In the summer of 2017, the life of 17-year-old Damian Crockem Jr. was tragically cut short. On June 13, the young man was shot and killed in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fatal incident of gun violence occurred at the Webber hotel located in the 9300 block of Chef Menteur Highway in New Orleans East. His death set in motion a police investigation that would lead to a dramatic confrontation several months later.
The pursuit of justice for Damian Crockem Jr.
culminated on a November afternoon when New Orleans police surrounded a home in the Gentilly neighborhood. They had been tracking a stolen car, which led them to a house on Lavender Street near Franklin Avenue. A group of individuals, including a key suspect in Damian's murder, ran into the residence. While others surrendered, the murder suspect barricaded himself inside, leading to a tense standoff with law enforcement.
After a short while, the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Keaun Jones, was taken into custody by the NOPD. It was later revealed that a grand jury had already indicted Jones for the murder of Damian Crockem Jr. In fact, Jones had been scheduled for arraignment the week prior but had failed to appear in court. Before the standoff that led to his capture, two other co-defendants in the case had already been jailed.
