Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Bedford-Stuyvesant Following Dispute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Killing
Man in Bedford-Stuyvesant Following Dispute

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Manslaughter

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting a man in Bedford-Stuyvesant in 2019 during a confrontation on a residential street.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "Today's sentence ensures that this defendant will spend many years behind bars for a senseless and deadly act of gun violence. My thoughts are with Malik Russell's loved ones as they continue to grieve his loss."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Darrien Weekes, 26, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Heidi Cesare to 25 years in prison and five years' post release supervision following his guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter on April 17, 2024. A co-defendant, Oliver Kinard, 27, pleaded guilty to third-degree hindering prosecution on September 26, 2023, and was sentenced to a conditional discharge.

The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on June 1, 2019, at approximately 3:41 a.m., Malik Russell, 29, was walking alone in Bedford-Stuyvesant when he encountered the defendant and co-defendant in front of 519 Chauncey Street. Russell shook hands with the two men, who were acquaintances. As the three men were talking on the sidewalk, the defendant suddenly took out a gun and fired three times at the victim, striking him once in the upper chest and chasing him into the street.

Furthermore, according to the evidence, the defendant then took the victim's hat and left him lying on the sidewalk near a pile of garbage bags. The shooting itself was captured on video surveillance. The defendant was also captured on video surveillance approaching and leaving the scene.

Russell was taken to Interfaith Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The defendant was arrested on June 10, 2019.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Cassandra Pond and Senior Assistant District Attorney Viviane Dussek, of the District Attorney's Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.

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