(KissyDenise) Furious Twitter users have rallied against a prankster who pretended he was best friends with latest police shooting victim Antonio Martin and watched him die at a gas station near Ferguson last night.
Jesus Christo claimed he was there when the 18-year-old was killed and fabricated an account of how a police officer opened fire on Martin when he refused to lie on the ground.
Under the Twitter handle, @DesJuanTheThug, Christo wrote ‘I can’t believe my best friend just died in front of me’ – and the comment was retweeted more than 3,000 times.
He then posted a series of tweets telling people to listen to his mixtape and add him on SoundCloud – an audio platform that allows people to promote their own music.
And then he did the unthinkable….
He also told The Huffington Post how he and Martin were stopped by an officer at a Mobil gas station on North Hanley Road because they matched the description of robbery suspects.
He claimed the officer then searched Martin and was quoted as saying:
‘The officer then stepped back and pulled his weapon and pointed at Antonio and told us to lay on the ground.
‘I LAID DOWN BUT ANTONIO REFUSED. THE OFFICER THEN STEPPED BACK AT US WITH HIS GUN STILL AIMED AT US. HE TOLD ANTONIO TO LAY DOWN AGAIN AND WHEN ANTONIO DIDN’T LAY DOWN THE OFFICER OPENED FIRE.
‘And when I tried to help my friend he screamed at me to stay down with his weapon still drawn.’
The Huffington Post has since released a statement confirming the account was false which read:
‘A previous version of this story included an interview with a man claiming to have been at the scene of the shooting and friends with the deceased.
‘As police have released statements saying the second person involved in the incident has fled the scene, the source is now suggesting he was never there.’
Christo’s fake account of what happened has provoked fury on social media.
One user, Cee, said: ‘What type of a**hole lies about witnessing a murder. there’s truly a special place in hell for you.’
Another, Just Letrice, wrote: ‘I’m angry! He could’ve put that officer’s life in MAJOR danger based on lies!’
Another wrote: ‘@DesJuanTheThug claimed he was at the shooting, and did a testimony to Huf Pos…. Ends up he’s a liar and did it for RT’s…? Wow.’
Christo is clearly unapologetic and has since posted:
‘Tell the Huffington Post to do a better job of finding credible sources.’
In another vile tweet, he boasted ‘I pi**ed the whole country off’ and ‘I need two bad bi***es to help me grieve’.
Martin’s body was kept on the parking lot overnight as the investigation into the shooting began.
Devastated: Antonio Martin’s mother, Toni Martin, front center, sobs after learning of her son’s death
He was covered by a yellow body bag beside a police cruiser.
According to the St Louis Post Dispatch, Mrs Martin said her son was with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting.