Teen charged with death of classmate to face grand jury

A malicious wounding charge against an 18-year old Dumfries man will be considered by a grand jury on July 7.

Michael Adrian Jones, of 2821 Banks Court, received the charge after punching Derrick Parker, 19, in the face. Parker later died.

Jones’ court-appointed attorney, Raymond J. Morley, said he doesn’t believe his client intended to kill Parker. Morley said he didn’t know if prosecutors would pursue other charges before the grand jury.

“I’m hopeful they won’t,” Morley said. “It’s a fairly complicated issue.”

Members of Parker’s family told a Potomac News reporter in May that Parker broke up a fight over a girl during the afternoon of April 27. The family believed that Parker was targeted at a party that evening because of his intervention.

Jones, a senior football player at Forest Park High School, knocked Parker unconscious with the punch. Parker, also a Forest Park student, fell to the ground, struck his head, and began seizing.

He was flown by helicopter to Washington Hospital Center, where he died almost a week later.

If convicted of malicious wounding, Jones faces a maximum of five years in prison.