The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide in Northeast Washington, D.C. On Jan. 7. Officers found 54-year-old Thameka Harvell unconscious on the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE. Her death was later ruled a homicide due to a blunt force head injury. The case remains under investigation.
A status hearing for a homicide case was postponed and rescheduled in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 11.
Joshua Allen, 33, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, and carrying a pistol without license outside a home or business.
The charges stem from his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson on June 11, 2021, on the 4600 block of Hillside Road, SE.
Under seal, the parties discussed a request from Allen to postpone the originally scheduled April 11 status hearing due to a conflict with a jail visit. The request was unopposed, and Judge Park continued the original status hearing date.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 18.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 39-year-old Davone Darnell Smith, who was allegedly involved in a shooting on Mar. 11 in the Unit block of Mississippi Avenue SE.
Smith was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun) after being identified through surveillance footage.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested 31-year-old Mickyel Goodwin on April 11. Goodwin was allegedly involved in a shooting incident that occurred on March 17 on the 4000 block of Clay Place, NE.
The victim, an adult male, was treated for gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
Goodwin was apprehended on April 11 in Hyattsville, MD, and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun).
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred on Apr. 10 in the 1600 block of V Street, SE. The victim, identified as 31-year-old Michael Alanzo Jackson, was found unconscious with puncture wounds and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. No suspect information is available at this time.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 18-year-old Daveon Hebb, of Fort Washington, MD, for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident on Jan 29 in Southeast Washington, D.C.
The incident involved a rideshare driver whose vehicle was damaged by gunfire after the suspect fired a handgun on the 3300 block of 10th Place, SE. Fortunately, the victim was not injured. Hebb has been charged with Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Gun) and Destruction of Property.
DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel dismissed one of the two charges filed against Devonte Carter immediately before his trial concluded on April 10.
Carter, 30, was originally charged with armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in an incident on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE on July 10, 2024.
According to court documents, a Door Dash driver had just completed a delivery on a scooter when he was cut off by a black car and a suspect emerged with a gun. A second suspect identified as “Fat Boy” came out of the car and snatched the scooter key from the victim’s neck and drove away.
Carter’s attorney, Gregg Baron, filed a motion for a judgement of acquittal after the prosecution stated that another, unidentified suspect used a firearm to allow Carter’s taking of the vehicle.
Following a lengthy discussion on April 9 and 10, Judge Israel ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove Carter’s use of a firearm. She said the prosecution didn’t show that Carter planned on using a gun before he allegedly took the vehicle.
Judge Israel allowed the charge of armed carjacking to remain, on the condition that the jury also be instructed on a possible charge of unarmed carjacking. The jury will decide if Carter is guilty of either charge.
Baron recalled a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who previously testified for the prosecution. The detective explained that MPD got a search warrant for Carter’s phone in either October or November but found no cell site evidence placing Carter in the area of the incident.
The prosecution, in the cross-examination, asked the detective what information was found on the phone. The detective said there was no activity on the phone in July, suggesting Carter didn’t have the device phone when the incident occurred.
In their closing, the prosecution emphasized that two people very familiar with Carter identified him as being in the apartment complex where the vehicle was recovered by MPD. They also reiterated that DNA tests of the vehicle showed an extremely high likelihood that Carter was a source of DNA. The prosecution stressed that the victim whose vehicle was taken would never give it up willingly, as “that moped was his way of feeding his family.”
In Baron’s closing, he asked the jury if “the government has given you everything you need to do what they’re asking you to do?” He explained that no one, not even the victim, identified Carter as the man who committed the carjacking.
Baron argued that gaps in the surveillance video footage and allegedly untrue statements by the victim created reasonable doubt that Carter took the vehicle. Without denying that surveillance footage showed Carter on the vehicle, Baron reiterated a detective’s testimony from the previous day, saying stolen vehicles are commonly passed around to different people.
In response, the prosecution agreed that surveillance showed the stolen vehicle being passed between people, but they stressed that Carter was the first one to bring it to the apartment complex. They said that, if Carter did simply come into possession of the vehicle after the carjacking, he would “have to be the most unlucky guy in the world,” because his appearance perfectly matched the description of the carjacker.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 14.
DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park postponed his ruling of a probable cause finding in a preliminary hearing for a homicide case on April 10.
Navar Rogers, 17, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 4200 block of 4th Street, SE, that resulted in the death of 15-year-old Zyion Turner.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to reports of a shooting on Sept. 2, 2023, and located a juvenile male suffering multiple gunshot wounds who was unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts, Turner was pronounced dead.
During the hearing, an MPD homicide detective provided details of surveillance footage, Instagram reels, and other evidence that led to the arrest of Rogers.
In cross-examination of the witness, defense attorney Terrence Austin attempted to raise doubt by asking about the reliability of witnesses and the complicated relationship that Rogers had with Turner. Allegedly, the two were close friends in high school, and the witnesses were also friends in the same group.
The prosecution argued that probable cause exists because Rogers and Turner had a close relationship, cell tower pings that confirmed Rogers was in the vicinity during the time of the homicide, and what was probably Rogers’ DNA was found on a gym bag in the victim’s apartment.
The defense argued that the evidence is insufficient.
No firearm was found, Austin said. There was no evidence of a motive along with multiple levels of hearsay, he continued.
The defense also said the prosecution had 18 months since the incident to gather solid evidence and failed.
Judge Park acknowledged it’s unusual not to find probable cause in a homicide case but decided to review the evidence and case law over the weekend.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene for the ruling on April 15.
A jury acquitted a homicide suspect on all counts in a three-year-old stabbing case before DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan on April 9.
Julian Ruffin, 34, was charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 38-year-old Alphonso Lee on Oct. 7, 2022 on the 1500 block of Butler Street, SE.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors described Ruffin as someone who was “ready to fight” on the night of the incident. Ruffin’s attorney, Kevin Irving, argued that he was acting in self-defense.
Irving said an argument between Ruffin and Lee quickly escalated to a physical confrontation, and Ruffin “stood up to a bully that day.”
Following a day of deliberations, the jury returned the not guilty verdict.
No further dates were set.
DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park determined probable cause in the fatal shooting of an ex-lover’s new boyfriend on April 8.
Maurice Ford, 34, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Terell West, 32, that occurred on Jan. 16 at the unit block of Ridge Square, NW.
The lead detective testified that a 911 call was placed by an employee of the apartment building where the shooting occurred notifying the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of an incident.
According to the detective, West was the new boyfriend of Ford’s ex-girlfriend, with whom Ford shared a child. On the night of the incident, Ford allegedly banged on her apartment door, attempting to get inside.
Ford allegedly used a screwdriver to punch through the locked bedroom doorway, then allegedly shot West three times, and assaulted his ex-girlfriend with a firearm, according to the detective.
The detective stated that although the ex-girlfriend didn’t call 911 to report the incident, she sent several text messages to her mother asking for help. According to the detective, the texts said that Ford was attempting to break into the bedroom and was afraid of what would happen to her and West if he succeeded.
Surveillance from the scene showed a man, whom the prosecution claims to be Ford, arriving at the building and entering the building holding a phone, which might have sed in place of a key fob. The ex-girlfriend told the detective that she had taken Ford’s fob and let him believe he lost it.
Ford’s attorney, Kevin O’Sullivan, doubted the ex-girlfriend’s story since she was the only eyewitness placing Ford at the scene. According to O’Sullivan, there were three children in the apartment, one of whom the ex-girlfriend claimed saw Ford beating her before getting pushed away. However, when the children were interviewed, none said they saw Ford that day.
The detective reported that although several men’s clothing items were recovered, she could not confirm if they belonged to Ford. However, the detective testified Ford’s ex-girlfriend claimed it was only West’s first time at the apartment so it wasn’t likely the items were this.
During the redirect, the prosecution asked the detective if there was any other evidence linking Ford to the scene. She confirmed that cell-site data showed Ford’s phone being in the general area of the crime when it happened.
