CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW)- A Montgomery County jury found Prince Jamal “PJ” Ligon guilty of reckless homicide for shooting and killing a 20-year-old Fort Campbell soldier in January 2018.
On January 14, 2018, PV2 Keondre L. Jenkins was shot while sitting in a friend’s car at Independence Place Apartments. Jenkins died in the parking lot after being shot in the chest and fleeing the vehicle.
Ligon was charged with one count of first-degree murder and began his jury trial on Monday, Feb. 24 in Judge William Goodman’s court. Due to scheduling and attorney illness, his case was continued for several days. The case concluded Wednesday, March 4 with closing arguments and the jury began deliberating before noon.
By approximately 4:30 p.m., they’d reached a verdict finding him guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide.
During closing argument, Assistant District Attorney, Alan Thompson, said several witnesses testified that Ligon and Jenkin’s had a verbal altercation earlier in the day at the apartment complex.
Ligon and Jenkins exchanged “very harsh” words and a fight escalated to serious threats. Ligon was hanging out of the window arguing when a girl pulled him back in and the driver of the car drove away from the fight.
From shouting to shots fired
After being dropped at his Peachers Mill apartment, Ligon contacted Jamarcus Edwards, his codefendant in the case, and told him about the confrontation. Edwards later picked Ligon up, with a friend named Tanika Jones in the car, and drove Ligon back to Independence Place Apartments.
Jones testified they drove around Independence Place looking for Jenkins and his friend and waited several minutes until they saw the white car involved in the earlier altercation return.
Thompson said after the white car was parked at Independence Place, Jenkin’s friend got out of her car and Jenkins was still sitting on the passenger side. She walked to her apartment at Independence Place while Jenkins was on the phone.
Thompson said that’s when Ligon began shooting multiple shots into the car.
Thompson said Ligon yelled, “Yeah (expletive)!” and fired more shots.
“Mr. Jenkins turns his attention to the shots, mouths some words and leans to his right to try and get out of the car,” Thompson said. “He is shot, he runs across six parking spots, falls and dies in the seventh parking spot.”
A total of 10 bullet holes were in the car.
Jenkins was fatally wounded and despite the first responder, Clarksville Police Officer Timothy Green giving chest comprehensions and attempting to revive him using an AED defibrillator, Jenkins died at the scene.
Unintentional target
Ligon testified in his own defense and did not deny shooting Ligon, but said it was accidental and he was targeting the car.
During closing, his defense attorney, Joshua W. Etson, asserted Ligon didn’t know Jenkins was in the car. He argued the windows were probably tinted and CPD photos didn’t give a clear answer on it. He also said Jenkins was a black man who had on dark clothing and witnesses weren’t credible.
Etson said Ligon was not aiming at Jenkin because he shot into the drivers side of the car and not the passenger side where Jenkins was sitting.
“PJ is not blameless,” Etson said, during closing. “He did a couple of things that were stupid, negligent, reckless and not smart things to do. … Just because PJ did something stupid doesn’t make someone a murderer.”
Etson asked the jury to convict Ligon of a lesser charge such as reckless homicide or criminally negligent homicide.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2020 in Judge William Goodman’s court. Reckless homicide is a Class D felony punishable by two to 12 years’ imprisonment depending on multiple factors and a fine of up to $5,000.