Pittsfield Arraigns Second Suspect in Jones Shooting Death

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One of the men suspected in the shootout that killed Asiyanna Jones was arraigned Monday on assault and firearms charges. 

 

Josaiah T. Bynum, 19, had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf for single counts of armed assault with intent to murder, illegal possession of a firearm, rifle or shotgun, and of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

 

Bynum is one of three men being investigated for a shootout on Dewey Street on Oct. 2 that led to the death of Jones, 22. Jones was reportedly in a vehicle with another woman when shots rang out near Dewey and Linden streets around 11 p.m. 

 

Jones was struck in the head and taken to Berkshire Medical Center, then transported to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Her death was ruled a homicide the next day. 

 

Bynum was arrested on Sunday night at about 5 during a traffic stop on South Street. A second suspect, Justin D. Crawford, 20, was arrested Oct. 9 and police reportedly found a 9mm handgun in the sports utility vehicle he was in that was also believed to have been at the scene of Oct. 2's firefight, according to The Berkshire Eagle.

 

Police are still looking for Gary Linen, 36, who is believed to have returned fire the night of Oct. 2, including at the vehicle Jones was in, according to The Eagle. 

 

Judge Jacklyn Connly ordered Bynum to be held at the Berkshire County House of Correction without bail; he is expected to be back in court for a pretrail hearing on Oct. 23. 

 

Jones was a graduate of Pittsfield High School and had been a child-care worker at the Berkshire Family YMCA and was recently employed at Hillcrest Educational Center.

 

The investigation was conducted by members of the Pittsfield Police Department, with assistance from the Berkshire County sheriff's office, and state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office, members of the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force, and the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and Firearms Identification Section.

 

On Monday, Police also arrested James Cromartie, 31, of Pittsfield in relation to a completely separate shooting in 2016. 

 

Cromartie is accused of shooting James Dominguez III in the city-owned parking lot on Fenn Street on January 23, 2016. Police responded to 129 Fenn Street at 1:30 a.m. that morning to find Dominguez laying on the ground after being shot in the head. An autopsy confirmed the death a homicide.  

 

Mayor Linda Tyer praised the Police Department in making strides toward solving two separate homicides in the city.

 

"The hard work, tenacity, and perseverance of our Pittsfield police department and their law enforcement partners has resulted in several significant arrests being made in two deadly crimes that took place in our city. In the long arch of justice, there is the first line of defense and that's the excellence of the Pittsfield Police Department," Tyer said.