A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective testified on June 12 in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro, identifying a shooting defendant appearing in multiple pieces of video and photographic displays.
Shaqunda Reed, 32, is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and carrying a dangerous weapon outside the home, for her alleged involvement in a shooting that took place on the 800 block of V Street, NW on March 2.
According to court documents, Reed allegedly shot a firearm several times at a sedan exiting a nearby garage. No injuries were reported.
The testifying detective was one of multiple MPD officials who responded that night, and was later assigned as lead detective on the case. At the hearing, the detective detailed his investigative process as CCTV footage and bodyworn camera of the event was presented.
“You can see multiple flashes coming out of the suspect’s hand,” the detective detailed, referring to footage of a garage during the incident. He explained that these were “muzzle flashes,” caused by bullets being fired. The detective counted three such flashes in the surveillance footage.
The officer identified a person said to be Reed across multiple CCTV videos. According to the detective, he tracked her location beginning at the Unity Lounge on 9th Street, NW, where she had an altercation with an unknown man dressed in red and was thrown out of the club. He then tracked her movements across the street and finally to the garage.
The detective’s identification was based primarily on Reed’s clothing. She was allegedly wearing a green and brown camo jacket which the detective referenced frequently.
Reed allegedly entered the garage after the shooting, where she got in and out of a vehicle.
By cross referencing CCTV footage with body worn camera footage from a responding MPD officer, the license plates of the vehicle it allegedly belonged to Reed.
During cross examination, defense attorney Sara Kopecki questioned the detective about his ability to track the suspect in the footage he obtained, citing all he had to go off of was clothing from an eyewitness who said the suspect was a male. She also stated it was hard to see who was actuallyin the video.
Kopecki also said the vehicle wasn’t tested for evidenceno forensic nor material from the scene despite the eight shell casings that were discovered. The detective said he was surprised that hadn’t happened because he ordered it. Still, no order was found in his file.
Afterward, Kopecki said that the suspect in the video never reached for a firearm or looked like they had one in their possession at any time. In the surveillance footage at Unity Lounge, the suspect was also seen getting a pat down by security in compliance with the lounge’s admission olicy, and cited that the suspect had a “calm” demeanor and that no firearms were retrieved at that time.
Bodyworn camera footage from an on scene MPD officer showed the police responding to gunshots and arresting one unknown man who they deemed a potential suspect at the time. They also stopped a motorist and two women, one of whom the detective believed was the suspect in the brown and green camo jacket who may be Reed.
The trial is slated to resume June 16.
