The death of a 13-year-old boy, whose last words before being shot were, “Please don’t… I’m a kid,” has resulted in a murder charge against a Black youth worker in the District of Columbia.
Jason Michael Lewis, 41, who worked with youth at city recreation centers, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for the Jan. 7 killing of Karon Blake, also Black, in Northeast Washington.
Lewis’ attorney, Lee Smith, described the incident as a tragedy, claiming his client “dedicated his career to mentoring and supporting youth in the District of Columbia, which only adds to how distraught he is over the death of Karon Blake,” according to The Washington Post.
He also noted that Lewis has four children, no criminal history and long community ties.
“The public will see,” Smith added, “no crime was committed here.”
Authorities disclosed new information about the incident, recorded on surveillance cameras, in court records and during a press conference. Lewis allegedly broke the law and was the aggressor in the interaction with Blake, who also said, “I’m sorry,” before being shot.
Police speculate that Blake might have been trying to get into a car to escape after Lewis yelled at him and two unknown individuals who were all messing with or trying to break into cars around 4 a.m. Before this, the alleged getaway car was reported stolen.
Lewis fired the first shot at that car, striking it and forcing the driver to lose control of it, according to Police Chief Robert J. Contee III. The chief said that Blake, who was unarmed, ran toward Lewis and might not have known he had opened fire.
He also said the juveniles posed no threat.
“Any time we have a loss of life, especially that of a child, that’s just something that pierces my soul,” the police chief said, The Post reported. “Here we have a kid who is dead who should not be.”
Contee said there were inconsistencies between Lewis’ original account and the evidence that detectives later obtained. The chief said Lewis did not admit to detectives that he had fired the initial shot at the car, citing the oversight as his “biggest grievance” with the account.
According to a 31-page arrest warrant, Lewis claimed he grabbed his legally registered Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun after hearing noises, assuming someone was trying to break into his ground-floor condo.
The court filing alleges that Lewis told police Blake raced “directly toward” him and he believed he fired two shots. The warrant claims that Lewis told detectives in a subsequent interview that Blake “bee-lined” toward him. Police said there is no footage indicating Blake, shot several times, had gone onto Lewis’ property.
Police reported that they found three bullet casings.
Lewis’ counsel entered a not-guilty plea on Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court, and the court ordered him to be held until a preliminary hearing on Feb. 13.
“The Blake family deserves justice,” said Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker, who represents the area where the shooting occurred, The Post reported, “and now we are one step closer to holding Karon’s killer accountable.”
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