The D.C. government employee who shot 13-year-old Karon Blake as she screamed “I’m just a kid” earlier this month turned himself in Tuesday to face a charge of second-degree murder degree, according to court documents and Metropolitan Police Chief Robert. count
Blake yelled “sorry” and “I’m only 12” multiple times as the suspect fired in her direction, according to court documents describing the surveillance video. Contee said the video was an integral part of the investigation.
Jason Lewis, 41, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting Blake on Quincy Street NE in the Brookland neighborhood around 4 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, court documents say.
Lewis heard noises and saw someone who appeared to be “manipulating a vehicle.” The D.C. resident came out armed with a legally registered handgun and then opened fire, according to police. Lewis shot at a “getaway vehicle” before shooting Blake, Contee said.
Witnesses told police they heard four to five gunshots during the incident, according to Lewis’ arrest warrant. The arrest warrant said police found three pans.
Surveillance footage reviewed by D.C. police and cited in Lewis’ arrest warrant shows him firing his gun at that “getaway vehicle” once and at Blake twice.
Karon Blake Shooting: Timeline of Events
Contee confirmed on Tuesday that a group of “youths” were using flashlights and “breaking into” cars on the block in the early hours of January 7. Three cars in the block had damaged or broken windows, according to court documents.
Surveillance footage reviewed by police and referenced in the arrest warrant showed two individuals, one of whom was Blake, getting out of a car parked near the scene and getting into those three cars with flashlights, according to the order.
Officers found a stolen car near the scene, which they believe Blake had used, police said earlier.
Contee said there was no direct confrontation or exchange of words between Lewis and Blake. According to police documents, Lewis told police he said, “Hey! What are you doing?”
The surveillance footage cited in the warrant contained audio of Lewis coming out of his home and yelling “Hey,” as well as footage of the two youths running with flashlights.
Contee said it appeared the first shot was fired at a fleeing vehicle. Surveillance footage referenced in the warrant also appeared to show Lewis firing in the direction of that vehicle once, according to that document.
It appeared Blake may have been trying to get back into the vehicle, but the vehicle backed into the alley, Contee said. The second person ran back to the vehicle before it began to reverse, according to the arrest warrant.
“At some point,” Contee said, Blake ran toward Lewis. It’s unclear whether Blake knew where Lewis was, Contee said.
“It’s 4 in the morning; it’s dark out there,” Contee said. “And as we learned through the investigation, again, what he initially described to us, there were some discrepancies as we went through our investigation. The initial shot that was fired at the getaway vehicle it was not part of the initial discussion we had with Mr Lewis.”
According to the arrest warrant, Lewis fired two more shots in Blake’s direction, as seen in surveillance footage police reviewed in the investigation.
After firing those two shots, Blake can be heard on surveillance audio yelling “I’m sorry,” numerous times, followed by “Please, no” and “No” numerous times. Blake also yells “I’m a kid” and “I’m only 12” several times, according to the arrest warrant.
Police previously said the man, now identified as Lewis, performed CPR on Blake after he was shot. Blake died a short time later in a hospital.
“Any time we have a loss of life, especially a child’s, that’s something that really pierces my soul,” Contee said Tuesday.
Contee urged anyone who was with Blake that night to come forward, but declined to say whether charges will be filed, saying that would be up to the Attorney General’s Office.
“My assessment is that these young people need someone to intervene,” Contee said.
Contee said earlier this month that a grand jury was convened to investigate the case.
He said people were making racially-focused allegations and photos of innocent people accused of murder were circulating on social media. Contee said those allegations were false and that the man involved is African-American.
“I think it’s becoming very reckless and dangerous with some of the behavior that I’m seeing. We don’t usually identify people … in this similar situation unless we have a warrant for that person, or unless there’s a person that we’re trying to identify and we don’t know who that person is. We’re not dealing here,” Contee said.
Lewis cooperated with police and hired an attorney, Contee said. He was placed on administrative leave from his city job after the shooting, city officials said.
Police say a homeowner fatally shot 13-year-old Karon Blake in Northeast Saturday after seeing someone tampering with a vehicle around 4 a.m. News4’s Aimee Cho has the latest on the investigation and how loved ones and people at Brookland Middle School are remembering the boy.
Blake was a student at Brookland Middle School.
“He was a quiet, curious student who loved fashion and soccer. Although he loved his neighborhood, he loved Brookland MS (the faculty and his peers) and the structure it presented even more. He leaves behind his mother and three little brothers,” said Kerry Richardson, principal of Brookland High School.
Blake was remembered as the “nicest kid” in his class who made his siblings laugh at a vigil earlier this month.
The killing led safety advocates and D.C. councilors to question why deadly force was used.
“Property is not larger than life. Karon should be alive today,” DC Councilwoman Christina Henderson tweeted.
Ward 5 Council Member Zachary Parker issued a statement saying, in part, “No car or material possession is worth a life, under any circumstances. I join the residents of Ward 5 in asking MPD and the “U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable the person who took Karon’s life.”
“If you think there’s a public safety issue in or around your home, call 911. That’s the right thing to do, call 911,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
This is breaking news. Update for updates.
