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Police briefs 2/28/19

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 2/27/19

Carjacking suspect held on $665,000 bond following high-speed chase, crash

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man was held on a total of $665,020 bond following an armed carjacking and high-speed chase …

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Police briefs 2/28/19


Posted

Carjacking suspect held on $665,000 bond following high-speed chase, crash

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg man was held on a total of $665,020 bond following an armed carjacking and high-speed chase along Blanding Boulevard Feb. 23 that ended in a crash.
Derrick Jerome Dunham, 31, was booked in the Clay County Jail after stealing a car at gunpoint and leading sheriff deputies on a 4.7-mile chase at speeds reaching 100 mph before he crashed into three trucks, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office said.
Dunham was charged with armed kidnapping, armed carjacking, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine, attempting to flee and elude and resisting an officer without violence.
According to the sheriff’s office and the Florida Highway Patrol, Dunham pointed a handgun at Thomas F. Compton of Orange Park at the Circle K store at 1091 Blanding Blvd. around 8 p.m. while he sat in his Crown Victoria and ordered Compton out of the car. But Compton was forced to the passenger seat as Dunham sped away as sheriff deputies arrived.
Another customer, Raymond Castro of Orange Park, said Dunham first pointed the weapon at him before turning to Compton. Castro and another witness called the police. Sheriff deputies arrived to see Dunham speeding away.
The chase went southbound on Blanding Blvd. until Dunham struck a truck driven by Paisley Powell of Middleburg at the intersection of Branan Field Road. That impact sent Powell’s truck into the rear of another truck driven by James Plant of Middleburg. Dunham’s car then veered into the rear of a third truck driven by Chelsea Deboard of Middleburg, FHP said.
Dunham briefly fought with police, the sheriff’s office said, before he was arrested. He sustained a broken left leg in the crash and was transported to Orange Park Medical Center.
None of the other victims were injured.
Compton, who was checked for injuries at OPMC, posted a thank you on his Facebook page after the attack.
“Thank you clay deputies and all who [called] on my behalf i am safe and alive thank you to all the deputies involved in this my car is total out but I am alive thank you for all who came to my Aid. Love you all Tom.”
Clay Sheriffs also posted a message on its Facebook page, saying: “Due to the help of our citizens, we received a call about it and our deputies were able to quickly get behind the vehicle, which was occupied by the suspect and victim. The suspect, who was driving the vehicle, attempted to flee but crashed during the incident. He was quickly apprehended, along with the firearm he used in the crime.”
Dunham has four other felony convictions dating back to 2006, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which resulted in a four-year prison sentence.

Orange Park woman killed in I-10 crash

JACKSONVILLE – Keri Lorraine Shockley, 36, of Orange Park died Feb. 26 after she was struck by a tractor trailer on Interstate 10 in Jacksonville.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Shockley was driving eastbound near Chaffee Road at 2:44 a.m. when she lost control of her Toyota Sequoia and struck the inside guardrail. The car then went through the guardrail and rolled, ejecting her into the westbound lanes where she was struck by an on-coming truck.
Shockley was not wearing a seatbelt, the FHP reported.

CCSO breakup one-man theft ring

Although he originally was arrested on Feb. 15 for breaking into three homes, charged continued to mount for an Orange Park man accused to breaking into at least eight other homes and businesses.
Robert Q. McGhee, 49, first was arrested for three counts of burglary on Feb. 15. Since then, deputies added eight more counts of burglary – one with a weapon. He also faces charges of possession of a firearm or ammo by a convicted felon.
McGhee was being held on a bond totaling $475,039. His next court appearance is March 27.