A D.C. teenager has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of another teen who had fled from custody of the District's Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services.
Seventeen-year-old Derek Johnson was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder in the slaying of 17-year-old Jamar Michael Freeman. The killing occurred Oct. 8 on the playground of the Raymond Recreation Center in Petworth, just as the sun was setting. According to charging documents, D.C. police officers were in the area of the 900 block of Quincy Street NW and observed the two teenagers wrestling.
Police initially believed they teens were "horseplaying," according to the report.
Freeman broke away from Johnson and ran away before he collapsed in the alley behind the recreation center.
The officers walked over to Freeman and noticed that he had been stabbed several times, the documents said.
Freeman was taken to a hospital, where he died three hours later.
Witnesses told police that Freeman and Johnson used to attend the same school and Johnson would pick on Freeman.
On the evening of the killing, Johnson rode up on a bicycle and approached Freeman. Freeman took off his sweater, as if anticipating a fight. Johnson punched him and a fight ensued, police said.
One witness said Johnson pulled a knife and Freeman ran to the baseball field. Johnson grabbed Freeman by the arm, swung him around and stabbed him in the chest.
Johnson let out a scream for help, and then Johnson stabbed him again, the witness said.
Sources familiar with the case told The Washington Examiner that Freeman was supposed to be under the custody of the District at the time of his death. Three weeks earlier, he had walked away from a group home in Southeast Washington and authorities were looking for him.
The Washington Times first reported that Freeman was a ward of the District at the time of his death.
D.C. Councilman Jim Graham, chairman of the committee that has oversight of DYRS, said had the city done a better job of finding Freeman and returned him to the group home.
"He may still be alive today." Graham told The Examiner.
DYRS officials did not respond to request for comments Wednesday.
