Police Ask For Help Locating Person Of Interest In CVS Security Guard Murder
DETROIT (WWJ) - Police are asking the community for their help in locating a 'person of interest' in the shooting death of a CVS Pharmacy security guard.
Police think 19-year old Deonte Ware may know something about the murder of Courtney Meeks, who was killed while on the job in northwest Detroit.
Police say Ware is 5'10" tall and 170 pounds. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police at 313-596-2260.
Meeks, who dreamed of one day joining the FBI, was killed around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 outside of a CVS Pharmacy on Schaefer Highway, just south of McNichols Road.
According to police, three men approached a 2002 Ford Taurus with a woman and a 6-year-old boy inside and ordered them out of the car. As the driver of the vehicle — another woman — was walking out of the store, she saw what was happening and ran back inside screaming for help. That's when Meeks sprung into action.
"When the security officer confronted the suspects, they fired one shot," Police Chief James Craig said.
Meeks, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was shot in the neck. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspects took off in the woman's vehicle, which was recovered by police just blocks away on Cheyenne Street near Grove Street. A K-9 team was called to the scene, although investigators found no sign of the suspects.
Craig said the three suspects are believed to be responsible for an attempted carjacking that occurred just prior to shooting. In that incident, which took place around the block from the store on Hartwell Avenue, the suspects were unable to activate a vehicle's push-button ignition. Investigators believe the perpetrators went looking for another vehicle, which is how they ended up at the CVS.
Police have released security video that captured the incident, and believe the suspects live in the area where the crimes occurred. A sketch of the suspects was released last week.
The first suspect is described as a black male with a medium complexion and small frame, 17- or 18-years-old and 5'5" tall. Police say he looks younger than his age and is clean-shaven. Witnesses told police the suspect "acted like the leader" and was armed with a handgun.
The second suspect is described as a black male with a medium brown complexion and small childlike frame, 18-years-old, 5'7" tall and clean-shaven. He was also armed with a handgun.
The third suspect is described as a black male with a darker complexion than the first two suspects and small frame, 18-years-old, 5'6" tall and clean-shaven. He was armed with a silver handgun.
Anyone with information in the case is urged to contact Detroit police at 313-596-2260.
Tips can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP, online at www.1800speakup.org, or by texting "CSM" and your tip to CRIMES (274637).
