Judge Denies Request for Release After Viewing Video Evidence

Thank you for reading D.C. Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

On Aug. 26, a DC judge denied a defendant’s request for release.

Darius Perry, 24, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon following an incident occurring on July 11 between the Mt. Vernon and Shaw metro stations.

Surveillance footage from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority showed Perry shooting the victim with a gun on the metro.

The footage also shows the victim, who was allegedly drunk, with a tequila bottle in his hand coming back from a party.

The prosecution said the victim approached Perry and attempted to hug him, but the defense said the victim was being aggressive.

The court also viewed Perry’s Instagram story which showed him in possession of a gun a couple weeks prior to the incident on the metro.

Perry’s defense attorney Corinne Schultz argued that Perry should be released and put on house arrest as he has strong community and family ties, a job that he could continue working at while on release, a school that he attends that trains special police officers, as well as no prior criminal record.

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun said that although Perry had strong community ties, he would not release the defendant since the “notion of the circumstances were very serious in which the victim could have died.” Judge Okun also said video evidence strongly opposes any argument of self defense on the defendant’s behalf.

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Perry on July 18. Perry will remain held at the DC Jail until his next hearing, which has not been scheduled as of Aug. 26.