Judge Sentences Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant to 17 Years in Prison

By Jaclyn Sersland [former] - August 23, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Aug. 22, DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein sentenced a defendant connected to a non-fatal shooting. 

Stefen Farmer, 51, was found not guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed, but guilty of aggravated assault knowingly while armed, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of an unregistered firearm, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for allegedly firing three non-fatal shots at the male victim. The shooting happened on the 4400 block of Gault Place, NE, on Feb. 25, 2021.  

Epstein sentenced Farmer to 144 months for aggravated assault knowingly while armed and 60 months for possessing a firearm during a violent crime. The sentences will run consecutively. 

Prosecutors called the shooting “brutal” and “callous,” saying Farmer shot his lifelong friend on a public sidewalk in broad daylight as the victim was walking away. 

“He knew what he did was wrong. He should face the consequences,” prosecutors said. 

Farmer’s attorney, Nikki Lotze, asked for a low sentence given Farmer’s acknowledged mental illnesses and the fact he expressed remorse about the shooting. 

Epstein agreed to make a recommendation for Farmer to be placed in a prison with strong mental health services so he could receive treatment while incarcerated. 

Lotze also said the court should take into consideration the severity of the injuries because the victim was only shot in the thumb and thigh. However, Epstein said a defendant’s aiming skills does not diminish the intent to cause harm. 

Farmer spoke about how he’s grown his love of reading and writing while incarcerated, and how he values his relationships with people close to him. 

“Life is a journey, a never ending experience, and I love to learn things,” Farmer said. 

Epstein called the shooting a “very serious crime that almost resulted in his [the victim’s] death,” and said he did not find any mitigating factors to rationalize a lower sentence. 

Prosecutors also highlighted the District’s alarming shooting rate when asking for the maximum sentence possible. 

“We are living in a nightmare of gun crime,” prosecutors said.