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Blake was shot by an unnamed resident shortly before 4 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7 in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, who said that he "heard noises and observed someone that appeared to be tampering with vehicles."
Since the shooting, there has been uproar in the community as some have demanded that investigators ID the suspect, who has since hired a lawyer who has taken up his defense.
However, Contee said that since the shooting, there has been misinformation being spread by some members of the community, while others have taken it up to turn vigilante to track down the man they think is responsible for the shooting.
"We recognize that the community has a desire to get the details in this incident, but they must also acknowledge that the ongoing nature of the investigation prevents us from sharing specifics that could jeopardize the integrity of the case,” he said.
“There has been too much misinformation swirling around this incident and too many people have made assumptions about this case, and it's unfair to the grieving family," Contee continued. "Spreading of inaccurate information is dangerous, and the spreading of inaccurate information is reckless and has the potential to adversely impact the investigation and relationships within our community."
Contee said that the department is aware of social media images that have surfaced showing “people who have nothing to do with this case, and people are making allegations centered around race, and it’s wrong.”
Moving forward, detectives will continue to gather facts and evidence that will be presented to a grand jury of DC residents to determine if there was a crime to be prosecuted.
“We shouldn't allow this matter to divide our community. We have people demonizing both sides and we don't even know all of the facts,” Contee said. “This is getting really reckless and dangerous.”
According to investigators, the gunman involved in the incident was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, which was registered to his DC home, though Contee said that his name or other information will not be provided until the investigation moves forward.
"Let the police do the police's job. Let us do our job to investigate," he added. "We're working with the US Attorney's Office and all information will be presented to a grand jury. It's not the MPD making that decision. District of Columbia residents will be able to examine the facts and then make a determination,” the chief continued.
“(It won’t be) some person posting an image of another person online and saying ‘yeah, this is the person,’” Contee added. “I mean come on, give me a break."
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