Shooting suspects get bond

Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 19, 2004

Tyrone Stallworth, 20, the suspect in a shooting at Mr. Waffle last week, received a $50,000 bond in the case yesterday.

The shooting’s victim, John Jones, 16, was given a $100,000 bond on separate charges, relating to the shooting on Broad Street in May. Jones is being charged as an adult in the incident.

Stallworth and Jones were transported from the Dallas County Jail to the Courthouse in separate vehicles.

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Stallworth is being charged with assault in the first degree, for allegedly shooting Jones in the back of the head in Mr. Waffle’s parking lot on Highland Avenue. He was arrested last Wednesday.

Jones told police that he was leaving his vehicle at Mr. Waffle when he was hit in the back of the head by a bullet.

Police Chief Robert Green said Stallworth turned himself in for the crime when he realized investigators were closing in on him.

According to the district attorney’s office, Stallworth is currently on probation and may face charges of probation violation.

Jones is being charged with five different crimes: Three counts of shooting into an occupied building, one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle and one count of assault.

“Law enforcement has been looking for him for a while,” Assistant District Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick said. “As a result of these multiple charges, his bond was set at $100,000.”

Fitzpatrick said the district attorney’s office was reasonably comfortable with the bonds assigned in both cases.

“What would make me most comfortable is if they weren’t able to make the bond and they weren’t out on the streets,” Fitzpatrick said.

Both suspects are still being held at the Dallas County Jail.

Jones is one of five suspects charged in the Broad Street shooting. The shooting occurred in May, when the five allegedly drove down Broad Street in two separate cars firing at each other.

According to the district attorney, Jones was in the same car with Michael Walker, another suspect. Corey Cooper, Justin Johnson and Jarron Stallworth – Tyrone’s twin brother – were in the other car.

All five are currently in custody.

Jones’ family objected to his bond amount. His sister, Ariel Washington said it was too much for a 16-year-old and that Stallworth’s bond should have been higher.

“I don’t understand why his bond was so low,” she said. “He’s (Jones) is laying out there with a 9 mm bullet in his head.”

Washington also felt Stallworth should have been charged with attempted murder.

According to the district attorney’s office, to convict a suspect of attempted murder means the state must prove the defendant actually intended to kill a victim, which is often difficult to do.

“It is easier to prove assault one because it happened,” Assistant District Attorney Mitzi Johnson-Theodoro said. Johnson was assigned to the bond hearing for both defendants.

First-degree assault requires the state to prove the suspect intended to do serious physical harm to a victim.