Verdict handed down after man kills teen suspected of burglary in Washington – NBC4 Washington

A man who shot and killed a 13-year-old boy last year because he suspected him of breaking into cars in their northeast D.C. neighborhood was convicted of manslaughter on Friday and acquitted of first-degree murder.

Jason Lewis opened fire on Karon Blake, a middle school student, on Quincy Street NE in the early morning of January 7, 2023.

In the video, Blake can be heard screaming: “I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just a kid! I'm 12!”

The 13-year-old was taken to a hospital where he died.

Lewis was found not guilty of second-degree manslaughter, two counts of assault and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

When the verdict was read, Lewis showed no emotion. Neither his family nor Blake's were in the courtroom at the time.

Lewis argued he acted in self-defense. He told police he went outside with a gun around 4 a.m. because he heard noises and saw someone apparently tampering with parked cars. Moments later, he opened fire.

Testifying in his defense, Lewis said that as he opened the gate to his patio, he saw a gun pointed at him from the driver's side of a car parked in the alley. He said he saw a flash and heard a bang. He fired when he saw Blake running toward him.

A camera outside the house recorded some of Blake's last words.

Prosecutors told jurors there was no evidence that anyone shot Lewis that morning. When questioned by police, he never said anything about being shot. He never asked police to look for evidence that someone had shot him. When prosecutors asked him why, he said he was in shock at the time.

Lewis was released on parole and placed on GPS monitoring. His sentencing is scheduled for October 25.

What Jason Lewis said in a 911 call after shooting Karon Blake

The video shows that Lewis Blake did not immediately rush to help. Instead, he stood against a wall, took a deep breath on his patio, went into his house and called 911. The jury heard the 911 call.

“I shot the young man. He was running toward me,” Lewis said.

“Is he a teenager?” the caller asked.

“He said he was 12,” Lewis said.

“Is he conscious and breathing?” the caller asked.

“No,” said Lewis.

“Where was he shot?” the caller asked.

“I don’t know,” said Lewis.

“He was running toward you when you shot him?” the caller asked.

“Yes,” said Lewis.

“He took my baby away from me”

Blake was a student at Brookland Middle School and loved football and fashion, the principal said after his death.

“He was the nicest boy in my class,” a classmate said tearfully at a vigil. “He was always funny. He made everyone smile.”

He was “the man of the house,” his mother, Londen Blake, said after his death.

“He took my baby, my firstborn,” she said.

When Blake was shot, his mother thought he was at home in bed, her lawyer said.

“Despite the time of day, it was like that, despite everything, you know, kids are kids,” Londen Blake said. “Some grow up too fast, some do things they shouldn't do, and some we parents don't always keep up with.”

At a vigil, Blake's brother and sister spoke about how much they will miss him.

“I don't want to keep waking up and knowing that my brother is no longer with me. I don't want that. It hurts,” his brother said.

Relatives gathered around the family of Karon Blake, the 13-year-old who was shot and killed in Washington, DC. At the vigil, the public also demanded answers from police about the identity of the shooter. News4's Aimee Cho reports.

What Jason Lewis said in his defense

Lewis testified in his defense, saying he started shooting because he feared for his life. On the stand, he told the court something he never told police: that he saw a car on the road. He said he thought he saw someone coming toward him in his peripheral vision.

“I saw a gun in the car, in the driver's seat. I saw a flash and heard a bang. I fired. I thought it was a gun. I thought I was being shot at. In my peripheral vision, I saw someone coming toward me. I saw a person. I was afraid for my safety. I was afraid for my life. I fired two shots,” he said.

During cross-examination, a prosecutor asked Lewis, “You never told the police you were shot. Why?”

“I was shocked,” Lewis replied.

“You never told the police to look for bullet holes or shell casings. Why?” asked the prosecutor.

“I was shocked,” Lewis said a second time.

“When you called 911 that morning, you initially said you had a concealed carry permit, not that you needed emergency services. Why did you do that?” the prosecutor asked.

“I wanted the police to know they would be safe when they got to the house,” Lewis replied.

His weapon was legally registered, police said.

The Washington, D.C. government employee who shot and killed 13-year-old Karon Blake turned himself in Tuesday to face a charge of second-degree murder, multiple sources told News4.

“No car and no material possession is worth a life”

Blake and two other people broke into cars that morning and arrived in a stolen vehicle, police said.

After the fatal shooting, then-Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said a group of young men with flashlights broke into cars on Jan. 7. According to court documents, three cars on Quincy Street had damaged or broken windows.

Contee said there was no confrontation or conversation between Lewis and Blake before Lewis opened fire.

DC council members and security officials questioned why Lewis used deadly force when he thought cars were being broken into.

“Property is not more important than life. Karon should be alive today,” DC Council Member Christina Henderson said in a social media post.

“No car or material possession is worth a life – under any circumstances. I join the residents of District 5 in calling on the MPD and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold the man who took Karon's life accountable,” Council Member Zachary Parker said in a statement.

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After the shooting, Mayor Muriel Bowser advised anyone who feared a crime to call 911 and not to try to take action on their own.

“If you feel there is a safety risk in or around your home, call 911. That's the right thing to do, call 911,” she said.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.