On Sunday, July 25, 2010, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people for allegedly shooting at an occupied vehicle.
Deputy John Snipes was on patrol on U.S. 27 in Ft. White at approximately 1:00 a.m. Deputy Snipes observed a maroon Pontiac pass by him in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed. The Pontiac was being followed by a red Ford pick-up. Deputy Snipes turned around and attempted to catch up to the speeding vehicles, now travelling north on U.S. 27. Deputy Snipes observed the vehicles turn north on SR 47. Deputy Snipes was relaying the information to Communications officers when he saw the pickup pull up next to the Pontiac. Deputy Snipes heard two gunshots being fired from the passenger side of the pickup truck.
Deputy Snipes called for assistance from other CCSO units. Deputy Snipes was able to conduct a traffic stop on the truck. Snipes held the occupants at gunpoint until back up units could arrive. Deputy Ray Metrick and Deputy David Milligan assisted D/S Snipes in removing the occupants from the truck.
Deputies discovered a spent 9mm shell casing on the passenger floor board of the pickup and recovered a 9mm handgun from the rear passenger area of the truck.
Sgt Howard Bulthius was able to make contact with the occupants of the Pontiac that had been shot at. The victims told Sgt Bulthius that they were at a party earlier and one of them got into a verbal argument with one of the men from the truck. One of those men smashed both front windows of the Pontiac with his fists. The victims, fearing for their safety, attempted to leave the party. They were followed and then chased by the occupants in the Ford pickup.
Suspect Eddie Lee Simpson did admit to Deputies that he fired the gun from the rear passenger side of the truck after the driver attempted to use the gun and it jammed.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the shooting. All three occupants of the pickup truck were arrested without incident and booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility.
Arrested:
[lightbox href=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/eddie-simpson.jpg”] [image src=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/eddie-simpson.jpg” height=150 width=150] [/lightbox]
1.Eddie Lee Simpson, 01/04/1971
185th Rd., Joneshill, AL
Charges: Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Discharging a Firearm in Public, Shooting into an Occupied Motor Vehicle.
Bond: NONE
[lightbox href=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gerrick-abner.jpg”] [image src=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gerrick-abner.jpg” height=150 width=150] [/lightbox]
2.Gerrick Lamernco Abner, 12/20/1978
354 SW River Oaks Ct, Ft. White, FL
Charges: Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Discharging a Firearm in Public, Shooting into an Occupied Motor Vehicle, Carrying a Concealed Firearm.
Bond: NONE
[lightbox href=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/angel-abner.jpg”] [image src=”https://columbiasheriff.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/angel-abner.jpg” height=150 width=150] [/lightbox]
3.Angel Christina Abner, 03/06/1985
354 SW River Oaks Ct., Ft. White, FL
Charges: Accessory after the Fact, Resisting Arrest without Violence
Bond: NONE
