Suspect in murder outside Smyrna liquor store dies in police custody in Arizona

COBB COUNTY, Ga — A murder suspect wanted out of Smyrna died in Arizona as police tried to arrest him.

Smyrna police said Terrill Jones was the man seen in surveillance video shooting and killing Michael Ezzard Jr. back in May.

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Police in Tucson, Arizona notified Smyrna police that Jones died on Monday as officers tried to arrest him.

How he died in police custody has not been released yet.

Channel 2 obtained surveillance video of the shooting outside a liquor store on Roswell Street. The video shows Ezzard holding the door open for two women as all three walk out of the store.

The video shows them chatting on the sidewalk for a few minutes before a man in a black hoodie first walks, then runs up behind Ezzard, struggles with him for a few moments over the gun and then shoots him.

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Investigators later identified the man in that video as Jones. They had received warrants to charge Jones with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Channel 2′s Michele Newell spoke with Ezzard’s mother after the shooting.

“He was standing there talking to two women. This coward came up behind him and took his life. He’s a coward. He’s a monster,” Angela Jones said.

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Ezzard’s family created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for a cash reward for Jones’ arrest. The family says instead the money will go toward a scholarship and non-profit against gun violence in his name.

“We feel justice still not served and we want his name to live on,” his mother wrote.

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