DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond found probable cause to send the charges against a stabbing defendant to a grand jury during a preliminary hearing on June 27.
Ovid Gabriel, 20, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in an inmate stabbing inside the DC Jail, on the 1900 block of D Street, SE, on March 28.
Rashid Shabazz, 35, is charged with tampering with physical evidence for allegedly hiding the shank used in the incident.
Shabazz was not present during the preliminary hearing.
According to court documents, Gabriel allegedly used a sharp piece of metal wrapped with gauze, commonly known as a shank, to stab the victim multiple times. The incident was captured on jail surveillance camera footage.
During the preliminary hearing, Gabriel appeared with his defense attorney, Anthony DiMillo, but informed the court he had submitted a handwritten motion to represent himself, asserting his attorney is ineffective.
Judge Raymond chose not to rule on Gabriel’s request, referring the decision to the judge who would be assigned to Gabriel following the preliminary hearing.
The court heard testimony from a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who reviewed surveillance cameral footage of the incident. According to the detective, the footaged showed Gabriel approaching the victim and initiating the stabbing with a sharp object, continuing the assault as the victim fled, and later passing the weapon to Shabazz.
The victim was hospitalized briefly for multiple stab and slash wounds, the detective said.
DiMillo challenged the prosecution’s case, arguing there was no direct witness to the stabbing, the severity of the injury remains unclear, and the weapon was not recovered from Gabriel.
The defense suggested the video might have shown another individual who resembled Gabriel.
The prosecution countered that correctional officers clearly identified Gabriel on video, the victim’s injuries were serious enough to require hospital treatment, and the weapon seen in the video matched one recovered from Shabazz’s cell.
Judge Raymond concluded that probable cause existed for both charges, citing the clarity of the surveillance footage, the severity of the injuries and the nature of the weapon used,
“Mr. Gabriel’s criminal history is rather stunning,” Judge Raymond remarked during her ruling. She said his alleged actions had “made the prison a more dangerous place.”
Judge Raymond also criticized the defense’s attempt to minimize the severity of the injury, stating that an injury that requires hospitalization is a significant bodily injury.
The parties are scheduled to reconvene on July 8.
