CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Diane Jenkins expressed her frustration as she and supporters stood outside of the Montgomery County Courthouse Wednesday morning for a peace walk in honor of her late son.
The courthouse is a place she’s frequented for two years hoping to get justice in the shooting death of 24-year-old Jalen Milan Johnson was shot after being pursued by bounty hunters. His family said it was mistaken identity.
Following a jury trial in August, five of the seven bounty hunters were acquited of all charges.
Many nights she said she’s lost sleep, faith, and hope.
“Who wants to sit at a courthouse thinking you will get justice and you end up not getting justice for your child,” Jenkins said. “To go through a trial that ended this way, it’s like losing Jalen again. It’s like I’ve buried him twice. No one should have to go through that.”
Minutes before, she’d sat in circuit court and listened as the case of Jonathan Schnepp -the final bounty hunter with a case pending had his charges dismissed in Judge Goodman’s court.
Monday, Oct 14, Joshua Young, the only person convicted, was sentenced to 18 months probation for reckless endangerment firing a deadly weapon.
“I feel like nobody had to pay for taking my son’s life. I feel like they treated it like my son’s life didn’t matter to them,” Jenkins said with tears in her eyes. “I have to figure out how I can go on every day. The sleepless nights and those three babies, now without a father. … I’m mad at this system. It’s broken. I sat in this courthouse for three weeks. I saw every piece of evidence they had and the jury let it go. It took four hours to get a verdict. You tell me that’s good!?”
To honor Jalen’s life, a Peace Walk was held in front of the courthouse. Mom’s who lost their children to gun violence came from Hopkinsville and family and friends listened and supported the Jenkins.
“Someone should be held accountable for the sake of his three children who have to go on without their father. He was an awesome father. How do you explain it to those kids?,” said Baron Jenkins, Jalen’s father. “I feel like the only reason the one charge stuck is because it was in the Walmart parking lot and there were people coming in and out of Wal-mart. It was never about anyone in that car. There are three young men who were in the car with Jalen who have to go on with their lives and they don’t trust authority. … The system won’t stand behind you.”
The family said they believed little remorse was shown and no apologies given.
“I just don’t understand that. They can go on and celebrate their lives and enjoy the rest of their lives and we are stuck,” Baron Jenkins said.
With all the cases now concluded, the family of Jalen Johnson continues to grieve his death but celebrate his life.
Jalen was funny, loving, and the life of the party. He was a man with many friends and loved people, his mother said.
The Clarksville native and 2011 Rossiew High graduate, loved his children and was a good father.
His family wants people to know his life mattered.
“I want people to know to lose a child is the hardest thing a mother could ever go through. I hope and pray that no other mother has to go nothing through this,” Diane Jenkins said. “We have to get in our community and try to stop gun violence and educate our young people to not use guns to fight. We didn’t give life to anyone so we shouldn’t be willing to go out here and take somebody else’s life. When you take someone else’s life you take your own.”
Diane Jenkins said while nothing can change what happened and their faith in God will carry them through, she will continue to fight for Jalen through her work in the community.
“It puts a fire under my feet,” she said. “I want to get laws changed. I want to work with other mothers who are going through this.”
