Columbus police: Robbers hid in home after 50 shots were fired at pawnshop

The three men accused in pawn shop armed robbery where more than 50 shots were fired were arrested after a standoff at a Columbus residence, according to testimony Friday in Recorder’s Court.

Jamal Head, 23, Marquis Johnson, 20, Quantavius Pigler, 21, were taken into custody after two of them allegedly fired at least 30 shots during a gunfight with an employee.

Columbus police were called to the Village Pawn Shop at 937 Fort Benning Road around 11 a.m. Wednesday to investigate an armed robbery.

Detective Brad Hall said Pigler and Johnson entered the business armed with a handgun and rifle. They robbed the store and headed out the door with cash.

An employee pulled out a gun and began shooting at the suspects as they were leaving. A gunfight between the employee and suspects followed. More than 50 shots were fired, with the robbers allegedly shooting at least 30 times.

No one was harmed.

Hall said the suspects left in a black Toyota Rav4 that was waiting in the parking lot. Head was behind the wheel, according to police.

An officer who wasn’t dressed in uniform stopped the men in the 200 block of 23rd Avenue. The suspects allegedly hid in the residence of Pigler’s mother, leading to a standoff with officers from various divisions of the police department outside of the home.

Detective Brad Hall said they knocked on the door and demanded entrance. He said Veronica Pigler, one robbery suspect’s 59-year-old mother, answered the front door but wouldn’t allow law enforcement inside.

She said she was the only one in the house and told them to leave. She also said the Rav4 in her yard had been there all morning, Hall testified.

Hall said he saw all three suspects leave the residence through the back door, and he demanded them to stop. He said two of them allegedly fled into the woods, but Pigler complied.

Pigler, Head and Johnson were taken into custody on the scene.

Officials obtained a search warrant for the Rav4, where they allegedly found a drawer to a cash register. Hall said large amounts of money were also found on all three suspects.

In the woods, officials located an assault rifle and 5mm pistol that they believe were used in the pawn shop incident.

Hall said Pigler admitted to being on the scene of the crime, but the other didn’t talk to authorities.

The men were charged with count of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

After pleading not guilty to all charges, they were ordered held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail. Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Superior Court.

Veronica Pigler was also arrested at her 23rd Avenue home. She faces one count each of obstruction and giving false information.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 1:32 PM with the headline "Columbus police: Robbers hid in home after 50 shots were fired at pawnshop."