Defense Begins to Argue Self-Defense in Homicide Case

By Rachel Benck [former] - April 11, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

In an April 10 hearing, a defendant appeared in front of DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt and began setting up a self-defense argument in a homicide case.

Dionte Anderson, 24, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the alleged shooting of Adrian Mack on Aug. 7, 2022, on the 300 block of 50th Street, NE. 

Mack, 31, was conscious and breathing when Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the scene, but despite all life-saving efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The prosecution called the lead detective on the case as a witness.

Anderson’s attorney, Prescott Loveland, through his cross-examination of the detective, revealed that Mack was in possession of a firearm at the time of the incident. 

Surveillance camera footage recorded Mack walking up to and pointing his gun directly at the camera. Mack then walks back to a crowd of people and begins pointing his weapon directly at individuals in the crowd.

The footage shows Mack lower his arm and bend down to pick something up as a group of men circled him before they began fighting. Loveland argues this was done in an attempt to disarm  Mack. 

Mack, as shown in the video, began to chase two of the individuals he was fighting before an additional unidentified suspect and the person alleged to be Anderson began firing in his direction. It is unknown if he was still armed at that time.

After the incident, Anderson was approached by MPD officers at his residence. He was wearing a GPS monitor that tracked his movements that night and was placed at the scene. Officers then searched his residence.

Body-worn camera footage from the search reveals officers saying that this is a self-defense case before Anderson was taken to the station.

Anderson was interviewed voluntarily. He was released after his initial conversation with MPD detectives and later arrested when ballistics evidence revealed that shell casings from his house matched casings found at the scene.

Judge Brandt said she was unable to make a probable cause ruling and scheduled all parties to reconvene on April 13 to finish the hearing.