Columbus Police Seek Suspect, Two Others Charged With Resisting

Holliness

Smith

Young

FROM COLUMBUS POLICE

On 23 April 2013, at approximatley 1800 hours patrol officers were advised by Investigators to head toward the area of 7th avenue North to help them locate a suspect named Lemarcus Smith. The officer was advised the subject was riding in a Silver 4 door car with tinted windows, possibly a Toyota Camry, with another male, whose name was Justin Holliness. At approximately 1820 hours, another officer advised on the radio Justin Holliness had an arrest warrant through Circuit Court. The officer was patrolling West on 7th avenue around 15th Street when he saw a Silver Toyota fitting the description of the vehicle coming East towards him. The driver of the car turned South on 15th Street and pulled into the parking lot of the Spot Light Lounge. The officer made contact with the driver and asked him if his name was Justin Holliness, he said yes. The officer told him he was under arrest for an outstanding warrant through circuit court. As the officer pulled his handcuffs out of the holder, Justin charged at him in an aggressive manner. The officer ordered Justin several times to stop resisting and to place his hands behind his back. Justin blatantly ignored the orders and continued to resist arrest. When the officer radioed for assistance, Justin hit the officer on left side of his face with his right fist. This broke the officer’s grip and allowed Justin to run away.

As Justin ran North East through the back of the parking lot towards 7th Avenue, the officer was close behind Justin, pulled his taser out and deployed it. Justin’s momentum carried him over a bush and onto the ground. The officer grabbed Justin around the legs to keep him from fleeing. At this point, the officer noticed another officer running to assist with putting Justin into custody.

During the search incident to arrest Justin, one of the officers found a green leafy substance that fell from Justin’s right pant leg area. They also found on the floor of the driver’s side of the vehicle, a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana and a device used to split cigar. Justin was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana, Resisting Arrest, Hindering Prosecution, and Violation of Parole. When Justin was being searched at the L.C.A.D.C, the officers found a white substance consistence with cocaine on him, so an additional charge was added, Possession of Cocaine.

The passenger in the vehicle LeMarcus Demon Smith fled the scene. He is also wanted on outstanding warrants, Aggravated Assault and Weapon Possession by a convicted Felon. If anyone has information on him, please contact the Columbus Police Department at 662-244-3500 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151.

In an unrelated incident, on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 1410 hours, an officer was sitting at 3rd Avenue North watching the stop sign at MLK Jr. North when he noticed a white car approaching the stop sign. The white Mercury Grand Marquis with a brown top slowed down but did not stop at the stop sign. He, then, pulled in behind the car on MLK Jr. and initiated a traffic stop. The car turned onto 5th Avenue North, pulled to the side of the road, and took off again at a high rate of speed. The vehicle turned on to 7th Avenue North running the stop sign at 26th Street and 7th Avenue. The officer stayed behind the vehicle at a safe distance with blue lights and sirens on until he was directed to call off the pursuit. At that point, he turned off the blue lights and sirens and stayed back just enough to keep the vehicle in sight. The vehicle ran the stop sign at Moss and 14th Avenue and turned on Shady Street. He noticed the vehicle was pulling to the left hand side of the road as if the driver was about to bail out, so the officer sped up a little so he could see which direction the driver went. The vehicle pulled back into the roadway and went south on Shady Street, turned left onto Division Street running the stop sign, and ran the stop sign at Division Street and Waterworks Road. A foot chase ensued. The subject ran North on 21 Street North, the officer and the cut him off in a drive way right before getting back to 3rd Avenue. The subject turned onto 2nd Avenue and tried to jump a fence, where he got caught up on the fence. The subject was placed in custody. The officers went back to where the subject dropped something while he was running, the officers found a battery to the subject’s phone. The subject had a set of scales in his pocket with marijuana residue. The subject was identified as Mr. Sammy Lee Young Jr. Mr. Young would not give consent to search his vehicle and denied being in the vehicle. Mr. Young stated someone stole the vehicle and was bringing it back to him because they knew he was in the area. Mr. Young was arrested and charged with five counts of Disobeying a traffic control device, Reckless driving, Failure to yield to blue lights, Suspended driver’s license, No insurance, Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of paraphernalia and Disobeying a police officer.