Former Southern Wayne teacher charged in ex-girlfriend's stabbing
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on February 23, 2007 1:52 PM
A former Southern Wayne High School coach was arrested earlier this week and charged with repeatedly stabbing his estranged girlfriend.
Michael Orlando Olliver, 47, of Raleigh was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Georgetown, S.C., during a traffic stop.
He allegedly stabbed Erica Shariss Jennings outside her townhouse in Raleigh at 7:30 that morning, according to Raleigh police reports.
According to Raleigh police, Ms. Jennings sought help from neighbors and was taken to WakeMed Raleigh campus, where she has been in critical condition.
Officials from the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force had received a tip that Olliver was headed to South Carolina. After his arrest, he was initially being held under $500,000 bond.
Jim Sughrue, a spokesman for the Raleigh Police Department, said today that Olliver was extradited and was being held in the Wake County Jail. He faces a charge of attempted murder and was placed under a $500,000 bond.
Olliver had been served over the weekend with a protective order filed against him late last week. Sources said he was also wanted in Jefferson County, Texas, for probation violations. The 1999 charges were domestic violence-related.
Officials at Wayne County Public Schools said Olliver was hired as a part-time assistant at Southern Academy in January 2000. In July of that year, he was hired as a physical education teacher and basketball coach at Southern Wayne High School.
Olliver resigned from Southern Wayne in July 2004. The reason for his departure was not specified. Ken Derksen, public information officer for the Wayne school system, said he was unable to discuss Olliver's personnel record.
"Wayne County Public Schools is able to say that nothing was found in Mr. Olliver's application that would have prevented him from being hired," he said.
Derksen also noted that at the time Olliver was hired, school systems did not conduct mandatory background checks for employees. That practice started in January 2002, he said.