tried to pull over two men in a white Jeep Cherokee on Pineburr Road. Officers said the men refused to pull over, but the vehicle came to a stop after a tire popped near an apartment complex off Monroe Road near McAlpine Creek. The suspect and a passenger jumped out and ran. They caught the passenger of the car quickly. Police do not know if the passenger was involved in these crimes but they brought him in for questioning.

Police obtained information on the suspect and found out the suspect lived near where the chase began. As police began their search, Reverse 911 calls went out to people who live in the area- telling people to stay in their house. SWAT, K-9, undercover officers, detectives and uniformed officers canvased the neighborhood looking for the suspect.

The SWAT team surrounded the suspects house and gained entry only to discover the suspect ran into the woods. Police quickly found their suspect hiding in the woods. He was arrested and brought downtown for questioning about what happened Sunday night when Baltazar Francisco Sebastian was gunned down steps away from his home.

Auto Theft Suspect Shot & Killed

According to police, CMPD Officers responded to a call for service around 9 pm on Sunday regarding a burglary on North Tryon Street at Queen City Customs.

The caller indicated two males had broken in and stolen a brown truck. CMPD officers arrived at that location and observed the fencing had been damaged.

Other police officers in the area spotted the suspect vehicle and attempted to make a stop. When the vehicle failed to stop, officers turned off emergency equipment (lights and sirens) called for back up and attempted to follow the vehicle. Officers lost sight of the vehicle, began patrolling area neighborhoods and located the vehicle near Dalecrest Drive off North Graham Street near I-85.

As officers approached the suspect vehicle, they observed the vehicle traveling in reverse for several blocks. When the suspect vehicle stopped, officers got out of their vehicles to approach the suspects. The driver of the stolen vehicle, Johnny Ray McNeal (L) accelerated and the truck struck a CMPD officer. The officer fired his service weapon one time at the vehicle.

The suspect vehicle continued to travel down Dalecrest Drive toward the intersection of Monmouth, hitting signs and mailboxes along the street before hitting a pole. Officers called for medical assistance. MEDIC rendered aid to the driver of the suspect vehicle, the passenger and the police officer.

Johnny McNeil, the driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The second suspect, Damion Nigel Smith (R) a passenger in the truck, was taken into custody and taken to Carolinas Medical Center. He was treated and released and transported to Police Headquarters. The CMPD officer was treated and released from Presbyterian Hospital. More Info.

Chase & Standoff Leads to Arrests

Police have apprehended and questioned seven people after a high-speed chase and armed standoff this afternoon. So far, three people have been arrested- two men and one woman. Photographer Jonathan Jones was on scene to provide us with shown photos.

Around 1:40 pm, police spotted a vehicle they believe was involved in recent robberies. The suspects attempted to evade the officers by speeding away. The four suspects led police on a high-speed chase that lasted for about fifteen minutes, during which the suspects sped along the interstate and then onto Billy Graham Parkway – where at one point they crossed the median and were driving the wrong way.

The chase ended after the car turned into the Steele Meadows subdivision. After crashing into two mailboxes, the four suspects jumped from the moving vehicle. Two suspects were arrested immediately with one arrested just outside the car. A second suspect attempted to enter a home through a back door, but did not gain entry. He ran into a wooded area behind the home and was caught by police.

The two remaining suspects hid inside a home near the crash scene and were believed to be armed. They remained holed up for over an hour as police surrounded the home. The SWAT team and negotiators were called to the scene.

Police said that the two men came out of the house and were arrested by police around 3:30 pm. According to police officials, three people were in the home when the suspects entered. All three were escorted from the home by SWAT. It is not clear if they had any involvement in the crimes.

Arrested:
* Eric R. Clay is facing several charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing arrest, reckless driving and speeding.
* Sharika Quanchez Byrd, who is pregnant, was charged with resisting arrest.
* Dave Cousart was charged with several outstanding warrants from offenses committed prior to today's incident.

**VIEW MORE PHOTOS
** VIEW VIDEO (WCNC)

Photos By: Jonathan Jones
News Source: News 14 Carolina

CMPD Police Chase

CMPD officers were involved in a police chase today involving a grey Mitsubishi. Police Officers tried to stop the driver in the vehicle at Sugarcreek Road around 12:15 pm. The vehicle in question was said to be used for various drug crimes. The driver of the vehicle would not pull over and the officer continued to follow him. After a distance, the officer called for backup and more police joined in the pursuit. The driver finally stopped at Arrowood Road.

Jonathan Jones took some great photos at the scene and you can see the officers talking to the subject and searching the vehicle.

Police Chase, Crash & Capture!

Around 11:30 this morning, police were called to Elwood Drive & W.T. Harris for a report of breaking and entering at a house. Police chased the suspects vehicle into the neighborhood when the suspect in the vehicle crashed into a CMPD Patrol car (photo right ~ by Jonathan Jones).

Two more individuals ran from the house on Elwood Drive and the CMPD K-9 unit and helicopter tracked the suspects and all three were arrested.

Photographer Jonathan Jones was at the scene and captured some great photos of the scene of the crime. How often do you get to see the mask the suspect was wearing (top left) or the crow bar they used to break in (right) or one of the suspects shoes left behind while he was running from police (lower left) Click on the photos to enlarge. Thank you Jonathan Jones!

In an unrelated case and at the same time the police searched for the individuals involved in the B&E, Mint Hill Police joined CMPD and tried to stop a silver vehicle in the area of the search.

The vehicle ran form the Mint Hill officer when he attempted to stop the car. The CMPD Helicopter followed the car and police were able to take all of the three suspects into custody.

Pair Lead CMPD on Chase

Charlotte- Mecklenburg Police arrested two suspects accused of larceny at the Wal-Mart on South Tryon Street. Officers said Marsh Everett Evans, Jr. (R) stole goods from inside the store and then got into a car driven by Zanthia Evelyn Kesseley (L).

When officers caught up with the suspects, Evans got out and ran from the car. Kesseley was arrested on scene. A CMPD canine unit was called out to assist in the search. The dog tracked down Evans. Both suspects are being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.

This is Evans 4th arrest in less than a year. All of the arrests were for larceny. Kesseley is on a crime streak herself, getting arrested 3 times in the past 3 months. Kesseley's charges include larceny, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, injury to personal property, communicating threats and more... One dynamic duo, aren't they? Source: WBTV

Police Chase Ends in Crash

A police chase early Thursday morning from Matthews to Charlotte reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour on I-485.

Police in Matthews attempted to pull over a silver Dodge Stratus on Weddington Road around 2:30 am when the car sped off. Police chased the car onto I-485 toward Pineville.

The driver of the Dodge Stratus lost control and crashed into the cables in the center median. He jumped and ran from the scene. His passenger was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The driver was located a short time later and was identified as 23-year-old Joshua Withers (R). Police charged him with fleeing to elude arrest, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving and resisting arrest. Withers has been arrested several times before. If you check out his arrest records, you will be shocked to know he was on the streets in the first place! Withers is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Source: WBTV