HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A member of the Black Disciples gang was sentenced to 80 years in prison for fatally shooting a bystander during a robbery outside a convenience store, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Friday.
Cornelius Watson, 44, was convicted and sentenced by the jury in the death of Jarmel Jarmon-Joiner.
Recommended Videos
On Sept. 12, 2020, Watson and several gang members beat and robbed a man at a convenience store in the 4400 block of the North Freeway service road. During the altercation, Watson and another gang member pulled out guns and began firing.
Jarmon-Joiner was crossing the street and was shot in the torso. He died at the scene.
“Gang violence is usually gun violence, and it doesn’t just affect gang members,” Ogg said. “In this case, a completely innocent man crossing the street in a wheelchair lost his life because of an indiscriminate and senseless gunfight.”
Assistant District Attorney Keaton Forcht, a chief in the Gangs Division of the DA’s Office, prosecuted the case with ADA Abraham Chopin. Forcht said Watson did not take responsibility for killing an innocent person.
“The defendant testified that he did not respect the jury’s verdict and had no remorse for what he did,” Forcht said. “These guys were so deeply engaged in criminal activity that taking someone’s life didn’t even concern them. They were completely indifferent to what they were doing.”
Forcht noted the victim was a loved and valuable part of a family and that his sister sat through the entire trial to ensure that her brother’s killer got justice.
The case against Watson’s co-defendant is pending.