Several years ago while working as the Chief of the Narcotics and Violent Crimes Unit in Johnston (Great title, but I was the Narcotics and Violent Crimes Unit), a part of my responsibilities was that of court officer. As such during Edgefield County's two week per quarter Circuit Court I had to be at the courthouse early every morning and sometimes late into the night as we met with the Grand Jury, discussed cases, interviewed witnesses, prepared for the next day's session, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, on one such long night it seems I had just got home, grabbed a quick bite to eat and climbed into bed when the phone rang. I looked at the clock and it was about 1:00 am. Dispatch was calling stating there had been an armed robbery at the all night convenience store in town and one of the clerks had been injured. A patrol unit was on the scene and EMS was en route. I grabbed my gear, jumped into my police car and headed to town. When I got there I spoke with the uniformed officer and then talked with the clerks. One of the clerks pushed one of the robbers away and told him she wasn't giving him "S..." He hit her across the face with a Mac 10 type weapon knocking her to the floor. She wasn't seriously injured and refused to go to the hospital. EMS treated her on the scene and left. While I was interviewing the clerks they told me that about 20 minutes before the robbery two guys had come into the store and asked if I was working that night. They told them they hadn't seen me so they didn't believe I was on duty. The clerks told me they believed they were the same two who robbed them. If a crook won't pull a robbery if I'm working.....well what can I say? We went back and reviewed the tape. They had purposely avoided looking toward the camera but, sure enough, when we continued playing the tape until the robbery the two that came in were wearing the same clothes but this time they had bandanas over their faces and hoods pulled up over their heads. When the one robber hit the woman in the face he went down onto his knees to get right up in her face, again demanding she open the safe. When he did his bandana came down. Instead of pulling it up immediately he turned around looking for the camera to see if it had caught him. Perfect picture. I still couldn't identify the second suspect so I called the County Narcotics Investigator. He seemed to know everyone in town and he did this one, "That's his younger brother."
Later that morning I had to be back in court so when I got a break I went to the Judge and obtained warrants against both the suspects for the armed robbery, assault, using a firearm during the commission of a crime and a couple more for good measure.
I had no problem locating the leader of the two since he was sitting in the back of the courtroom waiting to have his case come up on an earlier arrest where he had burglarized a business and I happened to come up during the break-in. He ran from the store with me in hot pursuit. When he got to a fence at the back of the business he pulled what turned out to be a sawed-off .410 shotgun from a gym bag where he had stashed his loot. I pulled my weapon, pointed it at him and told him to drop it. He did, along with the gym bag, and he jumped the fence. I didn't continue the chase and got the shotgun and gym bag. When I got back to my office I checked the bag and found several items he had stolen along with a picture ID of him including his address.
You shouldn't be allowed to be that stupid twice. The court did give him a lengthy sentence to try to learn his trade a little better before he returns to society.
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