Adarus Black, suspect in Na'Kia Crawford killing, arrested in Georgia after tip from Ohio
The suspect in the killing of Na'Kia Crawford, an 18-year-old who was shot in June 2020 at the intersection of Howard and North streets in Akron, has been arrested in Georgia.
Adarus Black, 19, was arrested Tuesday by the Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force along with the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Sandy Springs Police Department’s SWAT Team. United States Marshal Pete Elliott and Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett made the announcement Tuesday evening.
More: Na’Kia Crawford shooting was mistaken identity, not racially motivated, Akron police say
Black was arrested within 24 hours of investigators receiving a tip from someone in Northeast Ohio on his location in Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
The Crawford case gained national attention after some witnesses reported the man who shot her was white.
Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump had agreed to assist Crawford’s family, but later backed out. He has represented families in numerous high-profile cases, including the family of George Floyd, the Minneapolis man who was killed when an officer kneeled on his neck in May and whose death sparked protests nationwide.
More: Attorney Ben Crump says he took steps to assist family of Na’Kia Crawford
According to the FBI and Akron police, Crawford's shooting was a case of mistaken identity. Black believed the car he fired at belonged to a rival, the FBI has said.
Police said Crawford was shot numerous times while running errands with her grandmother.
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Two others who had initially been charged in the case, Jaion Bivins, 20, of Akron, and Janisha George, 25, of Tallmadge, both had their charges dismissed without prejudice. Dismissal without prejudice allows prosecutors to bring charges at a later date.
Bivins had been charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. George had been charged with obstruction. Bivins is currently wanted on a warrant out of Akron Municipal Court on a felony domestic violence charge, according to court records.
Police said they tracked down Black after following leads around Ohio and into Michigan, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee.
Members of the task force recently learned Black was living in Atlanta under a fake name. They identified Black as he left an apartment in the 100 block of Greyfield Lane in Atlanta.
Sandy Springs SWAT conducted a traffic stop and Black was arrested. Police said he had an AR-style rifle.
Black will remain in custody in Georgia until he can be extradited back to Ohio.
“Members of the task force and the Akron Police Department never gave up on this case," Elliot said in a release. "They knew that this suspect couldn’t hide forever and we knew we would have him in custody. This arrest will not bring Ms. Crawford back to her family but hopefully they find some peace knowing this suspect is behind bars.”
Anyone with information concerning any wanted fugitive can contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833), or send a web tip at www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/index.html. Reward money is available and tipsters may remain anonymous.
Eric Marotta can be reached at 330-541-9433, or emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Adarus Black, suspect killing of Akron teen Na'Kia Crawford, arrested
