The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department last Tuesday night responded to a report of gunshots being fired into a dwelling, which eventually led to multiple events and armed robbery arrests the following Thursday.
Supposedly, over a dice game.
According to Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, deputies responded to a gunfire area east of Louin near the intersection of CR 16 and CR 167B. Approximately 30 minutes later, the department received a call about an armed robbery on CR 168 in the Hardy Loop Community.
Johnson said Investigator Chris Thompson and deputies collected evidence and questioned witnesses. Witnesses reported seeing a light blue, small SUV and a white 4-door car occupied by several black males in the area during the robbery.
Thursday, Johnson explained more information was revealed and later during the day investigators received a tip that the same vehicle that was at the alleged robbery was located near CR 16 and CR 167B. Johnson said deputies responded to the area where Jaquan Radcliff, 18, Germario Holloway, 18, and Tarvis Ellis, 23, were arrested.
Both Radcliff of Meridian and Holloway of Louin were identified as being involved in the armed robbery, according to Johnson, and Ellis was arrested for disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana.
Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle.
Johnson explained that people of the community in which the incident occurred played a large role in the arrests.
“The people in that community came forward and want something done. They were willing to call us and give us information that led to this. To me, that it is big, because that’s the one thing we seldom get in this county is people that are willing to stand up and help us get to the bottom of some things.” Johnson said Tuesday.
Johnson went on to say the incident is alleged to have started with a dice game that later evolved to the armed robbery arrests and a shooting into a dwelling.
Johnson further said that shooting into dwellings is considered very serious and can affect in more ways than one.
“That is a very serious crime. You don’t know who is in a house. It could be a child or an innocent victim,” he mentioned. “But, apparently, these people were not worried about that. They just wanted to show their anger and took that shot. The next morning we received word again that they were shooting at that intersection. We responded, they were gone, but we recovered some (gun) hulls. Later that day, we received another call that vehicle was back at that intersection, which led to the arrests.”
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department is also actively searching for Tavion Radcliff, the brother of Jaquan Radcliff, for questioning in the incident. If you have any information, call 601-764-2588.
