'I'm a kid': New details revealed in DC shooting of 13-year-old Karon Blake after arrest made

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Karon Blake's last words reportedly were, "I'm a kid, I'm a kid," before a Washington, D.C., employee fatally shot him in early January.

Jason Lewis, 41, a longtime Washington employee, allegedly shot and killed the 13-year-old boy on Jan. 7 after he saw Blake break into cars on a block in northeast Washington. Lewis's connection to the city was released on Jan. 11, but his name and place of employment were withheld pending an arrest warrant.

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Lewis, who works for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, turned himself in to the police at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Washington police held a press conference later that day to address Lewis's arrest and the second-degree murder while armed charge against him.

On the morning of Jan. 7, Blake and other unidentified juveniles had pulled up to a line of cars in a vehicle and began looking through the windows with flashlights to break into the cars, Police Chief Robert Contee said.

Lewis, who had heard a noise outside his home, exited his front door and eventually fired one shot at the getaway car, causing Blake and the other person to run on foot.

"At some point, Karon ran toward Mr. Lewis and Mr. Lewis fired shots, striking Karon and killing him," Contee said.

Contee said it appeared Blake was trying to make it back to the getaway vehicle, but the vehicle reversed into an alley and crashed. Blake began running back toward Lewis, the chief said, but it is unclear if Blake knew Lewis was standing there.

Lewis allegedly shot Blake multiple times, using a legally registered gun with a concealed-carry permit. The Metropolitan Police Department has revoked his permit and will confiscate the lawfully purchased firearms on his property.

Blake never stepped onto Lewis's property, and there was not a confrontation or words exchanged between Blake and Lewis, Contee said.

Investigators had to sort through Lewis's claim of self-defense before determining whether to charge him, causing a delay in charges, Contee said.

"I think the biggest grievance is that the first shot that was fired was actually fired at someone who was sitting in a vehicle, who was not an immediate threat to the person who fired the shot," Contee said.

"An arrest can't come too soon for family members and victims, I get that, but we wanted to make sure we did this right," Contee added, regarding the time frame for arrest.

Police are asking for the other juveniles with Blake that night to come forward. Contee said right now, they are more concerned with gathering more information about what happened that night rather than levying charges against the other juveniles.

"My assessment is that these young men, obviously, they need some intervention, somewhere from somebody," Contee said. "If they were in a stolen car, they're out at that time in the morning, I want to make sure that they, you know, they get what they need."

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Contee said the video release of the shooting is now evidence, and it will be up to the court to determine whether or not to release it to the public, as the case will eventually go to trial.

Lewis is expected to make an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon, per his attorney.

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Tags: Washington D.C., Shooting, murder, guns, Police, News

Original Author: Rachel Schilke

Original Location: 'I'm a kid': New details revealed in DC shooting of 13-year-old Karon Blake after arrest made