CANTON (WWJ) – Three teenagers are facing felony charges for allegedly robbing a victim at gunpoint in a parking lot and then shooting at him in Canton last week.
Jason Smith, 18, was arraigned Monday on eight total charges, including armed robbery and assault with intent to murder, while two minors were charged separately as juveniles.
The charges stem from what Canton police officials say was a "personal sale transaction" turned into armed robbery last Friday.
It happened around 1 p.m. in a credit union parking lot on Michigan Avenue. The suspects are believed to have met up with the victim for the sale, but at least one suspect pulled out a gun and robbed the victim, whose age and hometown weren't released.
Authorities did not say what the victim was selling to the suspects.
The suspects sped away in a car, with the victim following close behind. At some point, shots were fired from the suspect's car along Michigan Ave.
The suspect vehicle eventually ended up in a ditch, with four people trying to run away, but a Canton patrol car was nearby and officers were able to quickly apprehend them.
In addition to armed robbery and attempted murder, Smith was charged with four counts of felony firearm and one count each of assault with a dangerous weapon and discharge of a firearm from a vehicle.
The two minors were charged with armed robbery and felonious assault. They are being held in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility and will be processed through the juvenile court system, Canton police officials said.
It was not clear if a fourth person seen fleeing from the car in the ditch will face any charges.
