Who was Deon Kay? 18-year-old shot dead by Washington DC cops as his mother cries, ‘I need my son back’
The dark days of gun violence in America don't seem to end anytime soon. An 18-year-old Black man was fatally shot on Wednesday, September 2, at 4 pm and led to nationwide protests. As per a Washington Post report, the district police chief said a DC police officer shot dead a young man in Southeast Washington’s Congress Heights neighborhood.
Relatives soon identified the young boy as Deon Kay and there are now calls for justice after the horrific incident took place in the 200 Block of Orange Street SE. As per the same report, he lived with his mother barely half-a-mile away from the spot where he was shot. “They took my baby, they just took my baby from me,” his mother, Natasha Kay, said hours after the shooting. “I need my son back,” she cried. “I want my son back.”
Who was Deon Kay?
As per the WaPo report, his mentor, Omar Jackson, said he had just got into a high school equivalency program. “He was trying to get himself together and get out of this situation,” Jackson said. “I feel bad. My job is to keep him out of situations like this.” He also added that the 18-year-old liked to spend time with his girlfriend and play sports. Moreover, he hinted at how the area had gotten rough and his mother was planning to move out soon.
His aunt, Marie McNeil, 57, said she saw her nephew that morning as he was joking about driving her car. “He told me, ‘Auntie, I love you,’” and she said, “I love you too.” Remembering how she warned him not to get into trouble, she said, “I made sure that he was good.”
A Daily Mail report quoted Police Chief Peter Newsham: "Uniformed police officers had information that there were guys in the neighborhood with guns, specifically. That's what they were looking for and evidently that's what they found. We believe the subject had a gun at the time." Two guns were spotted at the scene. When the chief was asked if Kay was unarmed, Newsham said that would be determined in the investigation but “we believe the suspect had a gun at the time.”
As per the Daily Mail report, councilmember Trayon White said, "We've seen this narrative too many times in America, and now it's hitting home. I talked to his mom about 15 minutes ago and we want to figure out what's on the body camera footage, to figure out if he was running away why was he shot?"
Catch the official statement of the DC police below:
One tweet read: "This is Deon Kay. He was shot and killed in the back by police in Washington DC as he was running. There was no reason to kill this child. Tonight we are once again asking for justice for a police-involved shooting. We are reminded again that we need to defund the police."
This is Deon Kay.
— New York Socialist (@berniebromanny) September 3, 2020
He was shot and killed in the back by police in Washington D.C as he was running. There was no reason to kill this child.
Tonight we are once again asking for justice for a police involved shooting.
We are reminded again that we need to defund the police. pic.twitter.com/Fu3Rc1kKyG
"Deon Kay, was killed today by police. He was 18. We lift up yet another family tonight reeling from this tragedy. This traumatizes us all every single time. We need to see the camera footage immediately. We need answers now. #DeonKay #BlackLivesMatter #DC," another tweet read.
Deon Kay, was killed today by police. He was 18. We lift up yet another family tonight reeling from this tragedy. This traumatizes us all every single time. We need to see the camera footage immediately. We need answers now. #DeonKay #BlackLivesMatter #DC https://t.co/Abb3xOIdwW
— Jeanné Lewis for Council at Large (@msjeannelewis) September 3, 2020
"His name was Deon Kay. He was 18 years old. They shot him in the back. #dcprotest," one tweet read and another said, "Deon Kay, who just turned 18. “They took my baby, they just took my baby from me,” said his mother, Natasha. “I need my son back, I want my son back.”
His name was Deon Kay. He was 18 years old. They shot him in the back. #dcprotest
— Erin Marie // B L M 🌹🌱 (@empowers00) September 3, 2020
Deon Kay, who just turned 18.
— Janeese Lewis George (@Janeese4DC) September 3, 2020
“They took my baby, they just took my baby from me,” said his mother, Natasha. “I need my son back, I want my son back.” https://t.co/qOXpwSXrj7
Another tweet read: "Are you kidding? Here's a link to the press conference in which they admitted to shooting people RUNNING AWAY. Deon Kay is now dead from those shots, fired by cops at his back as he was leaving. Inexcusable. And you are a waste of time and energy. Muted and blocked."
Are you kidding? Here's a link to the press conference in which they admitted to shooting people RUNNING AWAY. Deon Kay is now dead from those shots, fired by cops at his back as he was leaving. Inexcusable. And you are a waste of time and energy. Muted and blocked. https://t.co/IXLeqMw4SR
— ag (@AG4BLM) September 3, 2020
"Nothing justifies the execution of Deon Kay. We need a revolution and what that means is to completely get rid of the system and replace it with a new one. Reform won't work, and it hasn't worked," one tweet read.
Nothing justifies the execution of Deon Kay.
— Cesar Ruiz de C. (@crdec123) September 3, 2020
We need a revolution and what that means is to completely get rid of the system and replace it with a new one. Reform won't work, and it hasn't worked.