The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of a 15-year-old male suspect in connection with a shooting on April 21.
The incident involved a teenage male victim who was found on March 29 on the 1200 block of 7th Street, NW conscious with a gunshot wound and transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
The suspect has been charged with Assault With Intent To Kill (Gun).
The prosecution called multiple witnesses to testify in a homicide case before DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 22.
Ranje Reynolds, 28, is charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Tarek Boothe on Jan. 31, 2022, on the 3200 block of M Street, NW.
The prosecution called a medical examiner who performed the autopsy of Boothe to determine the cause and manner of his death. The examiner testified that Boothe suffered a gunshot to his head and the bullet entered through his left eye and exited through the right-back area of his head.
She further said that there was stippling found on Boothe’s face which indicates that the gun was within 36 inches of him. The examiner explained that stippling is abrasions caused by unburnt gun powder and looks like red dots on the skin.
Prosecutors also called bystanders who were stopped at the traffic intersection where Boothe was shot, and called 911. They testified that they were waiting at a red light when they heard a popping sound.
They also stated that they saw someone fall to the ground and a second person briskly turn the corner onto 33rd Street. One of the witnesses said she saw the second person holding a firearm as he walked up the street.
The prosecution then called the owner of a store that is near the scene, and he testified that he provided surveillance footage from his security cameras to the police. He said they capture the front door and anything happening outside the front of the store.
The prosecution also called on a woman, who testified that she formerly had a sexual relationship with Reynolds, also known as “Jay”. She said that she would drive him to work and book hotel rooms for the two of them but that he would always pay her back. The witness testified that she had booked a trip to Miami, Florida with him but he asked her to cancel the trip at the end of January.
The prosecution walked the witness through screenshots of text messages between her and Reynolds. These messages were about his hand, which was injured, and the cancellation of their trip to Miami. Shortly after the cancellation, the messages turned green which, according to the witness, indicates that Reynolds either got a new phone or blocked her. She said that she drove him to work on Jan. 31 but didn’t receive any further communication from him after.
Parties are expected to reconvene on April 23.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide in Northeast D.C.
On Apr. 19, officers found 62-year-old Donella Bryan deceased inside a dumpster on the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue NE.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma and asphyxiation, ruling it a homicide. The investigation is ongoing.
DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe issued a motion stipulating access to 543 pages one of a victim’s medical records which had been sought for six months. The records were subpoenaed in March.
Donnell Wells, 36, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault knowingly while armed, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 500 block of Newcomb Street, SE. The incident occurred on Aug. 1, 2024 and two individuals suffered from gunshot wounds.
“Upon brief review by chambers, it appears that all substantive information contained within the medical records is relevant to the incident in question and would not be subject to redactions,” said Judge Pipe in her ruling on April 21, one day prior to the scheduled trial.
The records delay had threatened the proceedings.
Brandon Burrell, Wells’ defense attorney, stated he was concerned about continuing the case while Wells is still being held, and he would agree to delay the trial only if Wells were released.
Judge Pipe denied the request, citing Wells’ concerning history of gun-related charges.
Burrell stated that while parties were scheduled to select a jury, he was not comfortable moving forward with the case without the medical records in question. The prosecution was concerned that swearing in the jury could lead to a mistrial if they don’t receive the records in time.
“I’m not picking a jury till we get the records,” said Judge Pipe during the hearing.
Parties are slated to reconvene April 22.
A stabbing defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe on April 21.
Antonio Nicks, 33, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon, and simple assault for his involvement in a non-fatal stabbing that injured one individual. The incident occurred on Feb. 16, 2024, at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE.
The incident left one victim suffering from cuts on the head and neck.
In court, Nicks’ attorney, Lisbeth Sapirstein, alerted Judge Pipe of Nicks’ intent to accept a plea deal extended by prosecutors. According to Sapirstein, the deal required Nicks to plead guilty to simple assault in exchange for dismissing all other charges.
The prosecution recommended a maximum of 180 days of incarceration, citing the volitional nature of the stabbing and the severity of the victim’s injuries. They also stated that Nicks had been charged with a prior armed conviction in 2015.
Sapirstein asked that the court impose a 90 day incarceration.
Judge Pipe agreed with Sapirstein, stating that accepting the plea deal shows that Nicks is taking responsibility for his actions. Nicks was sentenced to 90 days of incarceration and required to pay $50 to the Victims of Violent Crime Fund.
