Defense Claims Defendant Accidentally Shot His Girlfriend in 2021 Homicide Case

By Andrew Michaels - April 18, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Sitting inside a Baltimore City Circuit courtroom on April 18, homicide defendant Daya Jones sniffled and wiped tears off of his cheek as his defense attorney explained to a jury how the accidental firing of her client’s gun led to the death of his girlfriend, Nikea Jackson, nearly two years ago.

The day before the two-year anniversary of the shooting on April 19, 2021, defense attorney Karyn Meriwether told jurors that Jones, 46, and Jackson, 27, went to a nightclub and later drove to Jackson’s friend’s house on the 700 block of Woodbourne Avenue. The couple switched seats inside their Honda Pilot and as Jones sat in the driver’s seat, he was placing a handgun in the driver’s side door when it fired, shooting Jackson in her left side.

“This horrible, horrible tragedy was the result of an unintentional discharge,” Meriwether said Tuesday afternoon.

Meriwether detailed how physical evidence, witnesses, and Jones’ own behavior from that night would support these details. During her opening statement, the defense attorney said Jackson went to knock on her friend’s front door for help after she was shot and was joined by the defendant, who “lifts her body up and he’s cradling her [before] he puts her down in a park area and ran.”

Jackson was alert at the time, Meriwether explained, and never put fault on the defendant.

“He’s not proud of it,” Meriwether said, noting that Jones admitted to Baltimore Police that he made a series of bad decisions.

A neighbor’s Ring camera footage will show Jones’ attempt to help his girlfriend, the attorney concluded, with police finding no evidence of a fight or struggle between the couple.

Contrary to the defense counsel’s statements, the prosecutor told jurors that Jones and Jackson were having an argument the night of the shooting. After Jackson was shot, she got out of the car, knocked on her friend’s front door, and was followed by Jones. The defendant allegedly grabbed her and tried to take her back to the car, shooting her in the side.

Testimony began Tuesday afternoon before Judge Cynthia Jones and is expected to resume on April 20 due to counsel’s prior obligations on April 19.