Missing Asheville women linked to Pisgah View shooting suspect

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ASHEVILLE – Tuesday evening, 10:34pm, Pisgah View Apartments. Asheville Police Department arrive in response to reports of a man injured by gunfire, and give chase to suspect Pierre Lamont Griffin II, aged 22, who fled in the victim’s vehicle. Speeding through 3 counties, the chase eventually involved multiple law enforcement agencies, and ended when Mr. Griffin was run to ground, and himself shot by police officers.

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Pierre Lamont Griffin II (Photo: Courtesy of Asheville Police Department)

Griffin has been treated at Spartanburg Regional Hospital in South Carolina, for the injuries he suffered, and was charged as of Wednesday with 1st-degree murder.  APD spokeswoman Christina Hallingse informed media that more charges, such as reckless driving, are expected from other agencies, possibly including Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Highway Patrol, and the Fletcher Police Department.

Uhon Johnson (from his FabeBook page)

Uhon Johnson (from his FabeBook page)

The victim, Mr. Uhon Trumanna Johnson,  aged 31 was transported to Mission Hospital where Hallingse confirmed that he died from his injuries later that same night. According to APD, Johnson and Griffin were acquaintances.

During the car chase, Griffin plowed right through law-enforcement “stop sticks,” his vehicle’s left side tires flattened as a result, but continued racing through Henderson County on I-26, according to Maj. Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.

Twice during the high-speed chase, Stout reported that Griffin brandished a handgun at drivers of other vehicles, attempting to force them to stop for a car-jacking, as his own stolen vehicle became nearly inoperable due to damage sustained while in flight.

Using a well-known law-enforcement technique called “precision immobilization,” Highway Patrol eventually employed a police vehicle to spin the suspect’s car out of control by the eastbound 61 mile marker, on I-26 in Polk County, where Griffin jumped out, and ran into the westbound lanes of I-26, stopped, turned, and waved a gun in the direction pursuing officers.

A pair of Henderson County deputies then fired at and injured Griffin. Polk County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody and Polk County EMS was called to the scene.

As is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, both Henderson officers are currently on administrative leave, with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation involved in the investigation.

Friends of Johnson described him as a young father, a “good daddy,”  a student working on his degree at A-B Tech. He had custody of a young daughter, 7 years old.

Speculation in the neighborhood points to an attempted robbery of the scrap metal and copper collected by Johnson as the possible reason for the shooting.

From the 911 call reporting the shooting, a male voice –  “My son has just been shot! Somebody came in the house and shot him!”

***UPDATE***

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Alexandra Brooke (L) Tatianna Diz (R) Source: Buncombe Co. Sheriff’s Office

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville Police Department has confirmed that they are now investigating the connection between Pisgah View shooting suspect Pierre Lamont Griffin II, and two women gone missing since Oct. 27. Alexandra Brooke King, 22 and Tatianna Diz, 20, were last seen leaving Canterbury Place Apartments sometime between 9 – 10 p.m.

Alexandra King’s dark blue VW Jetta was recovered by authorities on Wednesday morning at the edge of the French Broad River  near the New Belgium Brewery site, on Craven Street.

APD Chief Tammy Hooper has been quoted as saying, “We have confirmed there is some connection between the two women and Mr. Griffin and we are investigating that fully to determine what that is and whether or not there was some reason for them to be together that evening.”

Friends and family of King and Diz, say they were texting with someone they called “Pierre” on Tuesday, prior to their disappearance.

Thursday afternoon police searched the River Arts district for the two missing women via helicopter. There is still no report on whether that search was successful.

King has been described as a white female, 5′ 11″, approximately 120 pounds, with short brown hair, a lightning bolt tattooed on her right arm, she wears gauges in her ears.

Diz is a Hispanic female, is 5′ 2″, has brown curly hair, that has been shaved and dyed blonde on one side.

The investigation by multiple agencies is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-250-6670, Asheville Police Department at 828-252-1110, or Crime Stoppers at 828-255-5050.

Sources:

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/28/man-dies-pisgah-shooting-suspect-shot-after-chase/74726498/

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20151028/ARTICLES/151029744/0/living01

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2015/10/28/help-sought-locating-2-buncombe-women/74773710/

https://www.facebook.com/uhon.johnson

http://www.wbtv.com/story/30382944/police-asheville-murder-suspect-connected-to-missing-women

http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Press-Conference-Search-for-Missing-Asheville-Women-225443.shtml

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6 Comments

  1. michael November 3, 2015

    Hope those girls return home safely.

    Reply
  2. Matt November 1, 2015

    I noticed a helicopter buzzing the river north of town, on Friday afternoon, and wondered what that was about. Probably related. It had some sort of device on the front right skid, obviously searching.

    Reply
    1. jtroop November 3, 2015

      The fire department was down there searching with their swift water rescue equipment, but they did not find anything.

      Reply
  3. Tammy Daniels October 31, 2015

    In one of the earliest interviews WLOS did with a family member of Alex King’ s sister’s Mother-In Law. She stated that (if I am recalling correctly) Alex’s father went to where Alex’s car had been towed off Leicester Hwy. He saw that the car’s driver’s side window was broken and there was very viewable blood in the the drivers seat and floor board. My question is the towing company did not see this and report it to the APD right away, why? I do understand that the girls had not been reported missing until later that same day.

    Reply
  4. Concerned October 30, 2015

    This timeline does not make sense.

    “Tuesday evening, 10:34pm, Pisgah View Apartments. Asheville Police Department arrive in response to reports of a man injured by gunfire, and give chase to suspect Pierre Lamont Griffin II”

    “Alexandra Brooke King, 22 and Tatianna Diz, 20, were last seen leaving Canterbury Place Apartments sometime between 9 – 10 p.m (Tuesday evening).”

    This would give the suspect very little time to kidnap these two women, dump their bodies and car, and return to Pisgah View Apartments for his police chase. And then later be shot himself but have no evidence or blood on his person or car of these two women?

    Seems suspicious. Maybe the media and police department are pointing their fingers at this suspect so the public does not worry there is a potential killer on the loose?

    Reply
    1. lincolnlawyer1108 November 8, 2015

      Maybe there was no one else. Also they were allegedly seen two hours after the Citgo stop when they were supposedly carded.
      http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Police-Confirm-Shooting-Happened-Around-Car-of-Missing-Asheville-Women-226125.shtml#.Vj9BpGTnbct.

      Reply

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