Kinsey man sentenced to 35 years in shooting of store clerk during robbery

A judge sentenced three Wiregrass men on Wednesday to serve time in prison for unrelated armed robberies in Dothan, including one at a local grocery store which left the store owner seriously injured from gunfire.

Circuit Court Judge Ed Jackson sentenced Raashaan Calique King to serve 35 years in prison for the attempted murder of Willie McGriff during a robbery at the McGriff Grocery Shop-N-Save store. King, 21, of Kinsey, pleaded guilty moments before his sentence to the charges of attempt murder, felony first-degree robbery and felony first-degree theft of property. Jackson sentenced King to the 35 year prison term for the robbery charge, 20 years for the attempted murder charge and 10 years for the theft charge, all of which he ordered to run concurrently.

McGriff suffered a gunshot wound to each of his legs during the robbery at his store on North Range Street in December 2008. King was arrested after he led police on a high-speed chase and crashed McGriff’s stolen car on Kinsey Road.

Jackson originally ordered the sentences for the charges to run consecutively, but changed his mind at the end of the hearing.

“He didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” said Valerie Judah, who represented him in court. “It was all one bad mistake at the same time, that’s why I’m asking for them to run concurrently.” 

Jackson agreed to run the sentences concurrently based on the defendant’s young age.

“Do you know what would’ve happened if he’d have died?” Jackson asked King. “You would’ve faced the death penalty. You’re very fortunate he did not die.”

In an unrelated hearing, Jackson also sentenced the last of three area men charged in the armed robbery of a Dothan Hop-In convenience store.

Jackson sentenced Griffin to serve life in prison based on the fact that he had two prior felony convictions. Tullis Griffin, 21, of Dothan, pleaded guilty moments before his sentence to felony first-degree robbery. Houston County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Griffin shortly after the robbery, which happened near the intersection of Third Avenue and Ross Clark Circle on Dec. 17, 2008. Prosecutors have said about $500 was taken during the robbery.

Both Keith Pullin, 20, and Kendrick Bryant, 19, have already been sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for their involvement in the Hop-In robbery.

At an unrelated court hearing Wednesday, Jackson sentenced Derek Johnson to serve 25 years in prison for the armed robbery of a Dothan Shell service station. Court records show Dothan police investigators arrested Johnson, 23, of Headland, in March 2008, and charged him with felony first-degree robbery.