NEW ORLEANS — When Charlie Davalie's family speaks about him, their faces light up. They talk extensively about his larger-than-life laugh.
"Oh my goodness what is there not to tell," his cousin Jae said. " Loving, joker, giving, very very very giving, stern, smart, funny, to the point cut and dry. Talented, entertainer, producer, rapper, and writer. All of the above,".
They say Davalie, a bounce artist better known as Charlie Whop, was fiercely protective and loved his family. But now, his love is best felt through memories, stories, and family.
Whop was shot and killed last year by Jamiron Barnes. According to his family, Barnes was friends with one of Whop's kids and the two had been arguing.
"It was very shocking for me, I knew something was wrong the moment my phone started ringing because my phone never rings," Jae said. "It was heart-wrenching because this, this wasn’t a stranger. This was someone he knew so it was kind of a gut punch," they said.
Video WWL Louisiana has obtained shows the two arguing and at times Whop can be heard yelling. He tells Barnes to stop playing with him. After a few minutes, Whop grabs Barnes by the neck and holds him down. He holds him over the railing of the stairs before a third man intervenes.
*Story continues below video
Whop lets go and the fight seemingly simmers down but then gunshots are heard. Whop runs but Barnes chases him down the block and shoots him several times including in the back.
Barnes was initially charged with second-degree murder but all parties agreed to lower it to manslaughter. He was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm and obstruction of justice.
Friday Barnes was sentenced to 10 years for the manslaughter charge and 15 each for the other two charges, but he'll only have to serve about 7 and a half before he can be eligible for parole. Whop's family says they're distraught over the sentence.
"They had a fist fight and that young man presented a weapon so it wasn’t an equal fight at all. But the Louisiana justice system I wouldn’t put my money on it at all," Jae said.
While they say it'll never make sense, they say they'll continue to keep his memory alive.
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