A known Bloods gang member with a long history of violence has been identified as a suspect involved in a July 31 shootout. Walter Hamiid Jones, 25, has a warrant on charges of aggravated assault, according to a Burlington Police news release.
The gun battle occurred around 3:15 a.m. that Saturday at Simon’s gas station on South Winooski Avenue, and involved several people shooting at each other. Witnesses described three Black men fleeing in a truck soon after. Officers eventually stopped the truck and detained two Black males and a Black female, and seized a bag containing crack cocaine from the front of the truck. None of the suspects were identified at the time.
Detectives determined a physical fight broke out between the two men in the truck and a third Black male from another vehicle. One of the men from the truck hit the third man in the head with a fist, and the latter pulled a gun and fired but missed. Then both men from the truck started shooting at the third man, who ran away on foot while the other two chased him. With information from the public, police identified Jones as the third suspect, the report stated.
Jones has “an extensive violent history in Massachusetts” that spans 14 convictions for incidents including home invasion, armed robberies with a handgun, assaults with a dangerous weapon, and cocaine distribution. He also has pending charges in Massachusetts for cocaine and heroin trafficking, using a firearm in a felony, possession of a large-capacity firearm, and possession of a firearm without a permit, police said.
Police are seeking a Nissan Rogue involved in the incident. It last had a New York registration of KMB5085, and may have been abandoned in an unknown location, police said.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Burlington Police Department at (802) 658-2704.
