[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

Suspect in Stolen-M3-Owner-In-Trunk Case Dies in Florida Shootout

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Via NYTimes: A former convict wanted on charges that he stole a BMW sports car last month and stuffed its critically injured owner in the trunk was killed Friday in a shootout with officers on a fugitive task force in Florida, officials said.

The suspect, Barion A. Blake, 30, had been sought since Jan. 26 in the attack on Akeem Ajimotokan, 33, who had advertised the car, a BMW M3 coupe, for sale online for $46,000. After meeting Mr. Ajimotokan, the police said, Mr. Blake stabbed him repeatedly, nearly sliced off one of his ears, stuffed his bound body into the trunk of the car and drove off. The car was abandoned after an accident in Upper Manhattan.

A yellow-cab driver, whose vehicle was rear-ended by the BMW, said the tall, tattooed driver — who the authorities believe was Mr. Blake — simply walked away. But investigators found a handwritten bill of sale, dated Jan. 25, to Mr. Blake, from Mr. Ajimotokan.

The authorities tracked Mr. Blake to an apartment complex in Jacksonville, Fla., and on Friday afternoon, as they entered through the front door of a second-floor apartment to arrest Mr. Blake, he jumped from a balcony into some bushes and opened fire, law enforcement officials said.

No officers were hit by gunfire, said Penelope J. Knox, a supervisor deputy with the United States Marshals Service in Jacksonville. She said two officers — one from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and one from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office — returned fire, striking the suspect “pretty much everywhere; he was definitely hit in center mass.”

One official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing, said the authorities believed that Mr. Blake had fired 10 shots at officers, though another official said ballistics tests were not complete.

Ms. Knox said marshals had received a tip from the police in New York on Wednesday that Mr. Blake was in the Jacksonville area. “A deputy did background checks and tracked him to the apartment, in the Colonnade apartment complex at 989 Monument Road,” Ms. Knox said. “At noon on Friday officers from four agencies — part of the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force — moved in to execute an arrest warrant, for attempted murder.”

“At the point in time where they made entry to the front door, the fugitive exited out the balcony, jumping from the second floor into the bushes,” said Ms. Knox. “At that point, after he jumped, he began to flee on foot and began firing at law enforcement officers.”

As for Mr. Ajimotokan, after being found in his BMW two weeks ago, he was taken to Harlem Hospital Center, where he was placed on a ventilator and was in a coma. He was later moved to an undisclosed hospital in New York for privacy.

On Friday, his brother Dr. Ayo Ajim said in an e-mail that Mr. Ajimotokan’s condition was improving.

“Akeem is doing a little better, but still in coma at the hospital,” he wrote. “We continue to hope and pray for him to get better.”

In a telephone interview from his home in Houston, Dr. Ajim said that he had spoken with an assistant district attorney handling the criminal case and had been informed of Mr. Blake’s death — though he was unaware it had occurred in Florida.

“We were told, the last we heard, was that they had cornered him into a building, and they knew he was there from the cellphone,” Dr. Ajim said. “But the building has 600 apartments and they were playing a waiting game.”

He also said the news of Mr. Blake’s death had brought some relief.

But, he said: “It’s just so sad to know that we happen to be dealing with loss of life and a coma over a vehicle. The whole thing is so sad.”

Mr. Ajimotokan, who grew up as the youngest of four boys in a close-knit family in Lagos, Nigeria, attended law school and was employed by the office of procurement at Columbia University. He had placed his car for sale online, attaching a photo and his cellphone number.

Mr. Blake, whose uncle is Deputy Chief Michael Blake, of the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism division, had a history of arrests for stealing BMWs. He bounced from incarceration to incarceration, going directly from New Jersey to New York state correctional facilities five times from 2001 to 2010, for various crimes, including assaulting a police officer, officials said. Mr. Blake was released in April in New Jersey, after finishing his sentence for stealing a car in Bergen County.

The apartment complex where Mr. Blake was killed is about 10 miles east of Jacksonville’s city center. Friday evening, red-and-white police tape was strung around the area. Several bullet holes pocked a cement wall, and evidence markers indicated at least 27 shell casings.

[VinnieAces]

Good.

[bmwF10]

One down, more to go..

[LaLakers91tc]

I pray for the speedy recovery of Mr. Ajimotokan
and thank god they got the guy,
He was apparently a repeat offender so he needed to be taken from the streets one way or another

[davem3fan]

Problem solved

[335iMIAMI]

Damn sham all these thugs are shooting at cops all over florida. Don't know whats wrong with people in this world.

[RFGuy_KCCO]

Good riddance.

[lopealle]

may the shooter RIP ( Rest In Piss) and the guy attacked make a speedy recovery

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

Good.

Lol this is exactly what I thought!

[jayparry]

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

[TypicalCat]

what a piece of shit.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by LaLakers91tc

I pray for the speedy recovery of Mr. Ajimotokan
and thank god they got the guy,
He was apparently a repeat offender so he needed to be taken from the streets one way or another

[PiperD]

Originally Posted by hcourville

So can I still make an offer on the M3 at $46,000?

Distasteful.

Originally Posted by jayparry

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

Not much help if you're bound - read the whole story.

[MDCTFTW]

Originally Posted by jayparry

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

Uh the victim is in a coma.

[MzSpeed]

Originally Posted by jayparry

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

After being stabbed and sliced several times maybe he couldn't pull it. Hope he has a full recovery and get back to a healthy life.

[billspreston]

Originally Posted by jayparry

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

They do and they glow in the dark.

[Piotr74656]

He got what he deserved but now lets hope that the car's owner makes a full recovery.

[Artz 330]

Originally Posted by jayparry

do m3s not have a trunk release from inside? if they don't this should be a wake up call for bmw

I don't think he was able to, even if there was.

Another reason why they need to pass a law in NY and NJ for law abiding citizens to carry, bet mr Blake would have thought twice if that were the case. Only people with guns are police and criminals, and those cops are more corrupt than the ciminals themselves. Wish he would have tried to jack my car fcuking pussi with a knife, I would have filled his face with lead. Hope the owner recovers.

It must be a refreshing and reassuring feeling for criminals to know their victims don't have and are unable to car weapons to protect themselves.

[Diver]

That must be what I trade instead of trying to sell the car myself.

[Jrlelli]

good this POS deserved to be shot/die. one less convict that the tax payers need to pay for.

[e90diesel]

Hats off to the Florida cops.

[Jrlelli]

Originally Posted by Artz 330

I don't think he was able to, even if there was.

Another reason why they need to pass a law in NY and NJ for law abiding citizens to carry, bet mr Blake would have thought twice if that were the case. Only people with guns are police and criminals, and those cops are more corrupt than the ciminals themselves. Wish he would have tried to jack my car fcuking pussi with a knife, I would have filled his face with lead. Hope the owner recovers.

It must be a refreshing and reassuring feeling for criminals to know their victims don't have and are unable to car weapons to protect themselves.

Amen!!!