CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Police are looking for a suspect they said fatally shot a man on Charleston's West Side early Wednesday.
Charleston Police Lt. Steve Cooper said officers were called to 924 Main St. around 2 a.m. for a domestic disturbance call.
When officers arrived they found Clinton "Blue" Jerome Green, 39, lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, Cooper said.
He said Green was walking to his home at 811 Grant St. from a nearby bar when the shooting occurred. Detectives are following strong leads, but Cooper wouldn't elaborate for fear of harming the investigation. He said detectives believe Green might have known the suspect and the shooting was not random.
"Without going into too many specifics regarding motives or theories on this crime, we do not believe there is any reason for alarm," Cooper said. "We do not believe this is any type of random crime, but we will keep the public updated."
Cooper wouldn't speculate on possible motives or say if the slaying is connected to Green's extensive criminal history.
In June 1995, police arrested Green while he waited in a taxi at the entrance of Orchard Manor. He was attempting to sell about $160,000 in crack that he carried in his pocket, according to the reports.
Green was charged with possession of crack cocaine and sentenced to a 14-year prison sentence. That sentenced was later lightened in exchange for Green's testimony in a U.S. District Court trial against two New York brothers accused of selling thousands of dollars in crack cocaine in Charleston.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Police are looking for a suspect they said fatally shot a man on Charleston's West Side early Wednesday.
Charleston Police Lt. Steve Cooper said officers were called to 924 Main St. around 2 a.m. for a domestic disturbance call.
When officers arrived they found Clinton "Blue" Jerome Green, 39, lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, Cooper said.
He said Green was walking to his home at 811 Grant St. from a nearby bar when the shooting occurred. Detectives are following strong leads, but Cooper wouldn't elaborate for fear of harming the investigation. He said detectives believe Green might have known the suspect and the shooting was not random.
"Without going into too many specifics regarding motives or theories on this crime, we do not believe there is any reason for alarm," Cooper said. "We do not believe this is any type of random crime, but we will keep the public updated."
Cooper wouldn't speculate on possible motives or say if the slaying is connected to Green's extensive criminal history.
In June 1995, police arrested Green while he waited in a taxi at the entrance of Orchard Manor. He was attempting to sell about $160,000 in crack that he carried in his pocket, according to the reports.
Green was charged with possession of crack cocaine and sentenced to a 14-year prison sentence. That sentenced was later lightened in exchange for Green's testimony in a U.S. District Court trial against two New York brothers accused of selling thousands of dollars in crack cocaine in Charleston.
Green testified that he made about $60,000 selling crack for Tyheim "Israel" Little and Trevor "Tragedy" Little from 1990 to 1996.
Police testified that the drug ring had contributed to many shootings on Charleston's East End and West Side and the three allegedly peddled as much as 11 pounds of crack from New York to Charleston. The Little brothers were sentenced to life in prison.
Green was arrested dozens of times more after his release from prison for minor drug possession charges, burglaries, assaults, domestic batteries and for violating several restraining orders, among other charges.
The city's murder rate is on par with previous years, Cooper said.
"The violence is no more frequent that it's ever been and we are on our sixth homicide this year ...," he said. "We just hope to bring justice to the victims and their family and that's what we are working on right now."
There were four homicides in 2011, while there were 11 in 2010, two of which remain unsolved.
Reach Travis Crum at travis.c...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5163.
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