3 teens face robbery, assault charges in connection with weekend incidents

photo by: Journal-World File Photo

In this file photo from Aug. 4, 2020, a Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured outside the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Three men are facing felony charges stemming from two incidents in Lawrence last weekend, including a “strong-armed robbery,” a police official said.

All three men were formally charged in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday. Jamaz D. Epps, of Lawrence, 18, was charged with aggravated robbery; Kavaun M. Clark, of Lawrence, 19, was charged with aggravated assault; and Michael D. Phillips, of Kansas City, Mo., 18, was charged with aggravated robbery.

During the hearing, Clark said he and Phillips are brothers.

Patrick Compton, a spokesman for the Lawrence Police Department, told the Journal-World that the three men were arrested early Monday morning after police responded to a call for a possible assault around 12:30 a.m. at a home in the 3300 block of Magnolia Circle.

When officers arrived, the men had already left the residence. But after an overnight investigation, detectives learned that the assault was possibly committed by individuals who were believed to be involved in a separate robbery incident that occurred earlier Sunday night, Compton said.

Officers later arrested the three men at the LPD headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive, according to the Douglas County Jail booking log. Compton said no one was injured during the two incidents. No further details about the nature of the suspected crimes were immediately available.

During their court appearances, Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden said the incidents included the use of a firearm “in a violent manner.”

Judge James T. George set bond for all three. He set Phillips’ and Epps’ bonds at $50,000 and Clark’s bond at $25,000. Additionally, George ordered Phillips and Epps to be under house arrest if they posted bond.

Clark was also charged with theft, a felony, in a separate case. George set a $2,000 own recognizance bond for that charge.


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