Men arrested on firearm charges

Published 10:05 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Two local men were arrested late Saturday evening after gunshots were reported on the 900 block of Palmetto Street around 11:30 p.m. 

Cedric Antwon Clarke, 24, of Bainbridge was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon and reckless conduct. Richard James Sheffield, 18, of Colquitt was charged with reckless conduct and discharging firearm within city limits.

No one was injured during the incident, which investigators believe began because two Colquitt boys were visiting female friends of Clarke and Sheffield.

Email newsletter signup

“It could have been a lot worse,” said BPS Investigator Captain Mark Esquivel.

BPS received the call about shots coming from a black Dodge Charger, which was located by officers. Clarke, Sheffield and another man were in the vehicle where officers found a concealed semi-automatic 9mm pistol with a loaded chamber.

After interviews, investigators determined Clarke and Sheffield each fired the weapon once into the air, which resulted in the reckless conduct charges, Esquivel said.

Witnesses reported that there was an altercation with two juvenile boys before the shots were fired and that there were several children in the area during the incident, according to the incident report.