Three young men in Greensboro, North Carolina, have been arrested for the murder of an off-duty Greensboro Police Department sergeant, Sgt. Phillip Dale Nix. Sgt. Nix was shot to death at a Sheetz convenience store and gas station after witnessing the three individuals engage in an alleged crime and intervening to stop them.
The three suspects who have been arrested and charged over the horrific slaying of the off-duty sergeant at the Greensboro Sheetz gas station are Jamere Justice Foster, 18, Z’quriah Le’Pearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28.
The Greensboro Police Department announced the arrests and gave some indication of what crimes the three individuals were committing when Sgt. Nix tried to stop them, noting that two of the three had been charged with various forms of larceny, a theft of property offense.
Beginning, the Greensboro Police Department described Sgt. Nix’s life and career, saying, “Yesterday, the Greensboro Police Department lost one of our own. Sergeant Philip Dale Nix who served the city faithfully for 23 years was a loving husband, father, son, and brother. Sergeant Nix worked with GPD under many assignments including Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Detective, Patrol Corporal, Patrol Sergeant, and his most current assignment was as Supervisor of the Family Victims Unit. He was also a Team Leader for the Peer Support Team for over 12 years and was the current Assistant Team Leader of the GPD Honor Guard.”
Continuing, the department requested that everyone respect the feelings and privacy of the devastated family in the wake of the horrific incident, saying, “We ask that all parties respect the family’s privacy in this difficult time and more information about donations to the family will be shared on our social media pages in the coming days.”
It then named the three individuals who had been arrested in connection with the murder of Sgt. Nix, saying, “Three suspects have been arrested in connection with Sergeant Nix’s death. Jamere Justice Foster, 18, Z’quriah Le’Pearce Blackwell, 18, and John Walter Morrison, 28.”
Continuing, it described the crimes with which they have been charged, saying, “Foster is charged with First Degree Murder, Larceny, and Conspiracy to Commit Larceny and is held with no bond. Blackwell is charged with Accessory after the fact to First Degree Murder and is held with a $500,000 bond. Morrison is charged with Accessory after the fact to First Degree Murder, Larceny, and Conspiracy to Commit Larceny and is held without bond.”
Concluding, the department noted that it is working with the Winston-Salem Police Department to bring the perpetrators to justice, saying, “Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues. The Greensboro Police Department wants to thank the Winston-Salem Police Department for assisting in making these arrests.”
In an earlier post describing the circumstances of Sgt. Nix’s death, the department said, “This evening, the Greensboro Police Department lost one of our own. Around 4 p.m. at the Sheetz located at 3202 Sandy Ridge Road, an off-duty Greensboro Police Sergeant witnessed a crime occurring. The officer approached the suspects and was subsequently shot. Another off-duty Greensboro Police officer and a Guilford County Paramedic were on scene and immediately rendered aid. The Sergeant was transported to a local medical facility where he succumbed to his injuries.”
It continued, “He was a loving husband, father, son and brother with 23 years of service to the department. We ask for prayers for the family of the fallen officer and our Greensboro PD family. We would like to thank all of the organizations and leaders for offering condolences and assistance including Governor Cooper, Guilford County District Attorney’s Office, Secret Service, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s, ATF, DEA, SBI, SHP, Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office, Guilford County Sherriff’s Office, Winston-Salem Police Department, and the High Point Police Department. We also would like to express our appreciation to our community partners and other organizations that have offered their condolences and support.”
Featured image credit: Greensboro Police Department Facebook
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