A jury trial is set to begin Tuesday for Damian Fields, one of two men charged with murder for the June 13, 2022, shooting death of John Leak Jr.
Fields, now 28, and Derrick Carroll, now 30, were both indicted for murder on August 3, 2022, following a lengthy investigation by Owensboro Police Department. They are being tried separately, and no trial date has been set for Carroll.
According to a release, at approximately 11:08 p.m. on June 13, OPD responded to the 1200 block of West 7th Street for a possible vehicle collision with injuries where a building had been struck. When officers arrived, a bystander was performing CPR on an adult male — later identified as Leak — who had been driving the vehicle.
As officers began assisting with medical care, they discovered Leak had a single gunshot wound. He was transported via ambulance to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
According to OPD, detectives believe Leak was shot in the 900 block of West 7th Street and that after being shot he attempted to drive away before striking a residence.
During the investigation, detectives traveled to and coordinated with agencies in Kentucky, Illinois, and Alabama in an effort to identify Fields and Carroll as suspects.
