Jury Acquits Man of Murder in An Uber

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A jury in DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein’s courtroom found a man not guilty of a murder on Aug. 1.

Jarvis Jackson, 42, was charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm from a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Deont’e Minor, 23, on March 20, 2021, on the 1200 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

According to court documents, Minor was in an Uber ride when he was shot in the backseat as the Uber was waiting to make a turn. The driver previously testified he took the victim to a nearby hospital immediately after the shooting. Minor later succumbed to his injuries.

Throughout the trial, David Knight, Jackson’s defense attorney, argued the prosecution’s evidence did not prove that Jackson was the individual who killed Minor. He provided evidence of Minor telling friends in the weeks leading up to his death that if anything happened to him, to look at his “brothers,” a group of friends and associatds.

Following a day of deliberation, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict.

After the acquittal, Jackson was released from the DC Jail, and no further dates were set.