Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 13, 1994 TAG: 9407150027
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Brian O'Neal Williamson was arrested Monday night at his house in Lynchburg and was taken to Bedford County Jail. He is charged with two counts of breaking and entering and two counts of grand larceny in connection with two early-morning thefts of firearms from Dave's Sports Shop at 205 N. Bridge St. in Bedford.
Police said Williamson locked himself in the house and refused to go with them Monday night when officers came with a warrant for his arrest. O'Neal surrendered after speaking with negotiators by phone. Lynchburg police said they did not know if Williamson had a weapon.
Bedford police arrested 18-year-old Mark Mitchel Lawson of Appomattox and two 17-year-old boys from Lynchburg on burglary charges early Monday, following a 12-mile car chase in which another man jumped from the car and escaped.
"As far as we are concerned, [Williamson] is the fourth suspect," Bedford Police Chief Milton Graham said Tuesday.
Williamson, Lawson and the two juveniles were charged with one count each of breaking and entering and grand larceny for a 4:50 a.m. break-in at the store, in which five rifles worth about $2,000 and a small amount of cash were stolen. Lawson also was charged with reckless driving and eluding police.
Bedford Police Officer M.G. Linton responded to an alarm at Dave's Sports Shop early Monday and said he observed a car speeding away from the vicinity.
Two city police officers and a Bedford County sheriff's deputy chased the car and forced it to a stop on U.S. 221. Before it was stopped, one passenger jumped from the car and fled.
The other charges against Williamson stem from a similar burglary of the Bedford sporting goods store on June 24, in which five handguns valued at about $3,000 were taken. No other arrests have been made in that burglary, but police said their investigation will continue.
Monday's burglary was the third time firearms had been stolen from the shop since April. A Bedford County grand jury last week indicted two Bedford men, Michael Anthony Haworth and Robert Junior Wright, for the April 7 theft of two $100 handguns from the store.
Haworth, Wright and Michael Lamont Anderson also were indicted for the March 28 burglary of Coffey & Saunders Farm and Hardware Store at 801 Macon St. In addition, Haworth was indicted for the March 24 burglary of Holdren's Farm Supply and the March 27 burglary of Overstreet General Repair.
by CNB