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A Turtle Creek man has been accused of robbing seven businesses over the course of a year
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A Turtle Creek man has been accused of robbing seven businesses over the course of a year

A Turtle Creek man already accused of shooting a Monroeville police officer multiple times in January was indicted in federal court Tuesday, accused of robbing seven businesses at gunpoint over the course of a year.

Jamal Brooks, 32, is named in an 18-count indictment handed down Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Charges include robbery, possession of a firearm and two counts of auto theft.

Brooks has been held in the Allegheny County Jail since Jan. 5, when he was charged shooting a Monroeville police officer sergeant who tried to pull him over because he was suspected of robbing the Crumbl cookie store in the 4100 block of William Penn Highway.

The officer was shot in the arm and buttocks. Police said Brooks fired at least 16 times.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in the case on Jan. 8.

The federal indictment lists charges dating back to Jan. 3, 2023, when investigators say Brooks robbed an Eat ‘n Park on Monroeville Boulevard and stole a 2019 Chevy Malibu.

He is accused of robbing the same Eat ‘n Park on June 11, 2023.

Then, according to the indictment, on Oct. 31, 2023, Brooks robbed the Penn Station East Coast Subs location on Center Avenue, as well as the Mercedes-Benz of Pittsburgh on Baum Boulevard. At the car dealership, investigators said Brooks stole keys and a 2021 Model E450 coupe.

The indictment alleges that Brooks, who has a long criminal history, robbed a Chipotle on Freeport Road on Nov. 12 and stole a 2015 Audi Allroad station wagon the same day, then robbed an Eat ‘n Park on Manor Park Drive in Robinson the next day.

The Crumbl cookie robbery is also included in the federal case.

Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. He joined the Tribe in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of Death by Cyanide. She can be reached at [email protected].