Three charged in burglary resulting in officer-involved shooting

A security guard watching video of the construction site around 1 a.m. Sunday spotted the trio carrying crowbars in a secured part of the site where tools are kept. Officers responding to the guard’s call allegedly saw the three men getting into a white pickup truck and attempted to block them from exiting the site with two patrol cars, according to prosecutors.

With Griffin allegedly at the wheel, the car drove into one of the patrol cars and allegedly drove away from the police vehicles in search of another exit to the site. Griffin allegedly drove the car at the patrol vehicle again while an officer was standing on its trunk and the officer fired a round at the men before he was knocked off the car, according to prosecutors.

Fearful Griffin might further hurt the officer who fell, three other officers allegedly fired their weapons at the truck. Griffin was allegedly still able to reverse the truck and ram the patrol vehicle again, breaking through on the third attempt, according to prosecutors.

The truck was allegedly pursued by the officers and the truck ultimately came to a stop after it collided with a center median nearby. Between Griffin, Lewis and Mack, one broken arm and a wound from the grazing of a bullet were sustained. The officer who fell off the car was released from a hospital shortly after the incident with minor injuries, according to prosecutors.

The actions of the four police officers who discharged weapons in the April 21 incident are currently under investigation by the District Attorney’s Office.

The county’s private defender program was appointed to all three men’s cases when they appeared in court Wednesday, and all three pleaded not guilty to their charges. Lewis, who is in custody on $25,000 bail, faces three felony charges including car burglary, grand theft and vandalism while Mack, who was released on his own supervised recognizance, was charged with four felonies, including assault on a peace officer, car burglary, grand theft and vandalism, according to prosecutors.

The trio is slated to appear in court May 6 for preliminary hearing and Mack will next appear in court May 2 for Superior Court review conference, according to prosecutors.