MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Judge has ordered a man into drug treatment following charges that he fired shots inside an electronics display case amidst shoppers and stole merchandise at a local Target store on Aug. 13, 2023.
According to court records, Soloman Jones was released on his own recognizance on Oct. 12, following a judge's order to enter drug treatment. A petition to revoke a suspended sentence in a previous theft case was also dismissed.
MPD said officers responded to the shoplifting and vandalism call around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at 5959 Poplar Avenue. According to an affidavit, a witness told police that the suspect had entered the business and went to the electronics department, where he fired one shot from a weapon into an electronics case and stole $300 worth of merchandise from the display before running away the scene through an emergency exit and driving away in a red Nissan Versa.
After sending out a city-wide broadcast about the crime, officers found him and his car around 7:30 p.m. at 667 South Bellevue, where they saw the suspect enter a room at the Lamplighter Inn.
Officers then made the arrest, identifying the suspect as 38-year-old Jones, a previously convicted felon. Fentanyl and merchandise were found in Jones’ room.
Jones was charged with convicted felon in possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture, deliver and sell. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and theft of property conduct involving merchandise less than $1,000.
This incident brought more attention to the issue of safety in Memphis.
“The biggest thing that we encourage people to do is be aware of their surroundings,” said Robert Carlson of Brave Defender Community Services, a company that trains businesses, organizations, and individuals in active shooter drills. “It's unfortunate that businesses like ours even have to exist. But in the last several years, we have seen a significant increase in the demand for training, especially on the prevention side."
He stressed the model PPERP, which stands for prepare, prevent, escape, restrict and protect.
“Despite all of that, there will always be attacks that happen,” he said. “So, in a scenario like what we saw at the Target on Poplar, what we would encourage people to do is be observant of the individual's activities. As soon as you see a criminal act like that starting, go ahead and create distance, get away from that, because there's always a likelihood that that is going to continue to escalate into some sort of violence.”