Judge Finds Probable Cause in March Homicide

By D.C. Witness Staff - April 1, 2019
Daily Stories | Documents | Homicides | Suspects |

During his first appearance March 29, a DC Superior Court magistrate judge found probable cause and ordered a murder defendant held without bail in connection to a March homicide.

Deontay Britton is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of 25-year-old Dawud Debruhl on the 1300 block of Columbia Road, NW on March 14.

Judge Sean Staples found probable cause based on court documents and area surveillance footage that allegedly shows Britton, 25, walking behind Debruhl and firing without “provocation.”

When delivering his ruling on Britton’s hold status, Judge Staples said the defendant has a robbery conviction and had his probation revoked. As a result, Judge Staples denied the defense’s request to place the defendant in a halfway house because there was no combination of conditions of release that would ensure the safety of the community.

The prosecution supported the court’s ruling, saying the defendant confessed to the shooting and told police he did it in self-defense.

However, the defense said the police interview was under a false pretense.

Defense attorney Blase Kearney said the police told Britton they wanted to speak about an assault but instead interrogated him about the homicide. “This wouldn’t be the first time a statement was coerced by police,” Kearney said. 

Britton is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 8.