An Ashe County man who led law enforcement on a chase following the robbery of a Watauga County convenience store has been found guilty of attempted murder in Tennessee.
Prosecutors said Jerry Allen Ponce robbed a Watauga County convenience store at gunpoint in April 2026.
“He was like, give me all your money, give me all your money, or I will shoot you,” said Ida Woodward, the convenience store clerk at a store in Vilas. That’s when prosecutors said Ponce led officers on a multi-state pursuit, ending in Johnson County, Tennessee. “I observed him get out of the car with a gun, point it toward officer Sexton and commence firing,” Johnson County Deputy Johnny Roberts said. “I then rolled my window down and commenced firing back at him.”
Jurors watched the dramatic and sometimes graphic video from the perspective of officers, including the moment when Deputy Trevor Estrada was shot. “After I got within close proximity, he turned around and pointed the gun at my head,” Estrada said. Estrada said he ducked while driving and felt the bullet go through his leg.
His sentencing is set for Feb.16, 2027