A defense attorney questioned the accuracy of the defendant’s neighbor’s testimony that recounted a shooting before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on March 4.
Derrick Gladden, 55, is charged with aggravated assault knowingly while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year, and unlawful possession of ammunition for to his alleged involvement in a shooting that occurred on April 15, 2024, on the 2300 Block of Marion Barry Avenue, SE. The victim sustained one non-fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
A man who lived in the same apartment building as Gladden testified that he saw the victim bleeding through his shirt from his back on a ground-level patio.
The neighbor said he was inside before the shooting and went outside after hearing a gunshot. He said he spoke to the victim, who told him Gladden had shot him and pointed in the general direction of Gladden’s apartment.
The neighbor said he saw Gladden run to his friend’s car and they drove away. He initially said he had not seen Gladden that day until the shooting, then said he remembered seeing Gladden and the victim talking earlier.
During cross-examination, Gladden’s attorney, Alvin Thomas, pointed out that the victim was not standing and could not actually see Gladden’s apartment. He just gestured to the left.
“So we’re getting your interpretation of what happened, not what actually happened, right?” Thomas said to the neighbor.
Thomas asked the neighbor if he “miraculously” remembered seeing Gladden talk to the victim after the prosecutors “refreshed” his memory. The neighbor answered “yes.”
The neighbor said he knew at the time of the incident that the shooter was Gladden, but did not tell the police because they didn’t ask. He said he could not see whether the individual running to the car had a gray beard like Gladden’s.
He said he knew Gladden lived in the apartment building but had only spoken to him in passing.
The prosecution showed the court photos of letters, bills, mail stamps, and a credit card, all containing Gladden’s name and address. A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who executed the search warrant for Gladden’s apartment said police allegedly found ammunition and gun accessories
Thomas argued that although these pieces of evidence had Gladden’s name on them, there was no date to signify how long the material had been in the apartment. Thomas added that the address on the material was Good Hope Road, which was renamed Marion Barry Avenue on Nov. 18, 2023.
The officer also said investigators did not recover a firearm or any DNA evidence from the residence.
Parties are slated to reconvene March 5.
