that's a lot of prison...

The Greenville Police Department and the Pitt County District Attorney announce the successful trial and conviction of Linwood Earl Duffie on three counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy.  For these crimes, the 55 year old Duffie will serve between 37 and 48 years in prison.

Duffie was convicted in Pitt County Superior Court for the following offenses:

1.    Wilco-Hess, 612 SW Greenville BV, Greenville, NC on  April 30, 2013 

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

2.    Family Dollar Store, 631 Worthington Road, Winterville NC on April 28, 2013  

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

3.    Emerald City Business Service Sweepstakes, Greenville Blvd, on April 22, 2013 

a.    Robbery with a dangerous weapon

b.    Felony conspiracy

Duffie was arrested on May 21 shortly after committing the armed robbery of a Dollar General in Chocowinity.  In that case, a timely witness provided the suspect vehicle license plate to police. 

After searching the database of a GPD Traffic Safety Unit’s automated license plate reader, officers determined that same suspect vehicle had been seen near Carriage House apartments in April of this year.   Officers and detectives responded to that area and located Duffie’s white Ford Explorer in the parking lot.

Alerted to police, Duffie barricaded himself inside an apartment, which caused Charles Blvd to be closed for several hours while the Greenville Police Emergency Response Team responded.  Duffie was later taken into custody without incident.         

Duffie is a career criminal with a history that dates back to 1977 when he was first charged and convicted of armed robbery as an adult.  Other notable facts include:

·         Over the past 36 years, Duffie has been in and out of the prison system on charges ranging from breaking and entering, drug possession, assault, and armed robbery.

·         He has been arrested at least 25 times from 1977 and 2013

·         Between 1977 and 2013 Duffie has spent 21 years in jails or prison.

Duffie still faces one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon for the Chocowinity crime that occurred on May 21.

Thanks to CrimeStoppers...

With help from Pitt-Greenville CrimeStoppers, the driver of the Ford Mustang involved in a hit & run investigation has been identified.  Late Wednesday afternoon, police identified Jacob Kelly Collins, 20 years old of Burlington, NC as the driver of the car which struck two parked cars at the Pirate Auto Care Center.

Collins was cited for the hit & run violation, and the case is closed pending the outcome of court proceedings.

The Department is grateful to the community for the responses and the information provided which helped solve this matter.

Good police work...

TYPE OF INCIDENT:         Armed Robbery & Arrests                      

Location:                                                      Wyndham Circle at Brownlea Drive

                                               

Case #:                                  13-64017                  

Date / Time:                          September 23, 2013                       1:50 a.m.

Arrested:                               Sacha Lata Gibson                        Alexis Gibson

                                                24 years old                                     19 years old

                                                Greenville                                         Greenville

                                                Jason Earl Moore                           Jeremon Marshall

                                                27 years old                                     25 years old

                                                Greenville                                         Greenville

At about 1:50 a.m. on Monday September 23, Greenville Police officers responded to the report of an armed robbery that occurred near the intersection of Wyndham Circle & Brownlea Drive.  Two women told police they were robbed at gunpoint after they came to the area to meet friends.

Patrol officers from C Platoon surrounded the area and patrolled escape routes.  They soon spotted the suspect vehicle leaving the area on E. Fifth Street and stopped the car on Verdant Drive.  Following a high-risk felony traffic stop, the police officers detained the four persons named above and recovered stolen items, including cash and cell phones.   Police also recovered a 20 gauge shotgun that was believed to have been used in the robbery.

All four suspects are charged with two counts each of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Felony Conspiracy.  They are jailed under a $300,000 secured bond.   Arrest photos are available online from the Pitt County Detention Center.

Victim information will be available through online police reports.  They are not thought to be ECU students.

Bystanders refuse to stand by...

TYPE OF INCIDENT:         Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill,  Inflicting Serious Injury           

Location:                              411 E. Fourth Street

                                               

Case #:                                  13-63815

Date / Time:                          September 22, 2013                       2:20 a.m.

Victim:                                   Rachel Cooper

                                                21 years old

                                                Greenville

Charged:                              Jacob Hollingsworth

                                                23 years old

                                                Westminster, SC                            

At about 2:20 a.m. on Sunday September 22 Greenville Police officers were called to the scene of an assault in the street at 411 E. Fourth Street.   The victim told officers she was walking home from downtown when she was assaulted by an unknown white male armed with a pocket knife.  The victim yelled out for help as she fought the suspect, and several bystanders came to her aid.  The assisting citizens disarmed the suspect. The suspect was knocked unconscious during the struggle. 

The victim sustained serious cuts to her upper body. Her injuries are not life-threatening. She and the suspect were both transported to Vidant Medical Center for treatment.  The victim has been treated and released from the medical center. No additional information on their conditions is available.

Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit and crime scene technicians from the Forensics Unit responded to follow up on the case.  Detectives have charged 23 year old Jacob Hollingsworth with Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, Inflicting Serious Injury.  He will be served with arrest warrants when he is released from Vidant Medical Center.

The commish...

TYPE OF INCIDENT:         Chief of Police Hassan Aden appointed to CALEA

Commission           

The Greenville Police Department announces the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) has appointed Greenville Police Chief Hassan Aden as a commissioner to its governing board. 

The Greenville Police Department has been a nationally accredited law enforcement agency since 1995.  In 2012 the Greenville PD was awarded Accreditation with Advanced status for its adherence to over 300 mandatory professional operating standards as well as 74 voluntary professional standards.

CALEA was established in 1979 to develop professional operating standards for public safety agencies and to administer complementary accreditation processes.  Some of the benefits of these processes include a higher level of public accountability, improved delivery of police services, and the adoption of modern policing methods.   

CALEA Program offerings currently include accreditation for law enforcement agencies, public safety communications and training academies, and most recently, campus security organizations.  These programs serve as a modern management model for public safety agencies on an international basis, and are a blueprint for developing industry recognized best practices.           

CALEA has 21 commission board members, including 11 law enforcement practitioners and 10 members from the public and private sectors.  The position is voluntary and Commissioners are appointed to a term of three years.  Chief Aden’s appointment becomes effective January 1, 2014.

A press release from CALEA is attached to this announcement.T

Upcoming Vigil..

Woman of the year...

The Greenville Police Department is excited to announce that Officer Kolenya Edwards was named “Woman of the Year” at the North Carolina Law Enforcement Women’s Association (NCLEWA) annual conference, held at the NC Justice Academy Training Center in Edneyville, NC September 3-6.

Officer Edwards is a nine-year veteran at Greenville PD.  She is an East Carolina University graduate and holds a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.  She is a native of Roanoke Rapids, NC.

Officer Edwards is currently assigned to the Administrative Services Bureau as Personnel & Recruiting Officer.  She has served in the Field Operations Bureau as a patrol officer, and she served as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Bureau’s Special Victims Unit.  Officer Edwards is a member of the GPD Honor Guard.  She is also a certified NC law enforcement instructor.  Among other things, she teaches self-defense classes for woman.

The NCLEWA is a non-profit organization chartered in 1956, which is dedicated to fostering and maintaining the professionalism of women in law enforcement. 

One of the objectives of the NCLEWA is to strengthen the contributions of women to the field of law enforcement in the state of North Carolina.

The Greenville Police Department congratulates Officer Kolenya Edwards on receiving this award.