Press release from Asheville Police Department:
At approximately 12:00 p.m.. on Monday, May 18, the Asheville Police Department (APD) received a number of calls to 911 from residents in and around the Shiloh community reporting two vehicles driving recklessly and shooting firearms at each other. While responding to the neighborhood, an officer encountered one of the vehicles and attempted to stop it on Sweeten Creek Road near Biltmore Village. The driver and passenger both fled on foot from the traffic stop.
Another officer located the second vehicle after it had been involved in a single car crash on Caribou Road near Sweeten Creek Road. The occupants of that vehicle fled as well. Additional officers arriving on the scene interviewed a number of witnesses, and their investigation led them to locating three suspects a short distance away.
As a result of the initial inquiry, Lawrence Eugene Robinson, Jr., 30, of Asheville, has been charged with 2 counts of trafficking heroin, as well as possessing both heroin and marijuana with the intent to sell and/or distribute. Robinson initially received a $80,000 bond, but has since posted bail and was released.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing by members of the Criminal Investigations Section and the APD representative of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. The actions of the parties involved in yesterday’s incident was shocking to the community, and placed our residents safety at risk. The APD remains committed to reducing acts of violence within our community, and stands ready to commit investigatory resources into holding those responsible accountable for their actions.
If anyone has any information on this incident they are encouraged to contact the Asheville Police Department at (828) 252-1110 or Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers at (828) 255-5050, if they wish to remain anonymous.
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