North Charleston Man Instigates Stabbing Incident at a Local Vape Shop
In a notable incident that took place over the weekend in North Charleston, South Carolina, a man has been reported to face several charges, including the attempt to murder, after a violent altercation at a neighborhood vape shop.
The charged individual, Francis Devonte Cooper, a 31-year-old resident of North Charleston, was charged not only with attempted murder, but authorities also made several other grave charges against him. These include possession of a weapon during a violent crime, assault on a police officer while resisting arrest and assault on a Police K-9, according to the records of the local jail.
The Incident at the Vape Shop
Police officers were alerted to a stabbing incident that occurred at a local vape shop located at 5900 Rivers Ave. around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. On their arrival at the scene, they encountered a victim who had obvious stab wounds, particularly above his ear and near his elbow.
The victim, who was identified as the owner of the vape shop in question, reported that an individual, later identified as Cooper, had entered his business and started arguing with him. Following the intense argument, Cooper is reported to have pulled out a long pipe and a knife and proceeded to assault the victim. In his haste to leave the scene after the assault, Cooper dropped a shoe and his glasses in the shop. Cooper was later spotted on surveillance footage entering nearby businesses where he ditched his remaining shoe and jacket.
Given his regular patronage at the establishments, employees didn’t find it hard to identify the man. The surveillance videos also captured Cooper getting into a white car that was later traced to his mother’s address using the license plate number.
Mother’s Involvement in the Case
In a surprising turn of events, the mother of the suspect was reported to return to the area where the incident took place, claiming she had picked up and dropped off her son at her home located on Prince Street.
Following this lead, officers from the North Charleston Police Department, including SWAT members, visited the home to engage Cooper. Upon arriving, efforts to arrest Cooper led to an altercation, resulting in Police K-9 Oskar biting him. Cooper retaliated by hitting the police dog twice before harshly biting the officer’s right hand which led to injury. Cooper was afterward arrested and incarcerated at the Al Cannon Detention Center with his bond set at $225,000.
