Jewelry theft suspect arrested downtown after store owner fires two shots

An attempted robbery of a downtown Columbus jewelry store on Saturday afternoon ended with the store owner firing two shots at the suspect during a chase that ended on the Chattahoochee Riverwalk.

Around 1:30 p.m. a Hispanic man entered Jimmy’s Fine Jewelry in 1100 block of Broadway and asked to look at a $7,500 Rolex watch that was in the display case. The man was shown the watch, snatched it and began to run, said owner Jimmy Wire.

Wire chased the suspect, a man who appeared to be in his 20s, down Broadway and then 12th Street.

Police later identified the man as John Paul Dube, 22. He was charged with robbery.

“He stopped for a second and looked like he had a gun,” Wire said. “I pulled my gun out and shot into the ground. And he took off running.”

Wire continued the chase along the side of the Eagle & Phenix condominiums onto the riverwalk.

“I chased him down to the rocks by the mill; I shot above his head and told him to hit the ground,” Wire said.

The second shot was into a wall at the base of the Eagle & Phenix complex. Another man on the riverwalk help Wire subdue the suspect.

Charges are not expected to be filed against Wire, said Columbus Police Sgt. Lawrence Singleton. Wire was briefly detained then released after multiple witnesses were interviewed.

The theft suspect, John Paul Dube Jr. of Columbus, was taken into custody and charged in connection with the robbery.

No one was injured, Singleton said.

The incident came as three major events were getting underway downtown: a mountain bike race in the 1000 block of Broadway, a burgers and beer event on Bay Avenue near the river, and a paddleboard competition on the Chattahoochee River.

There was a large law enforcement and emergency medical presence from 12th Street to the river, where Dube was arrested.

The original 911 call reported a fight on Broadway and that someone had been shot, Singleton said.

The incident remains under investigation by Columbus police.

This story was originally published June 3, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Jewelry theft suspect arrested downtown after store owner fires two shots."