A Mattapan man has been sentenced to 17-24 years in state prison following a guilty plea for the fatal 2020 shooting of a Dorchester resident. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced the sentence, which came after Yaliek Allah-Barnes, 42, changed his plea mid-trial while facing a Suffolk County jury. Allah-Barnes had been on trial for the manslaughter of Derek Fitzpatrick, aged 49, in Dorchester, as reported by the Suffolk District Attorney's office.
The incident occurred shortly after noon on May 18, 2020, when Allah-Barnes confronted Fitzpatrick while he parked his car on Bernard Street. The altercation resulted in Allah-Barnes firing multiple shots, which fatally wounded Fitzpatrick before fleeing the scene. Within days of the shooting, on May 21, 2020, authorities arrested Allah-Barnes, who had originally pleaded not guilty to the crime. His trial began on May 2, but saw an abrupt shift on May 5 when he entered a guilty plea.
During the sentencing, members of Fitzpatrick's family delivered powerful victim impact statements. An aunt of the deceased recounted the close-knit family gatherings for Bible study at the Bernard Street home, while Fitzpatrick’s father remembered his son as a pillar in their community. "He was quite a community worker," he said, recalling how his son devoted time to transporting senior citizens to church, particularly on Sundays. These testimonials were noted by DA Hayden who, in a statement, said: "These statements served as both a touching remembrance of Derek Fitzpatrick and a testament to how deeply he is missed by those who knew and loved him. I thank Mr. Fitzpatrick’s family for sharing their special memories and I thank the investigators, prosecutors and victim witness advocates who worked to secure a measure of justice for his tragic death," as captured in the DA's office announcement.
Judge Mary Ames handed down the sentence of 17-24 years in prison to Allah-Barnes, concluding a case that has brought attention to the impacts of violent crime in the Boston community. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office, which handles an upwards of 20,000 cases annually, has been actively communicating the outcomes of cases in an effort to underscore their dedication to justice for victims and their families. It is a reminder to the populace that the criminal justice system continues to function as both a means of retribution and a place for the mourning to seek their solace.
