About a month before Kejuan Patton’s death, he allegedly helped beat up Jami Long and take his gun.
Then, during a chance encounter at a Little Caesar’s in Gary on June 14, 2024, Long gunned down Patton, 26, of Gary, in retaliation, court documents allege.
Long, 24, is on trial this week charged in his murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is saying it was self-defense.
He “left him for dead,” Deputy Prosecutor Milana Petersen told jurors in opening statements.
Patton was unarmed, she said.
Defense lawyer Herb Shaps said Long will testify.
He was “jumped” on May 18, 2024 in Gary and was left with five stitches. When he later spotted Patton in the pizza joint, he was scared he could be shot with his own gun, the lawyer said.
It was a “total coincidence” they were both there. Long didn’t track Patton down after the earlier fight.
“He was done with it, except for that day,” Shaps said.
Gary Police Officer Donald Briggs, Jr. testified he responded to the 2200 block of Carolina Street on May 18 for a reported fight. Inside an apartment, officers found Long, who was “very emotional” with a swollen face, bloody ear and scratches.
He was “uncooperative” with the police, but said he would “kill” the people who beat him.
Police responded at 7:20 p.m. on June 14 to the pizzeria, 2560 Garfield St.
Stacy Haney, Patton’s relative, testified that her daughter, then 9, went with him into the Little Caesar’s to get some pizzas. Within minutes, he sent the girl out to safety and told Haney on the phone to leave.
She drove to a gas station down the street while they were still on the phone.
We’ll fight, but we’re not doing any of that “extra stuff,” i.e. use a gun, she recalled Patton saying.
The other man said he was “air you out,” i.e. shoot him.
“That’s when I got worried,” she testified and called the police.
She tried to call Patton again, who didn’t answer. By the time she came back, emergency vehicles were already there, according to the affidavit.
A video appeared to show Long near the doorway when he raises a gun and shoots Patton, charges allege.
Nathan Hall, Long’s girlfriend’s cousin, testified he visited his kids, before he took Long with him to Little Caesar’s, not knowing he had a gun. Walking out, he heard a “loud noise” and hurried back to his car.
He asked Long what happened.
“I don’t know,” the other man responded.
On cross-examination, Shaps noted Hall was briefly arrested in connection for the slaying. He rejected when Shaps asked if Long got a gun from him. He had nothing to do with the shooting, he testified.
“I didn’t give nobody no gun,” he said.
An affidavit states Hall only met Long that day. He testified Tuesday he hasn’t seen him since the shooting.
Mike Walker testified he was driving through from out-of-town when he stopped by to get a pizza — waiting with several others inside. While waiting, he heard “firecrackers” and bolted to his vehicle. He heard 3-4 shots and called 911.
