He gave Darian Atkinson a ride to Wiggins to ‘keep him out of danger,’ brother says
Davian Atkinson has pleaded guilty to helping his brother, Darian Atkinson, escape a police manhunt after his brother allegedly ambushed and shot to death a Biloxi police officer.
Davian, 22, admitted he took his younger brother to Wiggins to “get him out of danger,” he said in court Thursday. He said he did so while knowing Darian was the suspect in the killing of officer Robert “Mac” McKeithen.
Davian pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact to capital murder before Judge Christopher Schmidt in Circuit Court.
Michael Crosby, Davian’s attorney, said they plan on submitting letters to the judge from “the community” to attest to his character and lack of prior arrests. Those will be submitted before the sentencing set for early September.
Last week, a judge ruled Darian Atkinson competent to stand trial after a psychologist testified the 19-year-old understood the charges and legal process. He also testified Darian said he thinks the jury would understand why he took action, because black people have been oppressed and he had the right to bear arms and act.
Also last week, three others also pleaded guilty to helping then-18-year-old Darian when they met him at his mother’s home after the shooting.
Joshua Michael Kovach, 22, and Wanya Toquest Atkinson, 21, both pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to capital murder, saying they helped Darian Atkinson with a change of clothes to disguise his identity.
Dalenetez Latavian Brice, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of hindering prosecution, telling the judge that he lied to law enforcement when they asked about the shooting.
Another man charged as an accessory, Andrew Anderson Sullivan, 19, of Gulfport, waived a grand jury investigation last year and pleaded guilty to a bill of information charging him as an accessory.
Accessory after the fact to capital murder carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and up to $10,000 in fines.
Sun Herald reporter Margaret Baker contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 10:00 AM.