Judge Sets New Murder Prelim After Original Date Interrupted

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A DC Superior Court judge scheduled a hearing to determine if a homicide case has enough evidence to go to trial after the original hearing date was cancelled due to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Quincy Johnson, 17, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Anthony Riley on the 100 block of Walnut Street, NW.

Counsel is involved in plea negotiations, but said they still wanted to have a preliminary hearing. One was set for Jan. 6, but the violence at the Capitol prevented it from happening.

During the Feb. 1 proceedings, defense attorney Roderick Thompson said it had been difficult to schedule a preliminary that wasn’t a month away. He said that after the prior hearing was hindered by the events at the Capitol, there were scheduling conflicts with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective.

The court official was able to find a closer date, Feb. 11, after Judge John Campbell urged the prosecution to make it work with the detective.

During the early hours of July 17, 2020, MPD officers responded to Eastern Avenue and Walnut Street to assist Takoma Park Police in responding to a traffic accident, according to court documents. They found two men in a vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds. One of those men was Riley. He was taken to the a hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.

The other victim was taken to the hospital for non life-threatening injuries. He suffered multiple rib fractures, two broken vertebrae, a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and a broken arm.

Also according to court documents, the defendant was meeting with the two victims, who were looking to sell him some T-shirts and firearms. Johnson is accused of shooting them while trying to rob them, which allegedly caused the crash.

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