Brundidge man killed on Main Street

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

Aug. 24, 2000 10 PM

BRUNDIDGE – A Brundidge man collapsed from a gun shot wound across the street from the

Brundidge Police Department Wednesday night and was later pronounced dead at Edge Regional Medical Center.

Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport said Derrell Thomas, 19, of 125 Chestnut Street, Brundidge, was shot in front of the old city hall building on North Main Street and ran about 50 yards before collapsing near the sidewalk at 9:46 p.m.

Ronald McKinney, 27, of 392 7th Ave., turned himself in to the Brundidge Police Department at 11:45. p.m. He was charged with murder and was placed in the Pike County Jail. He was released Thursday afternoon on a $10,000 bond.

Davenport said apparently an altercation, which started between the men on 7th Ave., came to a climax in the downtown area.

"Apparently they got into some kind of fight on 7th Ave. but resolved it and went their separate ways but

met back up at Pinckard’s Service Station," he said. "Shots were fired from the vicinity of Pinckard’s. Officers Lee Tew and Jason Anderson were in the police station parking lot and heard the shots. They saw a car speed off and a man running down the sidewalk on the east side of Main Street. Tew called for him to halt. He

turned and appeared to point the gun toward Tew. Then he stumbled and fell."

Carol Pittman, a dispatcher with the police department, was off duty but heard on the monitor that a man was down and she immediately went to the scene. Pittman said the man had a gunshot wound to the left side.

Haynes Ambulance Service arrived on the scene at 10:06 p.m. and transported the victim to ERMC where he was pronounced dead by Coroner Jerry Williams at 10:55 p.m.

Davenport said nine 9mm shell casings were found in the vicinity of Pinckard’s and two .380 caliber casings were found on the sidewalk in front of the old city hall. Four shots shattered windows at the auction building on Main Street.

Eye witnesses stated that a man stepped out of the passenger side of a silver colored car at Pinckard’s and fired rapid shots at the victim who was across the street. One eye witness said a man exited the car and never returned, and immediately after the shooting occurred, two males left on foot walking east and one went west.

The Pike County Sheriff’s Department assisted Brundidge police at the crime scene.

The incident is still under investigation by the Brundidge Police Department, District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Forensics Sciences.