Charges have been filed in a robbery as well as an incident where a vehicle fled police and a man allegedly fired a shot at officers, according to a news release from Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.
Raymond Vassie, 30, faces 11 felony counts: two counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree assault/attempted assault on a law enforcement officer, first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Josh Black, 20, is charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
According to court records, on May 20, 2016, police were dispatched to Shoe Box on Blue Ridge Boulevard regarding a business robbery. Court records say suspects fled the business and entered a red colored SUV with out-of-state tags. Vassie and Black were two of the suspects in the robbery, according to court records.
On May 22, 2016, police were dispatched to a Boost Mobile on Blue Ridge Boulevard on a reported armed robbery. A witness told police they saw suspects flee in a red Ford Expedition SUV with Texas license plates. Detectives then issued a stop order on the vehicle.
According to court documents, officers located the Ford Expedition on May 23, 2016. A car follow was initiated waiting for other assisting officers to respond. An officer who was in the area attempted to throw stop sticks. The suspect avoided them and began accelerating in an attempt to elude police. Court records say the suspect driver, later determined to be Vassie, drove at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at numerous traffic signs and lights, forced other drives off the road and left the roadway, causing property damage.
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According to court records, officers said they saw Vassie pointing a gun out the driver’s side window and firing at least one round at officers. The round missed and Vassie later threw the gun from the car.
Court records say Vassie pulled over at 63rd and 71 Highway and began complying with officers. Vassie admitted to fleeing police and denied firing a round at officers, but he did admit to having handled the gun that was recovered by officers following the pursuit. Vassie denied committing either robbery, according to court records.
Prosecutors have requested a bond of $200,000 for Vassie and $75,000 for Black.
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