LUMBERTON — District Attorney Johnson Britt will seek the death penalty for the man who is charged with shooting and killing Lumberton police Officer Jeremiah Goodson on Tuesday.
“… He is accused of killing a police officer,” Britt said. “That’s an aggravating factor under North Carolina statue.”
Marques Brown, 27, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting that killed Goodson at the Xpress Depot, at 5030 Fayetteville Road while the officer was attempting to serve a warrant for Brown’s arrest.
Brown had his first appearance hearing on Wednesday in courtroom 3C of the Robeson County Courthouse, via video teleconference from the Cumberland County jail, where he is being held. Brown’s court date was set for Aug. 1.
Details about the shooting that killed Goodson have been slow to emerge, but Lumberton Police Chief Mike McNeill did say that the officer who assisted Goodson was Ronnie Hayes. Hayes, who is 30, is a police officer level 3 who has worked for the department since 2008, according to James Moore, Human Resources director for the city.
McNeill would not reveal any other details about the shooting, including whether or not Brown was alone. He deferred to the State Bureau of Investigation, which is leading the investigation, but repeated attempts to get information from that agency have failed.
Brown was wanted for two charges of failure to appear in court — one for possession of a firearm by a felon and one for carrying a concealed weapon, according to Lumberton police Capt. Johnny Barnes. He also had outstanding warrants in Columbus County for receiving stolen property and obstructing an officer, Barnes said.
According to the Columbus County clerk of court, charges are pending for a 2011 assault on a government official.
“After attempting to stop him, he led us on a chase into Bladen County,” Sgt. Andre Jackson, of the Whiteville Police Department, told WECT. “We had to get assistance from the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol, and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. He eventually crashed and we caught him.”
A photo on Brown’s Facebook page shows him pointing a handgun at the screen with the caption “salute me or shoot me.” According to information on his Facebook page, Brown attended Lumberton High School.
Brown’s incarceration history dates back to 2003 and includes time served for several probation violations and for possession of stolen goods, breaking and entering with larceny, possession of a firearm by a felon, contempt of court, breaking into a motor vehicle and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Goodson was off-duty and traveling on Fayetteville Road when he recognized Brown, who was sitting in a vehicle, and called for backup. As Goodson and Hayes approached the vehicle, police say Brown opened fire, hitting Goodson more than once.
Goodson is survived by his wife Lametria, who is due to have the couple’s second child any day, and their young daughter.
McNeill said that he made a 10 p.m. visit on Tuesday to Goodson’s aunt’s home in Lumberton, where Goodson’s family had gathered.
“She has her good moments and her bad moments,” he said.
Goodson is the first Lumberton police officer to die in the line of duty since 1936. The last lawman to die while on the job in Robeson County was a sheriff’s detective in 1993.
Funeral arrangements for Goodson are being handled by Colvin Funeral Home, at 1904 East Elizabethtown Road. The day and time of the funeral will be released this afternoon, a funeral spokesperson said.
And yes it's time to talk about race. About how race shouldn't matter, and character should. Two black men...one evil to the core and the other a paragon. All you baby mommas out there need to ask yourselves which one you would want to claim.
Until black society stops glamorizing gangsta lifestyles, this will continue. If Obama had a son, which would he claim, I wonder? If you are a parent, first clean up your own life. Quit shacking, drugging, stealing, tugging, and then get control of your child before he is just another Marques
NOW....Have any of you stopped to think when you call Marques Brown a thing, that trash, it and other choice words that you a also hurting his family. Whatever we may think about him killing this wonderful officer he does have someone that loves him (mother, aunt, grandparent) and they are hurting too. Not to mention that if our hearts are right with God, how does it make us any better of a person to hurt (using tongues as weapons) his family. Are we any better off then he is when he took a gun and shot him when we say these things that probably cut deep into his mother's heart, are we not killing her sole? So pray for them also.
People wake up the bible is fulfilling everyday and Jesus Christ is soon to come, ask yourself are you ready for the coming of the Lord? Get Ready Jesus Christ is Coming!!!!!
Did I make a judgement based on whatever? Sure I did, I'm human...
Do you make judgemments daily? Sure you do, here is just one: You are late for work, in a hurry, on 211. You are approaching a stop light, in one lane is a loaded dump truck, the other lane a corvette... a judgment needs to made quickly.... What vehicle do you get behind?.... Judgements, we make em everyday based on preconsieved knowlege we already have... sorry.
I live in a community in which our police department lost two officers in a little more than a month -- one shortly after Christmas and then another at the end of January this year. Both were shot while on duty.
The first was shocking and shook our community. It was just too much. Then, we lost another. It didn't make sense and it wasn't fair that two good people who dedicated their lives to protecting the community were killed in such senseless ways.
We were sad. We were broken. We were also really angry.
Our community rallied around our officers. We comforted each other. We all united.
I know you'll do the same. Surround your police department with love. Support them and support each other.
You are on many of our minds in Aiken.
Hey Robeson county NAACP!!!!! Speak up, I can't hear you! Here is your oppertunity to speak out on crime FROM your community.
p.s. we are sick of it.....
I know you will have a repost...but I wont aknowledge it because it will be same as usual...
To Goodson family, LPD, the assisting officer, and local law enforcement agencies...continue to serve you communities in a manner such as Jeremiah. At times it may seem as you arent accomplishing anything, but be assured... somewhere in your daily duties, you are having a positive effect on someone life. That person you locked up for break-ins is giving the family security... those drugs you just took off the street will not make it to the drug addict that was going to pawn his/her child's property. It might seem like a small dent... but it is dent... STAY STRONG AND STAY FOCUSED. JG-45 R.I.P