Police: Third Winston Road suspect won't face murder charges
After fleeing gunshots on Calvin Avenue, investigators say three teenagers decided to wait more than an hour before seeking out Terrance Jamal Streeter for allegedly stealing a .40-caliber Glock.
Their decision to wait and retrieve weapons, instead of seeking police assistance, clears Streeter of murder charges in the Winston Road shootout that left 16-year-old Christopher Jones dead, officials said Thursday.
“No matter what you did, after a certain time passes you have the right to defend yourself,” Investigative Services Maj. Gil Slouchick said. “If this had been a continuing thing, they would have all been brought up on murder charges. In this case, our contention is we have probable cause that (Jones) died as a direct result of the felony.”
Streeter, 18, faced three counts of aggravated assault, one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime during a Thursday morning Columbus Recorder’s Court hearing.
He surrendered to Columbus police on Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The other suspects in the case, Jaquan Harris and Jamal Scott, are being held at the Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center on felony murder, aggravated assault and other charges after a judge denied bond on the murder charges during a Tuesday morning hearing.
Harris and Scott are 14 and 15 years old, though police have not disclosed which is younger.
Slouchick said Streeter’s three aggravated assault charges reflect only the first half of the events that transpired Aug. 21. Around 9 p.m., Harris, Scott and Jones were selling a .40-caliber Glock from a stolen 2012 Hyundai Sonata on Calvin Avenue, according to earlier court testimony.
Streeter, who at first appeared to be interested in the Glock, gave the weapon back to Harris after inspecting it, a detective told the court on Thursday.
Before leaving, Streeter quickly lunged into the car and grabbed the gun from Harris’ lap. Police say he then fled and fired several shots back at the vehicle, a detective told the court.
More than an hour later, Harris, Scott and Jones armed themselves with an AK-47 and two handguns and went searching for Streeter. Police said they eventually found him on a Winston Road front porch and opened fire.
During the exchange, police believe Streeter appeared to have shot Jones fatally in the head.
Slouchick said that the elapsed time is crucial for determining whether Streeter committed a crime on Winston Road.
“Had it been a continuing incident, it would have been something completely different. But it wasn’t,” Slouchick said. “What they should have done after he shot at them was go to police.”
Although Streeter fired the fatal shot, Slouchick said Harris and Scott bear felony murder charges in the case because Jones’ death happened during the commission of a felony they instigated.
After Streeter shot Jones, the teens crashed the Hyundai on Winston Road. Detectives testified in court Tuesday that police found dozens of bullets on the scene and in the bullet-riddled Hyundai.
No bullets seemed to come from the loaded AK-47, which police later said they learned Harris was unable to wield due to lack of experience.
Streeter is expected to receive a violation of probation charge, as he was convicted in April of theft by receiving stolen property, carrying a weapon without a license and possession of a pistol by a minor. He was given five years probation after pleading guilty.
Judge Michael Cielinski set Streeter’s bond at $110,000. His case will be bound over to the Muscogee County Superior Court.
This story was originally published August 28, 2014 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Police: Third Winston Road suspect won't face murder charges."