Richmond County law enforcement work to stomp out violence after 6 shootings in 6 days - WRDW-TV
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says it’s upping patrols after six shootings in less than a week – four of them deadly. They’re spread out from right near downtown as far south as Diamond Lakes Regional Park.
There is a memorial for 31-year-old Ashaad Truitt, a man who was shot and killed at the Red Crab on Peach Orchard Road Friday night. It’s one of the few shootings the sheriff’s office says is gang-related. While gun violence and gang violence is ramping up on the streets Sheriff Roundtree says it’s happening elsewhere too and all of it is putting pressure on local businesses like Red Crab.
“I guess some people feel like were closed down and some people feel like this isn’t a safe place to come but we’re a safe place to go,” said General Manager Allegra Jones.
Jones says she couldn’t believe how fast the situation escalated after their security escorted the groups out.
“What happened didn’t have to happen because it was as if the gentleman who jumped on the young man they waited for him outside,” she said.
And she heard five or six gunshots. The Richmond County Sheriff Office says the number of aggravated assaults with a gun went up from 228 in 2020 to 249 in 2021 but overall homicides are down 15 compared to last year.
“But overall our violent crime is down,” said Richard Roundtree, Richmond County Sheriff.
Roundtree says its been a rough week and crime typically spikes this time of year – but right now is different.
“We’ve come to find out that with this recent act of violence that now we can attribute a great deal of it to gang activities not only is this happening in the streets of Augusta but it’s also spilling over into our detention center,” he said.
He says gangs are taking retribution against each other for previous offenses but it’s hurting people like Allegra who aren’t involved at all.
Roundtree says this is the first time he’s seen gang activity spill over from the detention center to our streets. But their investigative team is consolidating all of their resources to really stomp out any future activity along with an already ramped up pre-holiday season patrol.
Copyright 2021 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
source: https://www.wrdw.com/2021/11/04/richmond-county-law-enforcement-work-stomp-out-violence-after-6-shootings-6-days/
Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.