LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man with prior felony convictions is facing new federal charges after police say he carjacked a driver at gunpoint, fled in the stolen vehicle, and fired a weapon while running from officers this week.
According to an affidavit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, 25-year-old Jaylin Andre Clark is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm following a violent encounter that began Monday at Valley Park on Cambridge Drive.
Police reports say a victim told officers their cell phone and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu were stolen after four people confronted them in the park. One of the attackers allegedly struck the victim with a handgun. The victim later tracked the stolen vehicle using the Life360 phone app, relaying its movements to police as it sped through town.
Officers soon spotted the Malibu, but it fled before being abandoned outside an apartment complex near Lakeshore Drive and Fairmont Court. Police found the car empty with a firearm magazine visible inside. As they secured the area, a man — later identified as Clark — ran from a nearby building.
During the chase, investigators say Clark discharged a firearm, prompting officers to return fire. Clark stumbled, dropped the gun, and surrendered. A search of his backpack turned up the victim’s cell phone and car keys, according to court records.
The gun recovered beside him was described as an American Tactical Omni Hybrid pistol chambered in .300 Blackout. ATF agents noted the weapon had been manufactured outside Kentucky, making its possession a federal offense when combined with Clark’s prior felony record.
(American Tactical)
Court filings show Clark has multiple felony convictions in the past two years, including a 2024 Scott County case for receiving a stolen firearm and a Fayette County case the same year for theft over $10,000. He received prison sentences of three and seven years, respectively.
Now, federal prosecutors allege he illegally possessed a firearm as a convicted felon — a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos is handling the case.
Clark made has yet to make his initial court appearance before Magistrate Judge Matthew Stinnett. He remains in custody as the case moves forward.
