Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Consider making a donation to help us continue our mission.
By
Brigette Bagley
- April 4, 2025
Court
|
Daily Stories
|
Homicides
|
DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan heard emotional testimony from a murder victim’s family as well as evidence from responding officers during a hearing on April 2.
Julian Ruffin, 34, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of Alphonso Lee, 38, on Oct. 7, 2022, on the 1500 block of Butler Street, SE.
In the prosecutor’s opening statements, they claimed Ruffin was “ready to fight” the night of the incident. They pointed to the defendant’s change in shoes from flip flops to sneakers, which they described as “fighting shoes,” and slapping the concrete, which they characterized as a “universal sign” of aggression.
Prosecutors walked the jury through the events from the victim’s perspective. After visiting his son, Lee socialized with friends in the apartment’s parking lot. That’s when an argument with Ruffin escalated, ultimately leading to Lee’s being stabbed 20 times later collapsing in the parking lot from his injuries.
Later that night, Ruffin was arrested and allegedly told officers, “I’m the guy you’re looking for.”
“Stabbing someone 20 times is not justified, ever,” prosecutors insisted.
Ruffin’s defense attorney, Kevin Irving, argued that his client acted in self-defense, believing his life was in danger.
“He stood up to a bully that day,” Irving said.
According to the defense, the argument began because Lee and his friends were gathered too close to Ruffin’s car. Ruffin asked them to move and as he walked away, Lee followed and allegedly confronted him.
The dispute allegedly escalated as Lee followed Ruffin toward the entrance of the apartment where Ruffin lived with his pregnant girlfriend. Irving claimed Ruffin felt threatened as the argument moved inside the basement entrance. There, Lee allegedly shoved and punched Ruffin.
With his back against the wall, Ruffin saw Lee reach behind his back and heard him claim he was going to “pull the trigger.”
However, prosecutors noted that no firearm was recovered from the scene.
Irving maintained that Ruffin acted out of desperation, making a decision “no one ever wants to make.” He also clarified that Ruffin was not arrested at the scene but voluntarily accompanied officers for questioning to avoid disturbing his girlfriend.
Prosecutors called Lee’s mother who described her son as a devoted father to his three children, with whom she spoke every day.
Lee’s ex-girlfriend, the mother of his children, confirmed tLee had been at the apartment complex that night after taking their son out to dinner. However, she stated that she was unaware of what happened next.
She also testified that Lee never owned or carried guns and wasn’t violent towards her or their children. After answering, she paused to gather herself before tearfully saying, “He was always a phone call away.”
Two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers testified about their roles in the investigation.
The first office discovered blood splatter on the concrete near where the victim was found. Police followed the blood trail inside a nearby apartment building, leading them to the basement-level units.
Another officer testified he conducted a partial pat-down of the victim and found no weapon.
During cross-examination, Irving played the officer’s body-worn camera footage, which showed that another officer, not testifying, had conducted the patdown while using his camera to record.
The officer admitted that his memory of the incident “might be hazy” since it occurred nearly three years ago.
The defense also pointed out that the officer’s body-worn camera was not recording for 15 minutes while he was on the scene. The officer explained that this is a standard protocol for officers to pause recording while filling out notes and reports in their cruisers. He stated that he resumed recording after the discovery of blood splatter.
An analyst from the DC Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) was later called to a police station to photograph a man who had sustained injuries during the incident.
She identified the man as Ruffin, who was present in the courtroom.
Ruffin, she testified, had only minor injuries to his shoulders, arms, and lip. She was unable to determine whether they were defensive or offensive wounds.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 3.