WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The mother of 13-year-old Karon Blake says she thought her son was sleeping when he was shot by a D.C. worker in Northeast.
Londen Blake broke her silence the day after the man accused of killing her son, Jason Michael Lewis, pleaded not guilty. Lewis is facing second degree murder while armed charges for the death of Karon Blake.
"I really hope I get justice for my child, and I hope this man is convicted to the highest," said Blake during a press conference.
Blake's lawyer, Brian McDaniel says the mourning mother waited to address her son's death to avoid interfering in the nearly one month criminal investigation into Lewis' actions. McDaniel also addressed some of the misconceptions that he says surfaced regarding Karon's actions on Jan. 7.
"Karon did not present any danger to Mr. Lewis. Karon was not armed at the time that he was shot," said McDaniel who refuted Lewis' initial account to police where he claimed there was an altercation between him and the 13-year-old and that Karon charged at him.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) says officers found Karon shot and Lewis giving the boy chest compressions at 3:56 a.m. in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, Northeast.
According to court documents, Lewis told officers he heard noises outside which prompted him to go downstairs because he did not know if someone was trying to come into his house. He told investigators he then saw a car and "youngsters" in black.
Lewis told officers that Karon ran toward him as he was standing in the entryway to his courtyard, and that he only fired two gunshots.
"Karon was not on Mr. Lewis' property and in fact Mr. Lewis was not on his property when he decided to shoot Karon," said McDaniel who also said he believes there is sufficient evidence to charge Lewis for shooting into another car.
In the arrest warrant, officers say Lewis heard Karon say "I'm a kid, I'm a kid," before collapsing on the street.
"He was the man of the house. That's who helped me, and he took him from me," said Blake about the seventh grader, the eldest of her four children.
Blake told reporters she was doing her best as a mother, "Children are children, you know? Some of them grow up too fast. Some of them do things that they are not supposed to do, and some parents are not aware at all times."
McDaniel told reporters that Karon was shot at least two times but that the pending autopsy report will provide more details about the manner of death. When asked if the family had reviewed the body cam video of the responding officers, he said it was not something Ms. Blake wanted to do.
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