Man wanted on murder charge says he begged police to arrest him after they refused over lack of ID
Frank Sams Jr., 25, wanted on a second-degree murder warrant, spent nearly an hour on Wednesday pleading with police to arrest him before they actually did, an attorney said
A Louisiana man found out that turning himself in on a second-degree murder warrant in New Orleans wasn't as easy as he thought.
Frank Sams Jr., 25, spent nearly an hour on Wednesday pleading with police to arrest him before they actually did, his attorney said.
Sams hoped to start the process of fighting the murder charge but lawyer Kelly Orians said deputies refused to process Sams because he didn't have a state ID on him, The New Orleans Advocate reported.
The impasse ended after Orians produced a copy of a news article that featured Sams' picture and noted that he was wanted for second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a gas station clerk in September.
Orians said the whole situation was 'nothing short of absolutely bizarre.'
Sams is being held on $500,000 bail.
Orians accompanied Sams to the jail, but said the Orleans Public Defenders Office will handle his murder case.
Orians could only laugh at the situation, despite her concern for Sams and the shooting victim's family.
Sams (in black) was wanted in the fatal shooting of a gas station clerk in September
New Orleans police supposed refused to arrest Sams because he didn't have a state ID on him. They finally acquiesced when he showed them a newspaper story with his face on it
Police claim that Sams and a second man, Farnell Jackson Jr., were caught on video robbing the Fuel Express Mart, during which store clerk Olah Bessid, 58, was fatally shot
Farnell Jackson Jr. has been in custody since he turned himself in to police in September
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Share'This is all very serious to us, and yet we walked into an agency tasked with protecting our community, and it was like it was a joke,' she said.
The Sheriff's Office's general counsel said it's unusual for someone to surrender directly to jail on a murder warrant, rather than through homicide detectives.
Fuel Express Mart store clerk Olah Bessid, 58, was killed during the September incident
'However, our policy does not require any identification for booking. We are investigating the claims based upon the information provided by The Advocate,' Blake Arcuri said.
Police allege that Sams and Farnell Jackson Jr. were caught on video robbing the Fuel Express Mart early on September 18.
Store clerk Olah Bessid, 58, was fatally shot.
Jackson has been in custody since he turned himself in to police in September.
He and Sams face life imprisonment if convicted of second-degree murder, armed robbery and other charges in a January 10 indictment.
'Frank did the right thing,' Orians said. 'He was wanted by law enforcement, and he became aware of it. He made what is, I have to imagine, a tough decision to turn himself into police, and he did it. He's eager to fight and have his day in court.'
Sams was on probation for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm by a felon.
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