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BEECH ISLAND -- A Jackson bank robbery suspect has died after a shootout with police, and two other suspects are in custody. And police think the three may be linked to other area holdups.
Jelani Edwards, 30, of Aiken, was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with police, according to Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.
Two other suspects were taken into custody -- one soon after the robbery and another after police surrounded a house on Williams Way.
Jackson police would not identify them,however the Aiken County jail said two men facing armed robbery charges were booked tonight. Randolph Wilson, 23, and Paul Philip, 27, both of Beech Island, were the only people brought in on armed robbery charges.
Aiken County Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Myers said the robbery occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. today at First Citizens Bank at 401 Atomic Road. He said the suspects then led police on a chase toward the Georgia line that ended in a crash near the entrance to the Kimberly-Clark plant on Old Jackson Highway.
He said all three suspects jumped out, and one was taken immediately into custody. A second suspect, he said, came out with a pistol and fired at a Jackson Police Department officer, missing him. The Jackson officer returned fire, striking the suspect, Sgt. Myers said.
Sgt. Myers said Wednesday’s arrests might also help solve some other past armed robberies in the county.
“There is a high probability that this is going to clear up some of the other bank robberies we’ve had. That is good news,” he said, noting how a recent bank robbery in Langley is among three or four that “fits the bill.”
“It is like it’s almost movie like,” the sergeant said of the day’s events, which included a several-hours-long lockdown of Kimberly-Clark.
Sgt. Myers said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is now investigating the shooting that occurred. Sgt. Myers didn’t have the name of the Jackson officer who fired. A dispatcher at Jackson Police Department said no one was available there for comment. A page sent to Jackson Police Chief Dennis Rushton hasn’t been immediately returned. Sgt. Myers said the chief was out of town at the time of the incident and was headed back to the area.
Mr. Carlton said an autopsy is scheduled for Mr. Edwards for tomorrow morning in Newberry.
Comments
Trey Milton have you ever taken fire from a suspect then had to return it. Let me tell you fron experience its not like the range. You dont have time to get a good sight picture and take a breath as you squeeze the trigger. When you fired upon by a suspect you first take cover, then try to hit your target. Walk in their shoes before you make stupid comments. Goo job Jackson police officer. Enjoy your free vacation coming your way..
trey you are an idiot why don't you try returning fire while being shot at. you wouldn't know cause your dumb [filtered word] probably has only held a gun while in a tree trying to shoot a defensless deer
I had no idea this was going on. I live right across from Kimberly Clark and didn't hear any gunshots or anyone wreck. Hell, I didn't even hear any sirens.
Lmoa been holding a gun since I was big enough to hold it. No I have never been shot at. So you are right I don't know. Maybe we should buy them some moving targets. I do congratulate the Jackson Police department job well done. Hope the other idiot that escaped eats lead. Where is Mr. Swan when you need him?
If the only firearm training the police get is standing at the range then we are in a heap a trouble
I've heard that the Aiken County police have to qualify by shooting in low-light situations hitting moving targets, reloading, then hitting more targets. AND they have to have an extremely high accuracy in order to pass.
Awesome job by all of the local law dogs. They were quick to respond. I only wish they killed them all!
I'm praying for the officers and innocent bystanders.
I second the , "should have killed them all"!
I stand corrected, I hope the attempted murderer made his peace with God in his dying breath. The officer was courageous, enjoy your well earned paid vacation.
Philo-Publis I don't know where you got your information but it is totally inaccuarte. As for the AC your picture caption is wrong. It is Aiken County not Jackson County. It did happen in Jackson but that is a town. You would think that while attending four years at college getting a journalism degree, geography would be included. Perhaps facts should be proof-read before submittal. Also, can you say "run on sentence". It's called a "period", use it sometime. By the way, good job to all the Agencies that assisted in catching these morons. Even Richmond County got in on the action so kudos to them as well. And one more thing, now we only have to pay for two court trials instead of three, woohoo.
Yeah they fixed the caption. Still a run-on sentence though. I can't even read it aloud without running out of breath.
Running from the law is never very smart but pointing a gun and/or firing at an armed officer is just plain STUPID!! He probably promised his wife to pick up some stuff at the grocery store on the way home from his shift and he dang sure didn't plan to get in trouble! Good job officer!!
If these thugs tried that in Blackville, officers there would have shot all three of them.
Guess he should have zigged instead of zagged. I just wish the other scumbags had stuck around and shot it out as well. Maybe we could have saved some money on trials. God bless the officer involved because justified or not he still has to worry about taking another human life, wondering if he did everything right and wont go to jail etc.....AWESOME JOB TO ALL AGENCIES INVOLVED.
Yes, and HAD the Blackville officers shot all three, "willistownsc" would be screaming the loudest that their "rights" had been violated. What is it with liberals????
I bet the crazy dude looked like will smith, running and firing his weapon sideways. Makes for good video--will get a cap popped in your dumb [filtered word]!! boy rip!
mof, looks like the coroner's office needs to go on the fat boy/girl program!
It quite obvious to me that Trey Milton is an expert at everything in his own mind.
My job is to annoy you 1677! http://www.aikenstandard.com/results/0402-Bookings I guess forging lottery tickets didn't pay off either.
I'm not annoyed. I'm quite amused.
This is awesome... Good job folks
Good job and congrats to law enforcement! Another punk off the street. And . . . we don't have to pay to house and feed him in jail for years on end!
Shoot to kill, $1.00, hit the mark, $500.00, dead perp----PRICELESS!!!!!!!
What a shame the police officers didn't kill the other two. If that had been done we could have made a dent in jail overcrowding. I recall my old pal Jesse Jackson complaining a while back about the number of young black males in jail. The way to stay out of jail, and out of the cemetery in this case, is to get a job, even one picking peaches or mowing lawns, and you cut down on the jail overcrowding. Just think, if the police had killed the other two us honest taxpayers would be spared the expense of feeding and housing these skunks for years, not to mention the money saved on a couple of bond hearing lawyers who will try to keep them out of jail. I pray that all future events of this type hadm ore positive results, meaning kill them all.
A violent criminal deserves a violent death. I think society is finally getting sick of this crap and the liberals don't seem to care because they have their power and now the criminal element and illegal immigration no longer the exist.
Ten years ago if you didn't finish high school one learned a trade, now the illegal immigrants own most of the trades. The same liberals who preached to help the poor and uneducated have only hurt the poor and uneducated. Liberals your rationalization of the truth has resulted in more poverty and crime.
In this case,it dosen't matter what the Officer"s name is that shot the bank robber that fired 1st at them. Unless your are presenting him an award,
I just hope law enforcement and law abiding citizens continue to shoot and kill these thugs who continue to disregard the laws and violate the rights of the law abiding citizens.
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