In response, O’Sullivan insisted that probable cause could not be found, arguing that only one witness placed Ford at the scene despite many knowing Ford.
Judge Park ruled that although a trial might exonerate Ford, identification of by his ex-girlfriend and the additional text data were enough to find probable cause.
Parties are slated to reconvene on June 13.
DC Superior Court Judge Eric Glover denied a defendant’s request for release after finding probable cause in a non-fatal shooting case on April 8.
Christopher Forbes, 30, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, and endangerment with a firearm in a public place for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on the 1800 block of A Street SE on April 5. No injuries were reported.
An officer from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) testified that he responded to the incident after receiving a call about sounds of gunshots. He said he witnessed an individual in a “light-colored hoodie or jacket, gray pants, and white shoes” yelling into a cellphone. The officer further testified that a witness said they heard gunshots and after looking through a window, they saw a Black man in a light-colored hoodie or jacket, gray pants, and white shoes.
While canvassing the area, the police stopped an individual who matched the description provided by the witness. The individual, later identified as Forbes, allegedly said, “I have a dog on me” in reference to a firearm that was recovered by the police. According to the officer, shell casings were also recovered from the scene.
The officer also affirmed that Forbes allegedly admitted to having a firearm while engaging in a debrief with the police.
The prosecution argued that there is probable cause for the offenses charged as Forbes admitted to possessing a firearm, shell casings were found in the street, and the witness identified him as the individual she saw in the block seconds after the shooting.
Forbes’ defense attorney, Michelle Stevens, asked Judge Glover to deny probable cause. She said that, while Forbes was candid about many elements of the case, he denied firing the gunshots in public. Stevens also argued that he was on his phone when the police arrived and that “there’s a whole world of possibilities to exist” before the officers arrived.
Judge Glover said there is probable cause that Forbes fired the shots. He reasoned that the witness looked out the window and saw an individual on the phone shortly after the shooting. Additionally, MPD officers found Forbes and he matched the description given by the witness. Furthermore, there were shell casings found where Forbes was which matched the firearm recovered.
Stevens asked Judge Glover to grant release with conditions. She argued that this case originally involved a possession offense and Forbes was compliant with MPD. She further stated that Forbes was employed, has family in the community, and has a verifiable address in Maryland.
The prosecution dissented and said that no conditions would ensure the safety of the community. They argued that Forbes is charged with firing a firearm while on supervision for a robbery case and an improper display of a firearm case. Furthermore, he had already been found non-compliant with release conditions for one of those cases. The prosecution added that the defendant also has an additional prior conviction for simple assault and second-degree cruelty to children.
Judge Glover said that the charges in this case are more serious than a possession offense. He said that, while there is no eyewitness testimony, he determined there is probable cause Forbes committed the crime. When considering Forbes’ previous convictions, Judge Glover said that Forbes knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm and still allegedly had one. As a result, he decided to detain Forbes.
Parties are expected to reconvene on April 18.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan informed the parties that his decision on a motion to dismiss a homicide case was still pending on April 4.
Franklin Dorn, 45, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Antonio Brown, 28, on Aug. 6, 2023 on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW.
On Jan. 6, Dorn’s defense attorney, Kevin Irving, filed a motion to dismiss the indictment arguing that it violated Dorn’s constitutional rights to a fair trial.
He asserted that the overly simplistic language used by the prosecution inaccurately illustrates the complexity of the case. The prosecution alleged that Dorn caused Brown’s death, but was not shooting, attempting to shoot, or aiding and abetting a shooting.
Additionally, Irving wrote that the prosecution erroneously informed the jury about the law and put forward an oversimplified theory that if the defendant didn’t pull out his gun, the shooting wouldn’t have happened. He concluded that the prosecution’s mistakes are “fundamental error[s]” that substantially undermined the jury’s ability to make impartial decisions.
The parties presented their arguments on the motion on Feb. 14.
During the April 4 hearing, Judge Ryan stated that the issues are very complex so he intends to issue a written ruling.
Parties are expected to reconvene on July 2.
