A judge ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge shooting suspect Michael Lee Merritt, 19, with criminal attempt capital murder and aggravated robbery Monday. Merritt was arrested Friday following the shooting of a clerk at the A&Y Shell Station, 3110 Camden Road, Thursday night. Special to The Commercial/William Harvey
Shooting suspect Michael Lee Merritt, 19, appears in court Monday. A judge ruled prosecutors had probable cause to charge him with criminal attempt capital murder and aggravated robbery Monday. Merritt was arrested Friday following the shooting of a clerk at the A&Y Shell Station, 3110 Camden Road, Thursday night. Special to The Commercial/William Harvey
A $250,000 cash only bond was set Monday for a Pine Bluff man accused of shooting a clerk at a convenience store Thursday night.
Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling prosecutors had probable cause to charge Michael Lee Merritt, 19, with criminal attempt capital murder and aggravated robbery.
Merritt was arrested Friday following the shooting at the A&Y Shell Station, 3110 Camden Road, at about 9 p.m. Thursday.
The clerk, Haidem Shah, 37, was in critical condition at Jefferson Regional Medical Center Monday, police said.
During the court hearing, Deputy Prosecutor Maxie Kizer said a witness, who was not identified in court, called police to report that the clerk had been shot, and when police arrived, Shah had already been taken to the hospital.
The witness said Shah had called him after being shot, and police reported seeing a blood trail from the cash register out the front door.
Video surveillance from the store showed Shah being shot by a black male and after being unable to open the cash register, the male reportedly shot Shah again before leaving the store heading east.
Detective Jeremy Funderburg reported that on Friday, a police officer in the area of the store on Union Street saw Merritt, who was reportedly wearing shoes that matched the shoes worn by the suspect in the shooting.
Kizer said after Merritt was questioned, detectives served a search warrant at an apartment in the 4500 block of Union Street and recovered clothing and a hat that matched what the suspect was wearing, as well as a gun.
In addition to setting the bond for Merritt, Kearney ordered Merritt to have no contact with Shah until the case is settled, and told him to come back to court Dec. 3.
Police said the shooting is still under investigation and anyone with additional information should contact the Detective Division at 730-2090. All calls will be kept confidential.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through the police website at www.pbpd.org or through the Facebook page. To text a tip to Detectives, text to 274637, then put “PBPD” with the message.