William S. Sells in Custody of Department of Corrections

Dover, De-William S. Sells III, 29 of Newark Delaware was arraigned yesterday evening by the Delaware State Police on the following list of charges, brought against him by 3 different Law Enforcement Agencies.

Sells, who currently is being treated at Kent General Hospital and under the supervision of the Delaware Department of Corrections, upon medical release will be remanded to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in lieu of $655,000.00 secured bond.

Delaware State Police Charges:

• 5 counts Attempted Murder First Degree
• 3 counts Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
• 3 counts Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• 3 counts Robbery First Degree
• 12 counts Aggravated Menacing
• 2 counts Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony
• Theft $1,500.00 or Greater
• Conspiracy Second Degree

Dover Police Department Charges:

• 2 counts Burglary Third Degree
• 2 counts Theft $1,500.00 or Greater
• 2 counts Criminal Mischief under $1,000.00
• Conspiracy Second Degree

Camden Police Department Charges:

• Assault Second Degree
• Reckless Endangering First Degree
• Resisting Arrest
• Driving While Suspended
• Criminal Mischief Under $1,000.00

Arraignment Update 09/07/11 11:55 a.m.

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Update William S. Sells in Custody

Dover, De-At 1:16 p.m. on Tuesday September 6, 2011 Delaware State Police breached the motel room where Sells was held up inside.  Sells was taken into custody hiding inside the motel bathroom.

Additional updates to follow.  I will meet the media at the staging area in 10 minutes for follow up questions.

Updated Incident Information

Dover, De-Delaware State Police is continuing to interact with William S. Sells.  Sells is still barricaded inside a room at the Shamrock Motel off of US 13 and Shamrock Avenue E/O Camden Delaware. 

Delaware State Police Conflict Management Team supported by our Special Operations Response Team and additional support units are on currently negotiating his surrender and has been doing so since 8:20 a.m. this morning. 

Media Staging location: Super Soda Center 177 Old Camden Road Camden-Wyoming Delaware.   

Release Update 09/06/11 12:00 p.m.

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State Police on Scene of Barricaded Subject

Dover, De-Delaware State Police are currently on scene of a barricaded subject inside a room at the Shamrock Motel located at 2171 S DuPont Highway Dover

Delaware. 

The person inside the hotel room is believed to be robbery suspect William S. Sells, 29 of Newark Delaware.  Delaware State Police Conflict Management Team and additional support units are currently on scene attempting to negotiate Sells’ surrender.  

Due to the exigent circumstances surrounding this incident US 13 north and southbound from SR 10 up to the area of the Shamrock Motel has been closed.  As soon as I obtain additional road closure information it will be disseminated. 

Cpl/3 Bruce Harris will be the on-scene PIO for this incident.  I am attempting to establish a media staging area. 

Release Update 09/06/11 10:45 a.m.

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***UPDATE- SECOND SUSPECT NAMED***

DSP News Release: Detectives Name Second Robbery Suspect

Locations and Dates of Occurrences:

-First National Bank of Wyoming, 105 Irish Hill Road, Felton, DE (Friday, August 26, 2011 at 4:50 p.m.)

-Royal Farms, 6538 Halltown Road, Hartly, DE (Friday, August 19, 2011 at 5:00 a.m.)

Suspect:

William S. Sells, 29, Newark, DE (also has ties to Wilmington and Bear, DE)

6’03” tall, 190 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.

Charges:

First National Bank

• Robbery 1^st Degree
• Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
• Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person Prohibited
• Aggravated Menacing (8 counts)
• Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony
• Theft
• Conspiracy 2^nd Degree

Royal Farms

• Robbery 1^st Degree
• Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony

-Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person Prohibited

-Aggravated Menacing (4 counts)

-Wearing a Disguise during the Commission of a Felony

Resume:

Felton, DE- Delaware State Police detectives have identified the second suspect involved in the August 26^th bank robbery of the First National Bank of Wyoming in Felton, DE. Detectives have identified William S. Sells, 29, of Newark, DE and have obtained warrants charging him for his part in the robbery of the bank.

The incident began as a male suspect entered the bank displaying a handgun. He then jumped the bank teller’s counter and demanded money from their drawers. Once the suspect received an undisclosed amount of cash, he fled from the bank and was last seen entering the passenger side of a black SUV with a NJ registration. The SUV, later identified as a Ford Explorer, then fled and was last seen traveling westbound on Irish Hill Road. None of the bank employees were injured.

A general broadcast of the suspect vehicle was then transmitted to responding police units. As this occurred, an officer from the Harrington Police Department advised that he was currently directly behind the suspect vehicle. As other officers arrived in the area, the suspects realized that they were being followed. It was at this point that the suspect seated in the front passenger seat of the SUV began shooting at the pursuing patrol vehicles, striking three of them.

Officers from numerous police agencies including the Delaware State Police, Harrington Police Department, and the Felton Police Department, continued to pursue the suspect vehicle until it crashed into a ditch in the 500 block of Steele’s Ridge Road in Camden-Wyoming, DE. The suspects then fled from the vehicle on foot with the officers chasing them. At one point during the foot pursuit, a Delaware State Trooper discharged a round from his divisional issued weapon striking one of the suspects, later identified as Russell M. Grimes, in the lower portion of his body. Russell Grimes was then taken into custody. He was transported by EMS to the Kent General Hospital where he was treated and released for his injury. He was subsequently arrested and charged for his part in the incident.

A perimeter was then set up and a search of the area was conducted for the second suspect. The suspect was not located however, and after approximately four hours, the search was discontinued.

After further investigation, detectives were able to identify Sells as the second suspect. Detectives have obtained warrants for William Sells as being the suspect who committed the armed robbery of the Royal Farms Store located in the 6500 block of Halltown Road in Hartly, DE on August 19, 2011 at approximately 5:00 a.m.

The robbery occurred as a black male suspect entered the convenience store brandishing a handgun and demanding money.  He then fired several shots inside the store in the area of 5 store employees.  None of the victims were injured.  The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of money and 20 cartons of Newport cigarettes before fleeing the store and entering a silver passenger car. The vehicle then traveled northbound on Pearson’s Corner Road to an unknown destination.