Case Acquitted: Lead Detective Testifies in 2017 Homicide Trial

By Sadie Herman [former] - October 11, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

This case has been acquitted.

On Oct. 10, prosecutors called the lead detective in a 2017 homicide to testify before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun.

Cedric Alexander, also known as Tony White, 52, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, robbery while armed, two counts of possession during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license outside the home or place of business with a prior felony for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Daquan Hooks on the 1900 block of 13th Street, SE on March 23, 2017. 

The prosecution questioned a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who explained that he was the lead on the case and that he was involved in, the autopsy, and interviewing witnesses. 

When prosecutors asked him to elaborate on the autopsy result he said the cause of death was a gunshot wound and the manner as homicide. 

The detective interviewed a family member of Alexander’s who previously testified against Alexander during this trial, specifically not his ex-wife. The prosecution proceeded to play a video clip of the interview that showed the family member making claims of what Alexander said to him regarding a murder. The video portrayed the family member alleging Alexander made statements including, “I done’d him”, and then more specifically “I killed him”. 

The prosecution then questioned the detective regarding his search of Alexander’s residence at the time. According to the detective, they recovered evidence from the scene, specifically a box full of live ammunition, as well as a shoulder holster.

During cross-examination, Alexander’s defense attorney, Sellano Simmons, questioned the detective who explained that when he arrived, Hooks had already been taken to the medical examiner. Simmons argued that no one had heard a gunshot, there was no ballistics evidence found on the scene, no guns were recovered, and simply based on that alone, it didn’t appear that Hooks had been shot. 

Simmons said the detective was the one who had observed the gunshot wound, not the medical examiner. He questioned the detective about the surveillance footage of the vehicle that was recovered in this case, and if the person seen driving the truck matched the description of the defendant — the detective replied that it didn’t. 

“Nothing in the truck was connected to Mr. Alexander?” Simmons asked. “No sir.”, the detective replied.

The trial is set to resume Oct. 11.