On the evening of September 10, 2020, Marcus Jamel Parker, a 32-year-old Black male from Petersburg, Virginia, was fatally shot in Hopewell. Police responded to a call about a shooting at a residence in the 1300 block of Edward Bland Court around 9:30 p.m. Inside the home, they discovered Parker with life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
Just two days after the shooting, on September 12, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force apprehended a suspect in connection with Parker's death. Daemon Dashawn Clarke, a 30-year-old man also from Petersburg, was arrested without incident. The authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the killing or stated whether Clarke and Parker had any prior relationship. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting remains ongoing, and the Hopewell Police Department has encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
Following his arrest, Daemon Dashawn Clarke was charged with several felonies, including first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Known affectionately as 'Parker Boy' or 'RNR' to his family and friends, Marcus Parker was remembered as a talented artist and a devoted and loving father to his daughter. His family described him as having a courageous soul and a fighting spirit.
