Witnesses testify against accused gunman in fatal robbery

JACKSON, Tenn. — The man charged with the murder of a Jackson store clerk appeared Thursday in court.

Urshawn Miller went before Jackson Judge Blake Anderson for a preliminary hearing.

Miller is charged with the murder of Ahmad Dhalai during an attempted robbery at the Citgo gas station.

Multiple witnesses took the stand to testify. “One, two, three, four, ‘boom!’ — then I sit there, and I was like ‘oh my God, is he robbing the store?'” witness Timothy Sinclaire said.

Sinclaire said he regularly shopped at the Bull Market on Hollywood Drive. He recalls watching as he says an armed man walked into the store and shot the clerk the night before Thanksgiving 2015.

“I saw two gunshots. I heard it go off, but I could actually see the motion.”

Abdul Saleh said he was working at the store the night his coworker was killed. “I seen Ahmad lying right there behind the counter, bleeding,” he said. “A man was standing there looking around trying to open the cash register or something like that.”

Miller is represented by defense attorney Daniel Taylor.

Taylor asked witnesses if his client was the man responsible for the crime.

Several witnesses said that’s unclear because the alleged shooter was wearing a dark hoodie and had part of his face covered.

Investigators said forensic evidence connects Miller to the crime.

According to police, the store has surveillance cameras with audio recording the incident.

Court documents claimed Miller fled from the convenience store into nearby woods.

Testifying investigators said he made violent threats toward them, punched a K-9 officer and resisted arrest before being taken into custody.

Judge Anderson ordered the case be sent to the grand jury.

Records show Miller has a previous conviction for felony armed robbery.

Miller is scheduled to appear May 9 before a grand jury.