In Westlake, Louisiana, on the evening of January 10, 2018, a tragic series of events unfolded that culminated in the death of 20-year-old Jalen Ortelli Handy, an African American male. The incident, which took place on Sampson Street, stemmed from a prearranged drug transaction that took a fatal turn. Handy had arranged via Snapchat to purchase marijuana from Derrick Ryan Small, who was 23 years old at the time.
According to prosecutors, during the transaction, Handy allegedly grabbed a
small quantity of marijuana from Small's vehicle and attempted to flee. In response, Small, who was armed with a pistol he had recently purchased, fired at Handy as he ran away, striking him from a distance of over 60 feet. When Westlake Police arrived at the scene following a 'shots fired' call, they discovered Handy on the ground with gunshot wounds. Small was also present and immediately admitted to the shooting, surrendering his weapon to the officers. Despite efforts by law enforcement and paramedics to render aid, Jalen Ortelli Handy succumbed to his injuries.
Derrick Ryan Small was arrested and subsequently charged with the first-degree murder of Jalen Handy. His trial, which took place in February 2019, lasted five days. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Small, a former Air Force military police officer who was discharged for drug offenses, had premeditated the violence, having posted a picture of his new gun on a mobile app with the caption, 'Look who has a new toy.' Small's defense team argued that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Small believed Handy had a weapon. However, the jury found Derrick Ryan Small guilty of first-degree murder.
Following his conviction, Small was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jalen Handy's family delivered emotional victim-impact statements at the sentencing, remembering him as a good son and a hard worker. An appeal was later filed by Small's defense, arguing for a mistrial, but the conviction and sentence were ultimately upheld by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in March 2020.
