ROCKINGHAM — A man who allegedly attempted to evade bondsmen as they were trying to bond him out of the Richmond County Jail Saturday was killed after being chased to a convenience store.
Police Chief Billy Kelly told WSOC that two bondsmen from Moore County were in the process of getting Robert Lee Blue, Jr., 32, to sign paperwork finalizing his release from jail when he ran, making it to the Quik Chek convenience store on U.S. 1 South before being confronted by the bondsmen near the gas pumps Saturday night.
As the bondsmen attempted to apprehend Blue, Kelly said, he grabbed one of their guns. WSOC reports that at some point, a bystander joined the scuffle and one of them put Blue in a “choke hold” until he died. Lieutenant George Gillenwater declined to comment on who allegedly choked Blue, but when asked if charges were being filed against anyone involved, said in an email, “There are not any charges that will be filed against the bystander at this time.”
He added that, “My understanding is that the subject was in violation of a bond agreement, giving the bondsman a legal right to detain him and bring him to the proper authorities.”
Police have not provided the names of the bondsmen involved in the altercation, nor the bystander. When asked to provide a mugshot of Blue Tuesday afternoon, Jail Administrator Brian Mabe, through a staff member, declined to do so without explanation.
One of the bondsmen was treated at the hospital, according to WSOC.
Records with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety show that Blue served four months in prison following convictions in November 2013 on one felony count of breaking and entering, two misdemeanor counts of larceny and one misdemeanor count of assault inflicting serious injury. Most recently he was sentenced to probation following convictions in October 2018 on one felony count each of larceny from a person and breaking and entering.
He was scheduled to appear in court on June 3 concerning the latter charges, according to court records.