CHOCTAW, Okla. (KFOR) – The Oklahoma County District attorney’s Office has dismissed a First Degree Murder charge against a 15-year-old previously accused of fatally shooting another teen during the Choctaw vs. Del City football game in August.
During the third quarter of the game, multiple gunshots went off and sent the crowd into a panic on August 25, 2023.
A total of four victims were treated for injuries, including 43-year-old Demetrize Carter, who was shot in the chest by an off-duty Del City Police Officer working security at the game.
According to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office, 16-year-old Cordea Carter was fatally shot in the leg.
Cordea Carter in memoriam
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Within days of the shooting, a 15-year-old was arrested and charged with the First Degree Murder of Carter.
According to Oklahoma County District attorney, Vicki Behenna, the teen was identified as the shooter by a witness.
However, that witness has now recanted their identification of the teen.
As such, the charge against the 15-year-old has been dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges can be refiled.
“Very relieved that the charges have been dismissed and that he can try to resume his life as much as possible,” said Jaye Mendros, an attorney representing the 15-year-old previously accused of killing Carter.
Mendros and her co-counsel, John Martino, told KFOR there was a mountain of physical evidence that didn’t point to their teen client.
“The gun that was used in the shooting was DNA tested, and our client’s DNA wasn’t on it. The DNA of the victim and one other unidentified person was on it. So that exonerated him. Once we got full discovery, we saw that this quote unquote, eyewitness account was not a solid identification. The person who said it was our client said he didn’t see his face [and] described different clothing than what our client was wearing at the game,” said Mendros.
Mendros said the witness who identified her 15-year-old client contradicted 14 other witnesses who claimed to have seen a tall male in red sweatpants pull the trigger.
On top of that, Martino said law enforcement conducted 20 to 30 interviews.
What’s more, 10 to 15 other weapons were reportedly found at the football game.
“The officers who wrote a narrative indicated they found weapons on individuals, sat them down, checked them out, and then said, ‘Okay, here’s your gun, you can leave,’” stated Martino. “What’s happening with the youth over there is really unbelievable that there’s that many weapons at a game like this. There has to be something done about the security.”
Officials confirmed the night of the shooting there weren’t metal detectors posted at the front gates of the stadium.
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Mendros said the guns not collected as evidence has hindered the investigation into who killed Carter.
“Now we’ve lost weapons that could have been tested. Whose DNA was on those? Were those rounds consistent with any of the shots of the shooting victims? We’ll never know now because those guns were returned to people and they were allowed to leave with them,” said Mendors.
Another aspect to this investigation that bewilders the 15-year-old’s attorneys is how law enforcement was given the nickname “Bullet” as a potential suspect, later turning into a fixation.
“They got a nickname that sounded nefarious because his nickname is ‘Bullet’ from football, because he’s tiny. He’s a tiny, tiny little kid and fast. Since that sounded super scary, you know, they just fixated on this kid,” said Mendros.
While DA Behenna’s Friday afternoon press release doesn’t provide much detail, Martino told News 4 the term “recanted” is used loosely.
“The young man who had made this halfhearted identification came and said, ‘Actually, you know what? Somebody told me to say it was him. I didn’t even see him,’” explained Martino. “How the investigation was handled from the jump all the way through to the charges being filed, it could have been handled more thoroughly. There could have been a period of time where we made sure and double checked on all of this information before we arrested the 15-year-old.”
Mendros explained how flawed eye witness testimonies can be and said no one should ever be arrested based on one without corroborating evidence.
“We could have avoided all of this. He would not have lost four months of his life and he was being dragged into adult court, which is terrifying. That is terrifying for a child,” said Mendros.
DA Behenna’s Office declined an on-camera interview because the shooting is still being investigated.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirms it’s still actively reviewing the case.
Mendros and Martino told KFOR the damage this “shoddy investigation” has caused to their teen client’s reputation is already done, though.
“I know they’re planning to move. They have received so many death threats. That’s another reason we’re speaking out is we’re asking the public to please stop trying and convicting people on social media. This is a real person. He had a real life. He’s going to have to change schools. He can’t go back to school. He’s a target now. If people could just remember when they’re being keyboard warriors, they’re really impacting a real life,” said Mendros.
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While a shooter hasn’t been identified in this case yet, Mendros and Martino still have faith that person will be found.
The off-duty Del City police officer who shot a man at the football game has not yet been publicly named.
News 4 asked the Oklahoma County DA’s Office for more information, but it declined.
“We thought it was kind of inappropriate or really not fair to release this 15-year-old’s name when he was arrested originally. And of course, they’re protecting the off-duty officer who’s involved. I don’t even think we’ve received his name. I don’t know his name. That’s kind of par for the course when we’re dealing with the state. A lot of times they get a little more protection than our clients. As far as the dismissal is concerned, we’re happy it’s dismissed. We wish the wording in the dismissal would have been done a little bit differently,” stated Martino.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
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