Crime & Public Safety

Police searching for 2nd man in armed robbery Sunday at Port Royal convenience store

Police are searching for a second person in connection with an armed robbery at a Port Royal gas station Sunday after charging an employee whose story kept changing, according to a Port Royal Police Department press release.

David Barwick, 32, of Hardeeville, was charged with attempted armed robbery or allegedly armed robbery Sunday, jail records show.

Police are still looking for 27-year-old Micahel Conn for questioning in relation to the incident, according to the press release.

Officers responded to a Parker’s gas station convenience store on Savannah Highway around 3:19 a.m. Sunday after getting a call about the armed robbery. An undetermined amount of money was taken from the store, according to police.

Police are not sure if the man was armed during the incident, according to Capt. John Griffith, a spokesperson for the Port Royal Police Department.

The employee, identified as Barwick, had “inconsistencies” in his story and police allege that he helped stage the robbery.

As of Monday, Barwick was still in custody at the detention center in Beaufort.

Police described Conn as a 27-year-old white male with brown hair and blue eyes. Conn is 5-foot-10 and weighs 140 pounds, according to Griffith.

Anyone with information regarding this incident or Conn’s location may call Sgt. John Hogue with the Port Royal Police Department at 843-986-2233.

When we publish mugshots

The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances:

  • In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested
  • In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety
  • In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims

Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that don’t meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot.

This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 12:01 PM.

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