Suspects named in double shooting

Shauna Watkins
Diversity Institute Fellow

03.29.04

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A double shooting Wednesday afternoon at Crestview apartments on Thompson Place left two people wounded and two in jail.

Sammie Lawrence, III, 33, was shot in the stomach and Javonna Lynn Black, 32, was shot in the shoulder after an alleged drug transaction went wrong around 2:30 p.m., police said. Both were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to be treated for their wounds.

Detective Mike Chastin and Patrol Officer Mike Sanders saw Taurus Booker, 28, and Lakisha Seay, 22, run out of one of the apartment buildings and get into an SUV shortly after the shooting occurred. Booker was carrying a small black bag, according to a police report.

The officers pursued the suspects until the vehicle crashed after a short chase. Both suspects fled on foot and were immediately apprehended.

Chastin and Sanders arrested the two suspects and found the black bag contained a kilogram, about 2.2 pounds, of cocaine and a .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Black refused to disclose information regarding the shooting, and police said Lawrence could not be questioned because of his medical condition. Both have had prior arrests for cocaine offenses, police said.

Booker's bond was set at $200,000. He has a prior arrest history which includes cocaine offenses and attempted homicide. Police did not release information about Seay.

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