Prosecutors said they have surveillance video, eyewitness testimony and DNA evidence establishing a suspect identified as “Fat Boy” as a carjacker. The case was argued in DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel’s courtroom on April 9.
Devonte Carter, 30, is charged with armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in an incident on the 1400 block of Cedar Street, SE on July 10, 2024.
According to court documents, a Door Dash driver had just completed a delivery on a scooter when he was cut off by a black car and a suspect emerged with a gun. A second suspect identified as “Fat Boy” came out of the car and snatched the scooter key from the victim’s neck and drove away on the vehicle described as a gray Taizhou with a 150 cc engine. It was later recovered by police.
The first suspect was not identified.
A prosecution analyst said Carter was the person depicted by a red circle in surveillance footage and the video showed him riding the stolen vehicle to an apartment complex and parking it there. The prosecutor says Carter and “Fat Boy” are one and the same person based on identification by a witness.
Carter’s attorney, Gregg Baron pointed out gaps in footage which the analyst said was a camera issue.
Given the gaps, Baron asked another officer if he could confirm it was the same man who took the vehicle as the one later seen using it. He noted that with incidents like this, it is common for a stolen vehicle to be passed around many times before being recovered.
The prosecution also called a DNA analyst who compared the results of the tested evidence including four swabs from the recovered vehicle and two reference samples – one for Carter and one for the victim. The analysis said there’s a high likelihood that the vehicle has DNA from both men.
A former neighbor of Carter’s in an apartment complex a few blocks from the scene told the jury she interacts regularly with her neighbors. She was familiar with Carter’s appearance since he and his mother lived there about ten years ago and still occasionally keeps in contact with his mother. She recalled seeing Carter in the building the day of the carjacking and allowed him to wash his hands in her apartment, but wasn’t present when he left.
The prosecution rested.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 10.
DC Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe found a stabbing defendant mentally incompetent during a hearing on April 8. The defendant’s wife and his attorney hope a full evaluation will lead to an effective treatment plan since he is struggling on probation.
On Aug. 19, 2022, Allen Raymond Shorter, 58, pleaded guilty to assault with significant bodily injury and carrying a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a stabbing that occurred on Oct. 6, 2019, aboard a bus near Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Blue Plaines Drive, SW. One victim suffered several injuries to his face, shoulders, and chest.
Shorter was sentenced to 36 months of incarceration, with all but 18 suspended, and five years of probation.
According to court documents, witnesses said Shorter boarded the bus and appeared to be highly intoxicated. He then engaged in a verbal altercation with one of the witnesses–then another passenger, the victim, intervened and threw juice on the defendant in an attempt to stop the argument. Once the dispute abated and the bus stopped, the defendant stabbed the victim and threatened one of the witnesses, before exiting the vehicle.
As a result of the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) report preliminary screening, Judge Iscoe declared Shorter incompetent and ordered a full competency evaluation.
Quo Mieko Judkins, Shorter’s defense attorney, stated that she thinks a full report will provide appropriate recommendations for Shorter since he has great difficulty remembering things.
Shorter’s wife made an emotional plea to Judge Iscoe to help her support Shorter, as this was not the man she married, and since he got out of jail he is a changed man. She also noted Shorter had been given psychiatric medication, which they then discovered he didn’t need.
Judge Iscoe recommended continued treatment but said hospitalization was not required. Shorter will continue monthly drug testing and remain released.
Parties are slated to reconvene on May 15 for an updated mental observation hearing.
DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe agreed to reopen the preliminary hearing previously waved by defense for a stabbing defendant on April 3.
Charles Proctor, 45, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that left an individual injured on Feb. 20 at the union block of Danbury Street, SW. The victim sustained injuries to his upper right arm and the right side of his back.
Proctor’s defense counsel, Destiny Fullwood-Singh, filed a motion for release, challenging the weight of the evidence and saying that the prosecution’s case rests on an unreliable complaint.
Instead of releasing Proctor, Judge Pipe scheduled an evidentiary hearing for next week. She placed the burden of proof on the defense for the hearing, given that they are challenging the evidence already presented.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene April 7.
