A North Augusta standoff ended peacefully Wednesday evening after officers gassed the home and forced out a Burke County murder suspect who was tracked to the home.
SWAT team members had surrounded the Walnut Grove neighborhood where Jordan James Perkins had refused to surrender, authorities said.
Perkins, one of two suspects being hunted for a July 30 killing at an unlicensed bar in Girard, was tracked to the Walnut Grove neighborhood around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Agencies involved in the standoff include the U.S.Marshal’s Office, the North Augusta Public Safety SWAT team and the SLED SWAT team.
The standoff continued into the night along Mill Stone Lane with SWAT team members finally gassing the home shortly before 11 p.m., Burke County Sheriff’s Capt. Jimmy Wylds said.
Burke County authorities were trying to serve a warrant on the 20-year-old suspect when the standoff began.
“They went there because obviously they knew he was there or someone told us he was there,” Capt. Wylds said.
North Augusta dispatchers had warned residents to steer clear of the entrance to the neighborhood, which sits off Old Walnut Branch. Portions of the neighborhood were reportedly evacuated.
In a wanted poster released last week, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office encouraged residents to earn “Christmas” cash by turning in two murder suspects. They offered a cash reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest Perkins as well as Jawuandre Dimera Kelly. The pair are wanted for a murder that occurred in Girard in July.
“This money is just in time for Christmas, so let’s bring these two fugitives to justice,” the wanted poster says.
The case stems from the shootings on Claxton Road on July 30 that injured four people and killed one. The location of the shooting was at an unlicensed bar and shot house that had been a trouble spot for law enforcement. Shortly after being rushed to the hospital, one of the victims, 34-year-old Dereck Hilton of Sardis, died from his injuries.
Kelly is still being sought.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
