In the early morning hours of April 28, 2019, the life of 18-year-old Malik Razik Sawyer, an African American male from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was tragically cut short. Known affectionately as 'Moe,' he was a recent graduate of Central High School and was described as being full of life and energy, with a humorous personality that drew people to him.
On that Sunday, at a residence on Wilcox Boulevard, a violent encounter left Malik with a gunshot wound.
He was privately transported to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to them shortly after his arrival at approximately 1:44 a.m. The Chattanooga Police Department’s Violent Crimes Bureau immediately launched an investigation into the city's latest homicide.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, and two days after the shooting, a 17-year-old named Jamonte Oliver was taken into custody. Oliver was subsequently indicted by the Hamilton County Grand Jury on a charge of murder and was held at the Juvenile Detention Center. As he turned 18, he faced the court proceedings as an adult.
In April 2023, the legal chapter of this tragedy came to a close when Jamonte Oliver received a five-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to a community that had been closely following the developments, seeking justice for the untimely death of a young man who was remembered for his vibrant spirit and kind heart.
