Verizon Store Armed Robbery Case Heads to Court
At least 1 suspect facing trial while attorneys dispute weapons charges against other 2 men.
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Antonio Jerome Porter, one of three defendants charged in connection with an armed robbery at a Canton Verizon store in which police say gunfire erupted, is facing trial after waiving his preliminary examination Friday at 35th District Court in Plymouth, according to the Canton Observer.
Court proceedings for Eric James-Lee Wilkins and Dantez Lamar Boykin-Johnson, the two other defendants in the case, have been delayed until March 18 after their defense attorneys indicated they might challenge weapons charges against the two men, the Observer reported.
According to the report, police say a semiautomatic assault rifle was used the morning of Feb. 25 to shoot open a locked glass sliding door of the Verizon store on Ford Road west of Morton Taylor.
The incident prompted the locking down of four local elementary schools in the area as police searched for the suspects.
Mark Brown, Boykin-Johnson's lawyer, told the Observer there was no indication either Boykin-Johnson or Wilkins carried weapons during the incident.
All three suspects are 18, according to Canton Police. Porter and Wilkins are from Inkster and Boykin-Johnson is from Westland.
Gayle McNab
3:39 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
I certainly hope those friends and relatives of the accused that may be leaving comments this time will use appropriate language or that the editor deletes (and locks) the comments ASAP. Those posting about these men on the last article were just plain out of hand and ridiculous.
John McKay
3:42 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
Gayle,
All comments for this story will require approval from an editor before appearing on the site, given what happened last time we posted about this incident. I apologize for what had transpired last time — all that happened while I was out in the field on assignments. The fact one of our resident trolls dropped in and threw in some derogatory language just to get a reaction from the others certainly didn't help matters.
Tristan
5:16 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
So nice to see the Canton Police react so swiftly and apprehend those alleged criminals. Regardless of what was posted by their friends and relatives the fact is they did a dirty deed and if found guilty they will be prosecuted. Makes me glad I chose to live in Canton when I retired and moved back to Michigan! To the men in Blue…Great job!!!!
Tru Colors
12:59 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
I know 2 of these young men personally. 1 since he was 11 & the other since he was 13. I can attest to the fact that the 2 boys I know have always lived in the suburbs that had little to no crime in their prospective neighbor hoods. They are both extremely smart, intelligent, bright, charismatic, respectable, honor roll students in the South Lyon school district. I am not condoning in any way what they have done. I'm just baffled as to why they choose that fork in the road it is beyond me! I hate that all of these boys have practically thrown their lives away. There was no need for them to do this, these boys got what ever they wanted! This ”thug & gangster” life is constantly glorified in music, TV, video & etc. I try to tell the kids of this generation that the music they listen to is purely ” ENTERTAINMENT!” A great majority of these artist has NEVER the lives they rap/sing about. Being locked up going 2 prison IS NOT a badge of honor! You're branded for life w/a felony. No more voting right, no social security, no more avenues leading to better careers, no more grants/school loans & so much more. The victims are scared for life & so, are these kids. It is a lose, lose situation.