Police say robbery suspects who shot at troopers are at large, considered armed and dangerous

Two Erie men wanted on charges of shooting at Pennsylvania State Police troopers and a city police officer while fleeing from a traffic stop on June 25 are accused of robbing a person at an Erie social club minutes before the gunfire erupted, according to new information revealed in the case.

The new details were released in recently-unsealed criminal complaints against the accused shooters, Shadarryl P. Jones, 29, and Rakeem M. Jones 29. State police charged both men with offenses including three felony counts each of attempted homicide in the shootings, which began shortly before 1:30 a.m. June 25 and occurred at two locations along Chestnut Street.

Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones remained at large Friday morning. Authorities say they should are considered armed and dangerous.

Pair sought for shooting at policeErie's police chief said Monday that he was thankful that no one was injured or killed in a Saturday morning pursuit

Authorities accuse the two men of stopping their red Mitsubishi sport-utility vehicle in the 2300 block of Chestnut Street and firing multiple gunshots at two state police troopers who were following them, striking the patrol vehicle but not injuring the troopers. One of the troopers returned fire before the suspects fled heading north on Chestnut Street, state police reported on Monday.

An Erie police officer spotted the speeding SUV in the area of West 18th and Chestnut streets and began pursuing it before the SUV crashed into a parked car near West 16th and Chestnut streets and the suspects fired gunshots at the Erie police officer, city police reported.

The Erie police officer was not injured but his patrol vehicle was struck twice by gunfire. The officer did not return fire, city police reported.

Authorities played portions of police and surveillance video that showed the shots being fired at the officers during a news conference Friday morning at state police Troop E headquarters in Lawrence Park Township. Officials at the news conference asked the public for assistance in apprehending Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones, who are accused of "ambushing" the troopers when they fired multiple rounds at them, said Capt. Kirk Reese, commander of state police Troop E.

Working with state and Erie police in the ongoing investigation are local police agencies including the Millcreek Township Police Department, the Erie County District Attorney's Office, the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Reese said.

The incident

Authorities initially reported after the incident that the two state police troopers were doing roving drunken-driving patrols when the troopers spotted the speeding SUV. Investigators wrote in the affidavits filed with the criminal complaints against Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones that the troopers began following the SUV, and before they could activate their patrol vehicle's lights and siren the SUV stopped, a person exited from the passenger side and fired shots at the troopers.

State police reported that a trooper returned fire from inside the patrol vehicle before the suspect who exited the SUV got back in and the vehicle fled north on Chestnut Street.

Investigators wrote in the affidavits filed with the criminal complaints against Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones that, after the suspects shot at the Erie police officer and ran off, police set up a perimeter in the area in an effort to catch the suspects. Found on the ground in the area where the suspects ran was a pistol with a drum magazine, according to information in the affidavits. The pistol had a malfunction, which caused it to jam, investigators wrote.

Reese said the drum was capable of holding 50 rounds of ammunition. At least 10 rounds were fired at the troopers, and a similar amount was fired at the Erie police officer, he said.

State police said they obtained video footage that captured portions of the incident. The recovered video included footage from a doorbell security camera that showed the suspected shooter exiting the SUV in the 2300 block of Chestnut Street and firing at the troopers, according to the affidavits.

Police checked the registration of the Mitsubishi SUV the suspects were driving and learned it was registered to an Erie woman who reported the vehicle stolen on June 25 at 1:34 a.m., after the shooting and the crash, troopers wrote in the affidavits.

Investigators said the woman told troopers that Shadarryl Jones was operating the SUV on the evening of June 24, according to the affidavits.

Prior robbery

Investigators also wrote in the affidavits that they reviewed surveillance video from the Sacred Heart Ushers Society club, 716 W. 26th St. At about 12:45 a.m. on June 25, two suspects are seen exiting the red Mitsubishi SUV and entering the club. Several cameras captured the suspects while they were inside the club, and Erie police identified the suspects as Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones, troopers wrote in the affidavits.

The suspects are then seen leaving the club at 1:07 a.m., according to the affidavits.

Investigators wrote they learned during an interview conducted at the club that the suspects had robbed another club patron of jewelry and car keys before they were seen getting into their vehicle and traveling east on West 26th Street.

Erie police are investigating the robbery, Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said. No charges had been filed against Shadarryl and Rakeem Jones in the robbery as of Friday morning.

The trooper who returned fire after being shot at and the trooper's partner, whose names were not released, are both on administrative duty as the shooting investigation continues, Reese said.

Reese said the suspects are considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who encounters them should not approach them but should immediately call 911 and report the sighting, Reese said.

Anyone with information that could assist state police in the investigation is asked to call Troop E headquarters at 814-898-1641.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.