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By
Jeff Levine
- May 21, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Suspects
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In a 90 minute sentencing punctuated by raw emotion, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt acknowledged it was difficult to thread the legal needle in a case where not only was the victim severely injured, but the defendant and his family faced severe duress.
“I can’t give him a slap on the wrist,” said Brandt of Adrian Lee, 49. He was facing judgement for a shooting that grievously wounded the victim following a minor car accident on April 18, 2023 on the 700 block of Gresham Place, NW.
“You’ve had one too many lapses in judgement,” said the judge. But on the other hand, she didn’t want to extract “a pound of flesh.”
Lee originally faced an eleven count indictment, including assault with intent to kill, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and assault with significant bodily injury while armed.
Last September a jury found him guilty of all counts except assault with intent to kill and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The prosecutor painted a stark version of events that she characterized as “exceptional violence.” She said the victims had come to DC to celebrate their ninth anniversary when a vehicle owned by Lee sidewiped their 2020 gray Tesla. Lee went back to the scene but was unable to produce a valid insurance card.
In the ensuing dispute, the victims chased Lee to his nearby residence where Lee shot the husband in the abdomen and also fired at his wife.
The prosecutor reasoned that in addition to committing a violent crime Lee refused to accept responsibility and attempted to get friends and relatives to lie that the victims were armed.
An exacerbating factor, said the prosecutor, is that Lee was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2017. All of which, she said, justified a sentence of just short of 20 years.
While the victim listened to the proceedings virtually, the prosecutor read his impact statement.
“I found myself in a profound sense of despair,” wrote the victim who faced five months of rehabilitation for a bullet that lodged in his spine, almost all of the time bedridden. What should have been a joyous occasion turned into a moment of terror.
“The scars remain etched on my soul,” he continued.
However, defense attorney Albert Amissah attempted to paint Lee in another light. He showed a montage of Lee’s family photos and loved ones.
“Nobody should have to go through that kind of agony,” conceded Amissah about the victim but the lawyer said there were some extenuating circumstances. Lee, said Amissah, thought his life was in danger and he was simply trying to get away.
“The five seconds where he made that decision have upended his entire life, but the idea of self-defense is “not that far-fetched.”
At the start of the proceeding, Lee’s wife and infant son appeared in the courtroom, and judge Brandt permitted them to stay even though some judges do not allow the attendance of young children to prevent disruptions. Tearfully, Lee called out to his child, “I love you. I miss you.”
Lee’s wife spoke to the court about her unwavering support for him despite her desperate circumstance of trying to raise her children alone while facing severe health issues.
“What happened to daddy?” is a question she has to answer. “I can’t face my children any longer.”
For his part, Lee struggled to give a statement, ultimately deferring to Amissah on his behalf. “I’m a great father,” said the statement.
“So I’m here begging for mercy. I know what I did was wrong,” he continued. “I felt my life was in danger.”
In the end, it was up to Judge Brandt to administer punishment regardless of conflicting emotions, she said. First, she encouraged Lee’s wife to persevere in that she is much stronger than she thinks. A mother’s love, said the judge, “runs 24-hours-a-day.”
Still, the victim’s pain is “not insignificant and can’t be ignored,” she said. Nor is there any excuse for what Lee did.
For all the charges aggregated, Judge Brandt sentenced Lee to 13 years in prison, short of what the prosecution wanted. And at the bottom of the sentencing guidelines.
However, Judge Brandt said that was the maximum penalty recommended for the most serious remaining count of aggravated assault knowingly while armed. She also suggested the case could be appealed.
Lee requested placement in a prison near DC to facilitate family visits. No further proceedings are scheduled in the case.