Homicide Defendant Found Competent Prior to Preliminary Hearing 

By Adriana Marroquin - August 24, 2023
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Aug. 24, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan found a homicide defendant mentally competent to stand trial after reviewing reports from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and hearing dramatic testimony from a key witness as part of a preliminary hearing. 

Isaiah Trotman, 32, is charged with felony murder related to a kidnapping for his alleged involvement in various shootings that occurred on Feb. 1, 2023 at the intersection of 38th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, and the 1400 block of Potomac Avenue, SE inside the Potomac Avenue Metro Station. The shooting killed 64-year-old Robert Cunningham, and left three other individuals suffering from non-life-threatening injuries. 

Following months of mental health evaluations, doctors at the DBH found Trotman competent to proceed with his case. Due to the reports from DBH, Judge Raffinan approved his ability to go through with the scheduled court proceedings. 

Prosecutors called forth a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective to testify regarding his involvement in the investigation. He was the lead detective for Trotman’s case.

According to MPD documents, presented  by the detective as part of his testimony, Trotman boarded the M-6 Metro Bus at the same time as the first victim. They both sat at the back of the bus, before a verbal altercation broke out. During the incident, victim one was on the phone, and Trotman allegedly told him to get off it. 

Surveillance footage shown in court depicted the suspect, identified as Trotman, standing over victim one as the bus was traveling. When the bus stopped he tried to leave when the defendant brandished a handgun and pushed him back on his seat. 

“Sit your ass down, you think I’m playing,” Trotman can be heard telling the victim. 

Then  Trotman said “Look me in the face, I’m a prophet, you going to die with me today. The last dude I shot earlier this morning was sitting in the same seat as you,”. MPD was alerted of another Metro Bus being shot earlier that morning, but no passengers or victims were reported.

According to the detective, victim one was able to get to the door to exit the bus when Trotman followed after him and shot at him four times, hitting him once on the leg. Following the shooting, the defendant walked into the Potomac Metro Station where the violent encounter continued 

According to MPD documents, Trotman attacked an individual who was in the mezzanine level of the station as he was reloading his metrocard. 

Surveillance footage shows an  individual identified as Trotman approach the second victim, put him in a headlock, and drag him towards the turnstile entrance as he threatens the victim with a gun. Trotman’s arm can be seen recoiling after he shoots the second victim’s leg before dragging him down to the train platform. 

According to the detective, once victim two and Trotman were on the platform, Trotman dragged the victim to what became the third victim. Trotman allegedly told victim three “get the fuck off the phone,” which caused her to hang up. 

“I’ll shoot you, I am God,” Trotman told victim three. 

Trotman pointed the firearm at her, which led Cunningham to try to tackle Trotman. 

According to the detective, the shot that killed Cunningham happened almost immediately as soon as he tried to control Trotman. Cunningham endured a gunshot to the head that killed him instantly.

Surveillance footage shows Trotman stomp Cunningham twice, before dragging victim two into a train with him.

Once on the train, a passenger noticed Trotman with the gun and tried to exit the train before being stopped by the defendant. Surveillance footage shows Trotman pointing the gun at the passenger to get them to sit back down. 

After berating passengers for a few minutes, Trotman is seen sitting down on a handicap seat that’s perpendicular to the first forward-facing seat where victim four was sitting. Trotman places the gun on the seat to his right as he was attempting to put sunglasses on when victim four grabbed his weapon and began to run away. 

Almost instantaneously, Trotman tackles victim four to attempt to acquire the gun, when she slides the gun through the train as all other passengers escape. An individual removed Trotman from on top of victim four, which allowed victim four to get up and grab the gun from under a seat.

According to the detective, victim four and Trotman exited the train, and victim four threw the weapon onto the other train track to prevent the defendant from getting it. Trotman, in an attempt to retrieve the weapon, jumped on the tracks but was unable to locate the gun. 

Surveillance footage shows MPD and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel arrive at the platform after Trotman leaves the tracks. Thanks to witnesses’ lookout alerts, Trotman was detained by MPD and rendered aid by EMS. 

Due to time constraints, the detective was unable to finish his testimony.

The preliminary hearing is slated to resume Aug. 29.