Bond has been set at $100,000 for a Columbus man who is accused of shooting a Delaware man in the leg last Friday afternoon.
William D. Lassiter, 34, of Columbus, appeared before Delaware Municipal Judge Marianne Hemmeter via video conferencing from the Delaware County Jail Monday morning. Hemmeter set his bond at $100,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 14.
Lassiter was in the Delaware County Jail Monday.
Lassiter went to the 286 Hickory Lane residence of William Sims, 39, and planned to purchase a dog from him, police said Monday. Sims is a dog breeder and had arranged to sell Lassiter a puppy, police said. However, during their meeting, police said the transaction went awry and Lassiter pulled out a handgun and shot Sims in the leg.
Police said Lassiter took Sims’ phone, some money and paperwork related to owning dogs, and left in a car with another man.
Without his phone to call for help, police said Sims made his way to the road where he flagged down a woman traveling east on Pennsylvania Avenue. The woman then called police. Police report they received the call at 12:32 p.m.
Sims was taken to Grant Medical Center and Delaware County sheriff’s deputies pulled over a car matching the description of the suspects’ car in the area of Polaris and Interstate 71.
Police said Monday that Sims had been released from the hospital.
Police detained Lassiter and a passenger in his car but ultimately did not charge the other man and released him from custody. Police said they would not be releasing the passenger’s name because he was not charged.
Lassiter was charged with aggravated robbery and felonious assault in connection with the shooting Friday night.
Police said the investigation is still ongoing and more charges may be filed in the case.
Because the shooting scene is just blocks away from both Carlisle Elementary School and Dempsey Middle School, Delaware City Schools officials placed both schools on lockdown as a precaution when they learned of the shooting but had lifted the lockdown by 2 p.m. when they learned the suspects had left the area.
School officials said the lockdown lasted about 90 minutes during which outside doors were locked but classes continued inside as usual.