In late 2007, Marvin Lucas Jr. sat down with police detectives in an attempt to stop the violence.
The 21-year-old was at Southeast District police station to turn in his half-brother Brandon Allen, he said.
The reason? Lucas was terrified.
“I saw him pull the trigger at myself and my friends,” he said, according to a transcript of the interview. “I am scared for my life and something has to be done before someone really gets hurt.”
Based in large part on Lucas? help, police arrested Allen, 23, charging him with the attempted first-degree murders of Donielle McCoy and Travon McDonald, who were both struck in the leg in a hail of bullets in the 300 block of South Caroline Street on Oct. 1, 2007.
But in late May, prosecutors were forced to drop all charges against Allen, because Lucas ? the state?s star witness ? was consumed by the very streets he was trying to clean up, they say.
Lucas was shot to death May 15 by McCoy ? a victim from Allen?s attempted murder case ? and another man, Avon McDougal, 24, according to police.
“During an altercation between Marvin Lucas and Donielle McCoy, McCoy produced a handgun,” Homicide Detective Marvin Sydnor wrote in his report. “While struggling over thehandgun, McCoy shot and subsequently killed Lucas.”
McCoy was indicted in June ? one of 31 of this year?s 104 homicides closed by police.
Brandon Allen walked out of jail a free man. He was unavailable for comment.
