Denver District Attorney charges 17-year-old as adult in fatal I-70 shooting

Jameel James was formally charged with first degree murder, auto theft, and possession of a weapon as a juvenile, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office. He is accused of murdering Kevin Piaskowki on July 31, 2022, on I-70. He recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison in January.
Courtesy: Denver District Attorney
The Denver District Attorney’s office charged a 17-year-old boy as an adult in the high-profile shooting death of a motorist on Interstate 70 in July.
Prosecutors charged Jameel James with first-degree murder in the death of in the murder of Kevin Piaskowki, 31. James also faces charges of motor vehicle theft, probation violation and possession of a firearm as a juvenile. The first-degree murder and motor vehicle theft charges are felonies, while the last is a misdemeanor.
The arrest affidavit, typically a open public record, remains sealed. It contains the police justification for arresting James, and the basis for the criminal charges.
The shooting occurred in Denver near the north Quebec Street exit of I-70 on July 31. Denver Police said at the time Piaskowki and James did not know each other before the incident.
Dashboard camera footage, shared by Denver Gazette media partner 9News, shows a pickup truck weaving in and out of traffic before the driver, allegedly James, pulls out a weapon and appears to shoot at the Subaru Piaskowki was driving.
After the shooting, the suspect crashed the stolen pickup truck and fled on foot. A second stolen vehicle was involved in the crash as well, but police were unsure if the two were connected.
On August 3, the Denver Medical Examiner’s office announced that a gunshot wound killed Piaskowki. Police arrested James on August 11.