Demarco Morris is pictured with his attorneys during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, where the Toledo man received a prison term of 30 years to life.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA — A Toledo man convicted last month by an Allen County jury of shooting at a truck and killing Lima resident Davion Latson was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years to life in prison.
The jury found Demarco Morris, 34, guilty of shooting at a car in September of 2021, killing Davion Latson — the driver — and causing an accident that also injured Latson’s father.
Morris was convicted of one count of murder, two counts of second-degree felonious assault and a first-degree felony count of discharging a firearm on prohibited premises.
He was acquitted of one count of murder.
Allen County Common Pleas Judge Terri Kohlrieser handed down the mandatory prison sentence following emotional pleas from Latson’s family members who filled the courtroom.
Morris was sentenced to 15 years to life on a charge of murder, an unclassified felony, in the death of Davion Latson. He was sentenced to an additional six years on a felonious assault charge for injuries sustained by Michael Latson. A trio of three-year firearm specifications added another nine years to the minimum 30-year sentence.
Assistant Allen County Prosecutor Kyle Thines called the death of 25-year-old Davion Latson “another senseless killing fueled by alcohol and bravado” and said Morris “escalated the situation from words to bullets” on the night of Sept. 5, 2021 on South Perry Street in Lima.
The shooting culminated in a series of verbal altercations that took place among several parties that evening.
Members of the Latson family asked Kohlrieser to sentence Morris to the maximum sentence allowed by law. Davion’s mother said the family has endured “enormous pain and suffering” due to a “selfish act of violence. Now Davion’s four children have to grow up without a dad.”
“He (Morris) took my son and I feel he should lose his life like my son lost his. Let him rot,” said Michael Latson.
The mother of one of Davion Latson’s children addressed Morris, saying,“God wouldn’t want me to hate you, but I strongly dislike you.”
Davion’s grandfather asked the judge to “give him 100 years.”
Morris addressed Kohlrieser prior to the imposition of sentence.
“I’m sorry for what happened. I never said I didn’t kill (Davion). I never said I wasn’t wrong for it. But if Mr. Latson (Michael) hadn’t threatened me and my family we wouldn’t be here. The dad made threats and I did what I felt I had to do to protect my kids,” the defendant said.
Court documents indicate that Morris had fought with Michael Latson that evening and later saw a gun on the ground in front of the home. Morris testified at trial that when he saw a truck pass the home and abruptly then turn around he picked up the gun and started firing as the vehicle pulled partially into the driveway.
The driver, Davion Latson, began to drive away but crashed his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kohlrieser lamented the frequency of firearm-related incidents in Lima, saying, “I don’t know what’s going on in our society but everybody’s got a gun.”
