Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Point-Blank Shooting at Victim Following a Dispute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for
Point-Blank Shooting at Victim Following a Dispute

Victim was Able to Dodge the Bullet and Escape from the Defendant

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for pulling out a gun following a dispute and firing at a man's head at point-blank range. The victim managed to dodge the bullet. Following a struggle with the defendant, he managed to escape to safety by running into a store.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "It is shocking that this defendant tried to execute a stranger in broad daylight following a minor dispute. The victim miraculously managed to dodge a bullet. We cannot tolerate gun violence in Brooklyn and today's sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jamal Batts, 34, of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Susan Quirk to 20 years in prison. The defendant was convicted on May 4, 2023, following a jury trial, of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on November 3, 2021, at approximately 12:10 p.m., in front of 222 Hoyt Street, in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, the victim, a 53-year-old man, got into a dispute with the defendant, a stranger. The argument started when the defendant's dog defecated on the sidewalk where the victim was cleaning, and when the victim complained, the defendant used a derogatory racial slur.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant threatened to kill the victim and immediately pointed a gun at the victim's head at point blank range and fired a shot at the victim. The victim dodged the shot and struggled with the defendant. The defendant then racked the gun and chased after the victim, pointing the gun at him. The victim ran into a store and was able to escape from the defendant, who then walked across Hoyt Street into the Gowanus Houses and entered 414 Baltic Street.

Video surveillance from the store at 222 Hoyt Street and New York City Housing Authority videos at 414 Baltic Street and 215 Hoyt Street captured the entire incident and the defendant's path in the aftermath. He was subsequently arrested.

The District Attorney thanked Digital Evidence Lab Intelligence Analyst Lexie Giardina for her assistance on the case.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorneys Steven Bravo and Han Zhang of the District Attorney's Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Kin Ng, Bureau Chief.

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