Family remembers ‘gentle giant’ murdered while trying to defuse a knife attack in Edgewater

Chicago — Aisha Barton is remembering her son, Jamel Henton, as “a 6-foot, 10-inch gentle giant who was kind and respectful to everyone.”

Henton was killed last Wednesday when he tried to calm a knife-wielding woman who had stabbed another man outside his apartment building in the 5200 block of North Sheridan, Chicago police said. Isis Monae was charged with his murder on Sunday.

Jamel Henton | GoFundMe

“The news outlets are calling him a Good Samaritan for saving two people he didn’t know from being hurt or killed,” Barton wrote in a GoFundMe campaign seeking contributions to offset funeral costs. “Unfortunately, in the process, he was stabbed to death.”

“Many have deemed him a Hero, but to me, Jamel was my youngest child and my only son that was stolen from me and is now gone.”

“Jamel was a 6’10” gentle giant who was kind and respectful to everyone. Jamel worked at Potbelly Sandwich Shop on Clark Street, and he was in the process of enrolling for classes at Oakton Community College,” Barton wrote.

Speaking with ABC7, Barton said, “I told him every day, ‘You are destined for greatness.’ I had no idea that this would be his greatest act, protecting two other people that he didn’t even know.”

“He has a huge family that loves him. He has grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins and friends, and she stole him from us. She stole him,” Barton told ABC7. “He’s more than a good Samaritan. He’s a hero.”

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com