Co-Defendants in Shooting Case Accept Plea Deals

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Two co-defendants accepted plea deals extended by the prosecution in front of DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 3.

Rasheed Thorne, 21, and William Walker, 22, were originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for their involvement in a shooting that injured an off-duty police officer on May 20 on the 600 block of Oglethorpe Street, NW.

Thorne was also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, while Walker faced charges for fleeing law enforcement.

According to court documents, Walker was driving a vehicle which reportedly began driving erratically in front of the off-duty police officer. The victim, turned on the dash cam and began recording the defendant’s vehicle before pulling into an alley.

Thorne emerged from the car and fired at the victim, shattering the victim’s windshield and sending shards of glass into the victim’s eyes and forehead, according to court documents and prosecutors. The victim reported what happened to police, who located the vehicle, which was still on the road. Officers pursued the vehicle, which began driving recklessly and eventually crashing.

During the hearing, Janai Reed, Thorne’s attorney, alerted Judge Salerno that Thorne was accepting a deal that required him to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment.

Likewise, Howard McEachern, Walker’s attorney, said his client would be accepting a plea deal that required him to plead guilty to fleeing law enforcement in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment.

Reed and McEachern also asked Judge Salerno to consider release conditions pending sentencing. Judge Salerno denied the requests given that both defendant’s actions are on the extreme end of the charges brought against them.

Parties are set to reconvene for sentencing on Nov. 22 for Walker, and Dec. 9 for Thorne