Demetrius Emanuel Lee Braxton is charged with robbery in connection to the incident that led police to Braxton and Tyre King on the night of Sept. 14. Credit: Courtesy of the Columbus Division of Police
Demetrius Emanuel Lee Braxton, who was with Tyre King when a Columbus Division of Police officer shot and killed the 13-year-old on Wednesday night, was arrested near campus on Saturday on charges related to the incident.
Braxton, 19, was arrested near Lane Avenue and State Route 315 around 3:30 p.m., according to a news release sent out on Saturday. He was charged with robbery.
Police encountered Braxton and King, as well as one other male, on Wednesday night after responding to a report of an armed robbery in the Olde Towne East neighborhood. King was shot and killed after police said he pulled a BB gun from his waistband, which officers said they mistook for a real gun.
Braxton told The Columbus Dispatch on Thursday that he was with King when the police encountered them. Braxton also told The Dispatch that the BB gun looked like a real gun.
Police initially interviewed Braxton on Thursday, and released him pending further investigation.
King’s death gained national media attention and drew comparisons to Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old who was shot by police in Cleveland in 2014, also while possessing a BB gun. Both Rice and King were black.
According to the news release, police are still looking for anyone else who might have been with Braxton and King on Wednesday night, and anyone with information is encouraged to call homicide investigators at 614-645- 4624.
