Motions Hearing Continues with Questions About Victim’s Alleged Gang Ties Unanswered

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More questions than answers resulted from litigation in a motions hearing April 15 and 17, continuing the hearing to May and vacating the trial date.

Christian Johnson, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction. All offense were allegedly committed during release. The charges stem from the murder of 25-year-old Lavonte McCloud in 2021 on the 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue, SE.

The main question lingering over the case is whether McCloud was involved in a gang.

During Thursday’s proceeding, the prosecution said that McCloud was on a database the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) keeps of gang members and associates in February 2019 as an associate. However, as of May 2022, McCloud has not shown on the database.

The prosecutor said that his name could have been deleted at some point between October 2021 and May 2022 because he died. However, the prosecutor told D.C. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz that she just didn’t know.

The prosecutor said she has contacted the MPD to get answers about the database and how names are added, who adds the names, what verification is used. The prosecutor said she asked the General Counsel for the MPD to do a full search of information that could exist.

The prosecutor said she hopes that some information could be regenerated from the records management system or contact with law enforcement, such as emails.

Defense attorney Dominique Winters said she will send a request to the prosecution, no later than Friday, for the names and contacts of everyone they spoke with from 2021 until the present day.

Winters also requested permission to speak with an expert witness, who is a litigator for the Washington Lawyers Committee and helped with the Chicago Justice Project’s work on the DC gang database, once the prosecution was able to send all evidence.

The prosecutor said the MPD evidence could take a few weeks, citing spring break and the possibility for any complications the MPD may have searching for older materials.

Judge Kravitz said he expects both sides would like to consult with the expert witness.

The motions hearing is set to resume on May 23.