Photos courtesy of CrimeStoppers / Written by Tanya Terry
Before being shot, DeMaryus “Pete” Clark was a typical 5-year-old kid who enjoyed life and was always happy, smiling and playing.
On May 8, 2021, Pete was shot while he was sleeping. It happened around 4:40 a.m., during a drive-by in a residence in the 3000 block of Prospect Street, in Flint. At the time, Pete was with his dad.
Verlin Hamlett, his grandmother, said she received a call around 8 a.m. that morning. Hamlett told the Courier although she is not Pete’s biological grandmother, Pete has referred to her as a grandmother since he could talk.
Hamlett received the call from Pete’s mom, which is Hamlett’s niece, after her niece was notified.
“At that point, I didn’t know if he was dead or alive because she really didn’t know,” Hamlett said.
When Hamlett finally got into the hospital, she was informed Pete would be airlifted to Ann Arbor.
“They let me in like 10 minutes before the plane landed to see him,” stated Hamlett. “He was laying there pretty much unconscious, just out of it because they had him sedated. He was in the trauma room…They warned me he wasn’t getting any feelings in his legs. We tried to see him and comfort him, but he wasn’t really alert.”
Later that day, Hamlett went to Ann Arbor, where Pete had been taken. There, Pete underwent emergency surgery to repair his arm, which had severe nerve damage.
“Where the bullet went in, it just pretty much tore his whole shoulder out. He had a big hole there.”
Hamlett said she was one of only two people allowed to be there throughout the surgery because she was Pete’s mom’s “support system.”
Weeks later, Hamlett and Pete’s mom were told Pete would probably never walk again, but he would survive. Pete was in the hospital from May 8 until about the middle of October 2021.
“I just try to imagine what was going through this little boy’s head….I can’t even imagine an adult having to deal with that pain, and from speaking with the officer that was first on the scene, he said he wasn’t crying. It was just like he was in a state of shock…He’s blessed to be here. The entrance wound tore his shoulder off, but it was right above his heart. So, at the end of the day, although it was painful, I had to thank God that he was still alive.”
One of the songs Hamlett played for Pete a lot was “Life and Favor” by John P. Kee.
“God had given him favor. He was still with me, and he has a testimony to tell.”
As Pete’s caregiver, Hamlett’s day with him starts at 5 a.m. Pete’s injury starts at his breastline and goes all the way down. He is a paraplegic, and he only has movement in his upper extremities. He has a trach. Because of Pete’s injuries, Pete can’t use the bathroom the same way he was able to before and a catheter must be used. In addition, Pete must get a suppository in order to have a bowel movement. Pete gets breathing treatments twice a day. If he’s sick, he gets them about every four hours. Pete is still in the hospital a lot. Pete does three rounds of treatment, with about seven medications in the a.m. and in the p.m. Although Hamlett still works full-time, Pete is not left alone. Hamlett also checks on him a lot throughout the day and has a camera in Pete’s bedroom she can watch from other rooms in the house. There are also nurses that come in to help care for Pete, and Hamlett’s kids live with her and help.
Nowadays, Pete is a fan of Sonic and Spiderman. He can draw both Sonic and Spiderman well and talk about all the characters in both their movies.
Pete, who is now 7, wants to be a police officer. Hamlett tells him he can do anything he wants to do and not to use the word “can’t.”
“I tell him you might not be able to do it the way I do it. It might look different. But you can be anybody you want to be.”
Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest for Pete’s shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-422-JAIL (5245), or to visit CrimestoppersofFlint.com, Anyone with photos, documents, video or audio to be uploaded anonymously or other information on this case can submit the material by using the P3TIPs app at : https://www.crimestoppersofflint.com/submit-a-tip
