On the night of May 21, 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace on Centre Street in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, leading to the tragic death of a young Black man, 24-year-old Dashawn Davis. Another man was also struck by the hail of bullets but survived his injuries. The incident, which occurred just before 10 p.m., drew a swift response from Boston Police, who arrived to a chaotic and hostile scene.
As officers attempted to render aid to the victims and secure the area,
they were met with resistance from a crowd that had gathered. In the midst of the turmoil, police identified and pursued several individuals. One man, later identified as 43-year-old Clifford Jones of Randolph, was allegedly seen with a firearm and fled from the officers. During the chase, another man, 37-year-old Tyron Blair-Battiste of Jamaica Plain, was accused of intentionally trying to trip a pursuing officer. Jones was eventually apprehended after a violent struggle, during which he allegedly tried to pass a second handgun to a woman. A third firearm was reportedly found in his possession.
Another individual, 23-year-old Rushon Hemingway of Springfield, was also seen attempting to conceal a firearm and was arrested after a foot pursuit. Days later, on May 30, the Boston Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested a fourth suspect, 23-year-old Devonne McDonald-Jones of Roslindale, who was allegedly observed discharging a firearm during the incident before fleeing. The initial charges for the men varied, with Clifford Jones facing multiple counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest. Tyron Blair-Battiste was charged with interfering with a police officer and disorderly conduct. Devonne McDonald-Jones faced several firearm-related charges, including unlawful possession and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
The investigation into Dashawn Davis's death continued, and on June 4, 2020, Rushon Hemingway turned himself in to the police, aware that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest on the charge of murder. While the initial arrests brought several individuals into custody on various charges related to the incident, the subsequent legal proceedings and the final outcomes of the cases against Rushon Hemingway for murder, and against Clifford Jones, Devonne McDonald-Jones, and Tyron Blair-Battiste for their respective charges, are not detailed in the available online sources.
