Greenville Couple Arrested in Anderson After Trying to Run Cop Down in Stolen Pick-Up
From the Independent Mail:
ANDERSON COUNTY — The driver and passenger involved in a police chase that reached 70 mph through downtown Anderson and Honea Path, have been charged. The chase happened early Wednesday.
The driver, Franklin Keith Graham, 25, of 360 Fairforrest Way, Greenville faces charges from the Anderson Police Department and the Honea Path Police Department.
In Anderson, Graham has been charged with grand larceny with a value of $2,000 to $10,000, said Sgt. Tony Tilley, spokesman for the Anderson Police Department. Graham also was charged with failure to stop for a blue light, driving under suspension and possession of methamphetamine.
Honea Path police charged Graham with second degree assault because he used his car as a weapon when he drove toward an officer, according to Police Chief David B. King. Graham was also charged with malicious damage for using his car to hit an Anderson Police cruiser.
Graham’s passenger, Melanie Renee Ferguson, 27, of Greer has been charged with accessory to felony.
Surprise! Meth was involved. At least no one was hurt.
Breaking News! Thieves Break into Cars When the Opportunity Arises
The Anderson Police department released a warning that is becoming familiar to Americans around shopping season these days. Apparently thieves will steal stuff from your car if you park somewhere isolated enough for them to do so unseen!
No, really!
And sometimes if you leave the doors unlocked of the windows down they’ll just help themselves to whatever is in your car!
This is shocking news to many of you I know so I’ll give you a chance to digest these nuggets. Later, when you’re ready, we’ll talk about the dangers of getting into windowless vans with strange men.
Lock your doors, and park close to mall entrances where security is more likely to be patrolling. If you have a substantial haul that looks tempting put it in the trunk or drop it of at home and resume shopping.
Why Did Corey Mendez Martin Kill Gary Gaines?
17-year-old Gary Gaines was out cruising Friday morning a little after midnight in Anderson. Unlike many out at that hour, Gary and the driver, his friend Shaquille Scott, were not doing anything illegal or starting trouble. Police say that drugs and alcohol were not found at the scene, and they don’t believe Gary Gaines was involved in gang activity.
So why did Corey Martin fire into the car that night, striking Gaines in the chest and killing him?
It’s been reported that Corey Martin and Gary Gaines were acquaintances, but otherwise there is no motive for the shooting. Martin was arrested later that day, but as of now if he told police why he shot Gaines they aren’t saying. Was Martin out late one night looking for trouble and finding Gaines or was he looking for Gaines? Or was Gaines caught in the crossfire of a beef between Martin and the driver Shaquille Scott?
Ultimately it doesn’t matter, because a 17-year-old is dead. He didn’t deserve to die and Martin didn’t have the right to kill him. The reasons behind this shooting may be interesting, but they aren’t important. Justice is.
Store Clerk Fends of Armed Gunman … With Hot Lead
Fox Carolina’s headline is a bit misleading. They say “Two shot During Robbery Attempt in Anderson” but what they fail to mention is that the clerk gunned down the robber after the thug shot him. The clerk was only shot in the hand so this is a happy ending and yet another victory for the Second Amendment:
The shooting happened at the Eastside Food Mart at 609 E. Whitner Street at about 11 a.m.
Randall Williams, of the Anderson Police Department, said that a 17-year-old walked into the store armed with a gun. He said that the clerk pulled out his own gun and a shootout began.
Williams said that the clerk was shot in the hand. He said the teen was shot in the chest and arm and ran out of the store. He said that the teen was later found collapsed on Jefferson Street.
I’m glad the clerk was able to exercise his Constitutional rights and defend himself.
Update: The Independent Mail reports that the owner is fine and back on the job:
ANDERSON — A store owner in Anderson was shot and he returned fire this morning shooting at least one person.
The shootings happened inside the Eastside Foodmart store at 609 Whitner St. and Dickens Avenue.
The store owner, an Ethiopian man whose name and age have not been released by police, was shot in the hand. He was back at his store around 12:30 p.m. with a bandaged right hand.
The owner shot a black male between 17 and 18 years old in the chest and wrist, according to Randall Williams, public information officer for the city of Anderson Police Department. Police have not released the name of that man.
That man went from the store to a friend’s house at 114 Jefferson Ave, Williams said.
He was taken from the Jefferson Avenue scene by ambulance to AnMed Health Medical Center.
[...]
The store has been opened for about a week or a week and a half and is a typical community grocery-type store, said Dale Powell, who lives nearby but was not around when the shooting happened.
“They’re nice people,” Powell said, about the owner and his wife.
And we wish them the best.
Two Teens Caught on Burglary and Arson Spree
I’m going to go out on a limb and say maybe these two needed a bit more supervision:
“Had they gotten inside the church, I don’t know what would’ve been done,” Rev. Larry Cox, Pastor of Homeland Park Baptist Church said.
He stood inside the church nursery where there was a smashed glass window which had to be boarded. Deputies with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office said it was all done by two boys, a 13 and 14 years old.
“I do want them to know that I don’t hate them. We can’t hate children and would like for them to get their lives straightened out,” Cox said.
Investigators said the two boys first broke into a shed at the church’s family life center.
“We believe that they broke the glass out and got that diesel fuel that they used to try and set the school on fire with it,” said youth minister, Jason Lingefelt.
He said he got the call Monday morning around 4:00 a.m. and rushed over. He said a five-gallon diesel canister was swiped from the shed.
[...]
Investigators said that’s when the boys walked about a mile to Homeland Park Elementary School and tried to set it on fire.
“I woke up, it was about 3:00 a.m. ., but it was all quiet out here then, ” said Boyce Baughn, who lives next door to the school.
However, investigators said that’s not the case and they found burned pieces of paper and church tithing envelopes at the scene.
“It’s Homeland Park, it’s just wild down here,” Leslie Day, another neighbor said.
Indeed. A 13 and 14-year-old wandering around in the wee hours of the morning should not only have raised eyebrows, but maybe led to a police report when the parents noticed their little darlings were missing. Granted kids like to sneak out, but I’m going to assume that by the time your kids work their way up to burning churches and elementary schools there may have been some signs that you needed to keep a closer eye on them.
Greenville Online is reporting that each of the boys are facing second-degree arson charges and three counts of second-degree burglary.
The Independent Mail is reporting an interesting fact that may mean the kids weren’t as malevolent as the case makes them sound:
The fire alarm inside the storage room was pulled around 2:30 a.m., according to the report.
[...]
“After they tried to start the fire at the school and pulled the alarm, it looks like they ran over to the church,” Tribble said. “Apparently, they broke into the family life center there, where they tried to start another fire. People driving by the church saw them trying to break in to another building on the church property and called 911. That’s when the deputies found the boys and took them into custody.”
Pulling alarms seems like a ploy to ensure the fires don’t get out of control. On the other hand the same report goes on to claim the kids are being looked at for other fires.
Hmmm. Two teens out late at night doing something stupid? Anyone think maybe drugs and alcohol were involved?