Roger Lee Jones, a 42-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a Superior Court jury for multiple charges, including assault with intent to kill while armed. The guilty verdict stems from a shooting incident at a social club that left a potential NFL player paralyzed. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department following a two-week trial.
Jones was found guilty of several other charges, including possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a vehicle, simple assault, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and issuing threats. Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson has scheduled the sentencing for June 13, 2025.
The incident occurred on January 22, 2022, at Kick Axe Throw Social in Northeast, D.C., where Jones was involved in an altercation with two individuals. The situation escalated when Jones returned to the social club, attacking one of the individuals before firing shots at a security guard, leading to severe injuries.
Jones's actions led to a series of events involving threats and further violence. He approached Victim 1, a former NFL prospect turned security guard, and shot him multiple times, resulting in immediate paralysis from the waist down. Jones managed to escape initially but was later identified using surveillance footage and other evidence linking him to the crime scene and a subsequent shooting event involving an accomplice.
The announcement credits the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives for their investigation and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Dunn and Benjamin Helfand, who led the investigation alongside Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller and Travis Wolf, who prosecuted the case.
