Words by Ed King / Pics by Jobe Baker Sullivan – pic of Dea-John Reid supplied by West Midlands Police
A man has been formally charged with the murder of 14-year-old Kingstanding teenager, Dea-John Reid, who was stabbed on College Road on Monday 31 May.
Michael Shields, 35, from Alvis Walk in Castle Bromwich, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning.
Dea-John’s family is being supported by a specialist Family Liaison Officer and have formally identified him as the victim.
The 14-year-old is understood to have been chased by a group at around 7.30pm on 31 May, before being stabbed on College Road.
He collapsed in the road and was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency services administering advanced life support; a post mortem examination confirmed he died from a stab wound to his chest,
6 people were arrested on Tuesday 1 June, following an “immediate investigation” from West Midlands Police Homicide team which made “rapid progress”.
Investigating officers “flooded” Kingstanding looking for Dea-John’s killers, conducting interviews and scouring CCTV footage from across the area.
In a statement from West Midlands Police following the arrests on Tuesday, the force confirmed they were able to “identify the people we believe responsible for the shocking attack.”
“All six were arrested within the space of a few hours this afternoon following the fatal stabbing last night (31 May) of the 14-year-old in Kingstanding.
“A man aged 33 was arrested from an address in Kingstanding at 3.35pm followed by a 13-year-old boy who was detained in the Walsall area.
“Another man aged 38 and a 14-year-old boy were arrested from a vehicle in Cheshire while two men, aged 36 and 35, surrendered to separate police stations in the West Midlands.”
Castle Bromwich man, Michael Shields, will be processed at Birmingham Magistrate Court this morning.
A 38-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy remain in custody for questioning today.
Two men, aged 36 and 33, and a 13-year-old boy have been released with no further action.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mobberley said: “This is a significant step forward in our investigation, but we are still pursuing all lines of enquiry to find anyone else involved in Dea-John’s tragic death.
“We are looking at all the circumstances which led up to the events of Monday evening and anyone who has information should contact us.”
Anyone who can help West Midlands Police with their investigation should contact them urgently via Live Chat on www.west-midlands.police.uk
Alternatively, people can call West Midlands Police on 101 – quoting log 3313 of 31/5.