A concerned Florida mother set up her own sting operation at a local Popeye's to confront the man who was sexting her 13-year-old daughter. As a result of the confrontation, the allegedly armed man was shot and killed by police.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Chief of Detectives Alan Parker said the unidentified mother discovered her daughter was having an “inappropriate text message relationship” with the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Celie Rodricks Banks. He said he did. press conference Monday.
She then took her daughter's cell phone and pretended to be her daughter to set up a meeting with the suspect at a Popeyes restaurant around 7 a.m. Sunday.
Banks arrived at the fast food chain believing he was meeting the teenager, but instead met a worried mother, her daughter and her 11-year-old son.
But when the mother confronted Banks, he allegedly showed her a handgun tucked in his waistband.
Parker said Banks then threatened her mother, saying, “When you hear the gunshots tonight, you'll know what's going on.”
Fearing for the safety of her children and her own life, the mother fled to Popeye's house and called the police.
Responding officers arrived about 30 minutes later and found Banks still lurking outside the fast food chain. Knowing he was armed, the officers immediately turned to Banks and ordered him to show his hands.
Parker said Banks “slowly” turned away from the officer, then bolted away and ran to the back of the restaurant.
The officer quickly followed him and as he turned a corner, he saw Banks pull a handgun from his waistband.
“He yells for himself, ‘Down, stop, gun, gun, gun,’ and engages. [the] The suspect shot him multiple times,” Jacksonville Police Chief Sgt.
Parker said the spooky man ran behind a “neighboring business” and dropped the gun, as he was still moving after being struck by police gunfire.
Officers lost sight of Banks, but other officers showed up and brought in a K-9 unit, which eventually tracked down the suspect, who was hiding in a drainage tunnel.
Parker said Cripe was shot once in the hand, torso and possibly “the leg.” He was taken into custody with medical assistance at the scene and transported to a local hospital for treatment of his wounds.
Detectives recovered a gun from Mr. Banks' possession and determined there was no indication that shots were exchanged during the pursuit.
A suspect carrying a gun is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, lewd and lascivious conduct by an offender over 18 years of age against a victim under 16 years of age, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and using a cell phone to meet someone afterward. has been charged with. According to Computers for Seducing/Soliciting/Seducing Children First coast news.
He is being held on $700,000 bail.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he understands the mother's concerns, but wishes parents would call her first in dealing with a situation like this.
“Obviously you want to deal with every situation, but this is a mother worried about her daughter,” Waters said at a news conference.
“So, okay, okay. But most of the time, in those situations, you call us and let us come out and deal with the situation. That way, things like this don't develop. There is no such thing.”
