Mobile County prosecutors say they will pursue life in prison for a man accused of shooting a gas station clerk during an attempted beer theft — less than two months after he walked out of prison having served just three years for murder.
Reginald Blevins was on probation when police say he shot a clerk at a Mobile gas station while trying to steal a pack of beer. The clerk is expected to survive. Blevins is being held without bond ahead of trial, and the District Attorney’s office plans to invoke his habitual offender status if he is convicted.
A Family’s Frustration With the ‘Revolving Door’
Blevins previously pleaded guilty to killing Joey O’Brien, who was found shot to death outside the Springhill Avenue post office in 2013 after witnesses reported seeing him riding his bicycle when gunfire erupted. Blevins was arrested in 2016 but served only three years under a plea deal, walking free in November 2019.
O’Brien’s sister, Kelly Poole, said her family had prayed Blevins would not hurt anyone else, and questioned how many more families must grieve because repeat violent offenders are released early. She noted this would be the third time Blevins has been accused of shooting someone.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Deborah Tillman defended the earlier plea as a difficult call made on the law and facts, but said District Attorney Ashley Rich has long criticized the state’s sentencing guidelines and pushed for truth in sentencing. “There will be no more revolving door for him, the door will be slammed shut if we are able to convict him,” Tillman said.
Back Behind Bars
The quick return to crime followed a familiar pattern: weeks after his November release, Blevins was arrested on drug charges in December, and prosecutors filed a motion to revoke his bond one day before the shooting. Even if a judge sets bond at his Wednesday hearing, a probation hold keeps him jailed until a judge rules on revocation.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Tillman said.