Man arrested in connection with armed robbery at Rocky Mount smoke shop
A man has been arrested in connection with two robberies in Rocky Mount.
On May 2, Rocky Mount police officers responded to the parking lot at 216 Albemarle Ave. between the Rocky Mount Event Center and the Douglas Block. When officers arrived, they found two people who had been shot at.
Investigators determined that one of the victims approached the suspect, who was sitting in his Polaris Slingshot, a three-wheeler vehicle. After the individual walked away, police said the suspect drew a pistol and fired in the direction of the victims.
Detectives searched a home on Park Avenue and found evidence that connected the suspect with a previously unsolved armed robbery of the 252 Smoke Shop at 145 North Fairview Road, which occurred on April 13.
25-year-old Bobby Lawson was arrested and charged with the following crimes:
- Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
- Possession of a firearm by felon
- Discharging a firearm in the city limits
- Robbery with a dangerous weapon
Lawson is being held at the Edgecombe County Jail without bond.
The investigation is ongoing.
