Man who fatally shot alleged robber testifies in trial for dead suspect's younger brother

The advertisement offered 10 minutes of an escort's time for $35.

Douglas Wayne Jackson Jr. arranged to meet the escort at the Scottish Inn on Macon's Romeiser Drive early on the morning of Sept. 30, 2013.

The 36-year-old withdrew $100 from an ATM before buying snacks at a convenience store and leaving Sandersville, driving the tanker truck he was due to take to Kathleen later that day.

He testified in court Tuesday that he saw two men walking toward him in the motel corridor as he left the escort's room about 4 a.m.

Thinking it odd that the men would be in the corridor at that time of the morning, Jackson walked in the opposite direction, thinking to himself, "God get me out of here safe," he said.

Before the sun rose, Jackson says two gunmen robbed him.

Pulling his own pistol from his pocket, he shot one of them to death.

A trial began Monday for the other alleged robber, Paul Washington Jr.

Washington, 19, is charged with armed robbery and murder in the shooting death of his brother, the alleged other robber.

In his opening statement to the jury, Washington's lawyer, Mark Beberman said Jackson was unable to pick the alleged second robber from a photo line-up that included his client's photo.

Beberman said Darius Washington was "up to no good" that night, but said Paul Washington, then 17, wasn't involved in a robbery.

Testifying Tuesday, Jackson said it was too dark outside the motel, located off Eisenhower Parkway at the Interstate 475 interchange, for him to get a good look at the men who held him at gunpoint.

The darker skinned, taller man -- the one Jackson said he shot -- was the one who did all the talking, he said.

The other man, who also held a gun in his hand, seemed to act as the lookout.

In all, the gunmen got just $27 in cash from Jackson. He said he paid the prostitute $60 after negotiating for additional sex acts to be performed.

The darker skinned, taller man with a gun demanded more from Jackson, saying he wanted to see what was in his truck and also wanted his phone, Jackson testified.

"I pulled out my pistol when he asked for my cell phone," he said.

Jackson said he fired first at the taller man, then at the man he thought was the lookout. The second man ran, leaving the other fatally wounded.

Jackson, knowing he'd emptied his gun and afraid the other gunman would come back, said he pointed his gun at the man he'd shot as the man lay on the ground.

He said he ordered the man to give him his gun, and the injured man threw it.

Jackson called 911, saying he'd been robbed and he'd shot one of his assailants.

Jurors listened to the 911 call Tuesday.

'PAUL LOOKED UP TO DARIUS'

Alexus Smith, who said she worked as an escort and had a sexual encounter with Jackson, testified Tuesday that she was Paul Washington's girlfriend in 2013, and they lived together in her room at the Scottish Inn.

She said she thought of Washington's older brother, Darius Washington, as a brother.

"Paul looked up to Darius," Smith testified. "He wanted to follow everything he did."

Smith said Paul Washington was unemployed in September 2013. She paid for their room and was the breadwinner in their relationship, she said.

On Sept. 29, 2013, the day before Darius Washington died, the Washington brothers and Smith were in a car traveling to the Scottish Inn.

Smith said Darius Washington said repeatedly that he needed to make some money, and she offered him her money, but he declined.

When they arrived at the motel, she went upstairs and later met up with Jackson.

Soon, Paul Washington showed up at the room they shared and said he was taking his brother home, Smith said.

Then she heard gunshots and Paul Washington returned, carrying a pearl-handled revolver, saying his brother had been shot.

The prosecution read aloud a letter purportedly authored by Paul Washington while he was incarcerated in which he asked the letter's recipient about the robbery and killing at the Scottish Inn.

"That was me and my brother," prosecutor Larissa Olliverre read aloud.

The trial is set to continue Wednesday.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Man who fatally shot alleged robber testifies in trial for dead suspect's younger brother ."