Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Jones is accused of shooting and killing 30-year-old Darnell Pate Jr. on Jan. 29 outside Napoleon’s Bar, 4150 Germantown Pike in a “targeted” attack.
“We do know that individuals were lying in wait for Mr. Pate and that is why it was said to be targeted,” Sheriff Rob Streck said previously. “We don’t know the exact reason for the targeting, but we do know this was planned and people were waiting for Mr. Pate to leave the business and go to the vehicle.”
Deputies responded around 2:50 a.m. to the bar after a 911 caller reported their vehicle had been shot. Shortly after, a man who identified himself as the bar owner called 911 and said there was a person sitting in a vehicle with its lights on in the parking lot. He said he didn’t think the person was breathing, according to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center records.
Deputies found Pate with a gunshot wound in a running vehicle with the passenger side door open, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
Investigators discovered a stolen Hyundai Tucson nearby. They determined the Hyundai arrived at the parking lot and a suspect, later identified as Jones, reportedly shot Pate, according to Montgomery County Municipal Court - Western Division records.
Fingerprints in the Hyundai matched Jones, the affidavit stated, and his cellphone also reportedly confirmed his location for the time of the shooting.
Jones was arrested Feb. 14 at a Palisades Drive residence in Harrison Twp., where investigators during a search found a loaded handgun, methamphetamine and drug packaging materials, Streck said.
Jones initially was facing drug charges as detectives worked to collect more evidence in the homicide investigation.
Pate previously worked in law enforcement for multiple departments in Southwest Ohio.
He served briefly as interim chief of the New Vienna police department in Clinton County, and also worked for police departments in Addyston on the west edge of Cincinnati, and in New Holland near Washington Court House. According to WXIX in Cincinnati, he was terminated from his roles with Addyston and New Vienna. WHIO reported that New Holland officials said Pate was a fine officer serving in a reserve role in 2022-23.
Pate only occasionally worked at Napoleon’s as a security guard, according to the prosecutor’s office.
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