A 21-year-old Little Rock capital-murder suspect accused of starting a deadly shootout has been declared a fugitive after escaping a traffic stop last week in Pulaski County.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims on Friday ordered the arrest of Charles Edward McCollum III based on a motion to revoke McCollum's bond by deputy prosecutor Jayme Butts-Hall. She reported that state troopers stopped McCollum's speeding car on Jan. 10, then took him into custody after discovering he was wanted in Clark County for failing to pay a speeding ticket.
In McCollum's car, police found marijuana and a pistol, with the handcuffed defendant escaping shortly thereafter, the prosecutor reported. McCollum had been out of jail about 2½ months by then.
McCollum is one of three men charged with capital murder, first-degree battery and committing a terroristic act in a January 2021 shootout at the Mapco convenience store at 8818 Kanis Road that killed Jacob Emmanuel Robinson Jr., 23, of Little Rock and wounded a bystander.
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McCollum and his 22-year-old co-defendants, Anthony Dwayne Williams and Cesaire Rice, were arrested about two weeks later. All three men are free on bond.
At an October hearing, their lawyers said Robinson was the first to open fire after the four men just happened to cross paths at the convenience store, with Rice and McCollum shooting back to defend themselves.
Prosecutors contend McCollum shot first, describing the shooting as an ambush. The incident was captured on surveillance video, and police collected 66 shell casings from the scene. There were 13 people in and around the store.
The recording shows Robinson, Rice and McCollum firing guns by the gas pumps. Williams was inside the store when the shooting started, with the video showing him opening the door to shoot at Robinson. His lawyer said Williams was shooting to try to protect his friends.
According to police, the video begins with Robinson parking at the gas pumps, then going inside the store to make a purchase. The three defendants arrived at the store, each in separate cars, about a minute after Robinson arrived.
Video further shows Robinson as he exits the store, exchanging glances with Williams, who was walking inside. Robinson and Rice are seen staring at each other as Robinson exits the store and Rice approaches it, according to police.
Police said Robinson was getting back into his car when the shooting started. Police said the video shows McCollum, arm extended as if holding a gun, walking toward Robinson as Robinson gets into the car.
Robinson shuts his door but almost immediately opens it again, with a muzzle flash showing he was shooting before getting back out of the vehicle. The recording then shows Rice and McCollum running from Robinson, who died in the parking lot, police said.