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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- August 27, 2020
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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A DC Superior Court judge released a defendant under home confinement, calling the context of his case “unusual and, quite frankly, profoundly tragic.”
Tywan Thomas is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction in two cases. On May 19, multiple suspects got out of a vehicle on the 1100 block of Talbert Street, SE. They allegedly shot at people who were standing on the block and then fled. Two people, Thomas’ brother and his friend, were killed. Another was injured.
Thomas allegedly pulled out a gun in self-defense, but did not fire it.
During the Aug. 27 hearing, defense attorney Joseph Yarbough asked for his client to be released. He noted that Thomas did not hurt anyone even after finding himself in serious danger and that he has been compliant with release conditions before.
However, the prosecution wanted Thomas to stay in DC Jail. Although the prosecutor acknowledged the circumstances surrounding the incident, he said, “we’re not charging this crime, we’re charging unlawful conviction of a firearm”
The judge decided to release the defendant into home confinement under the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP.)
“This is a very unique situation,” she said.
The defendant was charged in both of his cases on June 6, and has been held at DC Jail since then.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrested Thomas the previous day at his home. The officers were there due to an outstanding warrant. The police saw Thomas allegedly throw a firearm out of his door, into the backyard, according to court documents.