Man Tried Shooting Stranger After Dispute, Gets 20 Years In Prison: DA

BROOKLYN, NY — A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder after he fired a gun at point-blank range, narrowly missing another man, prosecutors said.

Jamal Batts, of Boerum Hill, has been convicted of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, prosecutors said.

On November 3, 2021, in front of 222 Hoyt Street, a 53-year-old man, got into a dispute with Batts.

The argument started when the Batts' dog pooped on the sidewalk where the man was cleaning, and he complained, prosecutors said.

Batts then used a derogatory racial slur and threatened to kill the victim, and pointed a gun at the victim’s head at point-blank range and fired a shot.

A struggled ensued, and the victim ran into a store and after being chased by Batts with the gun still being pointed by him, prosecutors said.

“It is shocking that this defendant tried to execute a stranger in broad daylight following a minor dispute. The victim miraculously managed to dodge a bullet. We cannot tolerate gun violence in Brooklyn, and today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for his actions," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.