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The D.C. government employee who shot and killed 13-year-old Karon Blake turned himself in Tuesday to face a second-degree murder charge, D.C. police chief Robert Contee said.
Blake yelled “I’m sorry,” “I am a kid” and “I am only 12” numerous times as the suspect fired in his direction, according to court documents that described surveillance video. Contee said video was integral to the investigation.
Jason Lewis, 41, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting Blake on Quincy Street NE in the Brookland neighborhood about 4 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, court documents say.
Lewis heard noises and saw someone who appeared to be “tampering with a vehicle.” The resident stepped outside armed with a legally registered gun, and after an interaction with the teen, opened fire, according to police. Neighbors said they heard four to five gunshots during the incident.
Police said the man performed CPR on Blake after shooting him. Blake died a short time later at a hospital.
Officers found a stolen car near the scene, which they believe Blake had used, police said. Two sources familiar with the investigation told News4 that the car was a stolen KIA and its engine was running.
D.C. police chief Robert Contee said earlier this month that a grand jury was convened to investigate the case.
He said people are making allegations centered around race, and photos are circulating on social media of innocent people who have been accused in the killing. Contee said those accusations were false and that the man involved is African American.
“I think it’s getting really reckless and dangerous with some of the behavior that I’m seeing. We normally do not identify people … in this similar situation unless we have a warrant in hand for that person, or unless there’s a person who we are trying to identify and we don’t know who that person is. That is not what we’re dealing with here,” Contee said.
The man who shot Blake was cooperative with police, and retained a lawyer, 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 Saturday in Northeast after seeing someone tampering with a vehicle about 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 and inquisitive scholar who loved fashion and football. Although he loved his neighborhood, he loved Brookland MS (the faculty & his peers) and the structure it presented to him even more. He leaves behind his mom and three younger siblings,” Brookland Middle School Principal Kerry Richardson said.
Blake was remembered as the “nicest boy” in his class who made his siblings laugh during a vigil earlier this month.
The killing led safety advocates and D.C. Councilmembers to question why deadly force was used.
“Property is not greater than life. Karon should be alive today,” D.C. Council member Christina Henderson tweeted.
Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker released a statement saying, in part, “No car or material possession is worth a life – under any circumstance. I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon’s life.”
“If you feel there is a public safety issue in or around your home, call 911. That is the appropriate thing to do, to call 911,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates.
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