Lead Detective Gives Testimony in Road Rage Shooting Trial

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A non-fatal shooting trial resumed with the lead detective’s testimony in DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt’s courtroom on Jan. 18.

Kenneth Davis, 45, is charged with six counts of possession of firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with intent to kill while armed against a minor, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The counts are related to his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that left an individual suffering from a gunshot wound to the left shoulder, on May 19, 2021, on the 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue, NE.

In her testimony, the victim, who said she was shot in a road rage incident with her two underage children in the vehicle, stated multiple times that she did not want to be a part of the trial and was worried about her and her children’s safety.

Marnitta King, Davis’ defense attorney, called the lead detective to testify regarding his involvement in the investigation of the incident. I

Initially, King questioned the detective about “racially insensitive” social media reposts he made in 2018, which he deemed “probably one of the biggest mistakes” in his career. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) disciplined the detective for the social media posts in 2019, but the detective did not specify the sanctions.

King questioned why the detective pursued tips from an anonymous hotline focusing on African American owners of a Gran Turismo Maserati vehicle. According to the detective, his decision was based on two of three witnesses recalling the dark complexion of the shooter.

According to the detective, he spoke with an employee at a Maserati dealership in Maryland, who recognized the vehicle and the suspect in the video published by Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and shared the vehicle identification number.

He acquired the information for the owner of the Maserati, who is allegedly Davis, and searched him on the MPD database to find an image.

The detective testified that, once he retrieved Davis’ driver license image, he displayed it to the victim in a photo array, and she identified Davis as the shooter.

Following the detective’s testimony, both parties rested their case.

Parties are slated to return Jan. 22 for closing arguments.