No further dates were set.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are investigating a homicide that occurred on April 18 in Southeast Washington, D.C. Officers found 18-year-old Christopher Daniels deceased in the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE, while an adult male and a juvenile male self-transported to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The case remains under investigation.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the recovery of 44 illegal firearms in Washington, D.C., from March 31 to April 7. Arrests were made in connection with several recoveries, including Nakiya Janae Ramsey, 25, for multiple charges, Tyrone Curtis Phillips, Jr., 28, for alleged drug and firearm offenses, and Roscoe Jones, 31, allegedly for murder and armed carjacking. The MPD continues its efforts to remove illegal firearms from the streets to enhance community safety.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking assistance in locating a suspect involved in a shooting on April 14 in Southeast Washington, DC. An adult male was found with multiple gunshot wounds on the 2600 block of Staton Road, SE, and was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The suspect was captured on surveillance footage, and the MPD is urging anyone with information to come forward.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of Terrell Tate, 21, in connection with a stabbing incident on April 20 in the 1200 block of U Street, NW. Two victims, an adult male and a juvenile male, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at a local hospital. Tate has been charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife).
Prosecution witnesses testified digital evidence and social media posts place a homicide defendant close to the crime scene in DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan’s courtroom on April 17.
Bernard Eddy, 25, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged involvement in the shooting of 16-year-old Steffen Brathwaite on Sept. 10, 2019 on the 3000 block of 24th Place, SE in what may have been a revenge killing for a friend’s murder.
The prosecution called on a witness from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)’s digital evidence unit, who testified that she completed a data extraction report from the defendant’s phone.
The cell phone was registered under an iCloud account called “lil40glock” which the prosecutors claimed belongs to Eddy.
Photos from the device showed images taken at 5:26 p. m. on the day of the incident, which depicted an individual identified as Eddy and an unknown individual posing with firearms in their waistbands in what appears to be the crime scene. According to court documents, Brathwaite was shot and killed at 12:12 a.m.
Julie Swaney, Eddy’s defense attorney, told the jury that this extraction data doesn’t specifically address how a photo ended up on the phone, insinuating that these images could have been screenshots from another day or sent by another person.
Prosecutors also called on a witness with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who was tasked with tracking the latitude and longitude points from the defendant’s Instagram pictures.
The witness testified the same photo of the defendant with a gun in his waistband was located about a block away from the shooting scene. However, it is unknown what time the photo was posted on Instagram.
Parties are slated to reconvene April 21.
First responders testified they were preoccupied with helping the victims of a mass shooting before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on April 10. The defense, meanwhile, questioned whether evidence at the scene had been compromised in the chaos.
William Johnson-Lee, 22, Erwin Dubose, 30, Kamar Queen, 27, and Damonta Thompson, 28, are charged with conspiracy, two counts of premeditated first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and three counts of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, for their alleged involvement in the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 31-year-old Donnetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner.
Dubose, Queen, and Johnson-Lee each have nine additional counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Queen and Thompson each gave one additional count of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and Johnson-lee has two more counts of the same charge. Dubose, Queen, and Thompson also each have an additional charge of one or more counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
Dubose and Queen are also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, as well. Dubose has additional charges of premeditated first-degree murder while armed and tampering with physical evidence. Finally, Queen and Johnson-Lee each have an additional charge of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.
The incident occurred on the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW on Sept. 4, 2021, and left three others suffering from injuries.
Toyia Johnson, 52, and Mussay Rezene, 32, are charged with accessory after the fact while armed and tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in assisting the other defendants in getting rid of the evidence and avoiding getting caught in connection with the case.
Prosecutors called on an officer, who testified he’d “never responded to a homicide scene,” prior to this incident.
According to the officer, he was assigned to 7th Street and Somerset Place, NW, when he heard “a barrage of gunfire ” that sounded like “a full-on explosion.”
“I was racing as fast as I could to go down there,” the officer told the jury, adding that the officer that first responded to the chaotic scene was in obvious distress. “I thought he was hurt,” the witness stated.
The witness described his driving as “reckless” getting to the scene, adding that he was “fighting tunnel vision hard, and flooring the gas pedal.” He arrived two minutes after he received the call.
Body-worn camera footage showed the officer hurriedly opening his tactical medical kit and rendering aid to Braxton, who was being held upright by two civilians.
The officer clarified that under usual circumstances, civilians would be completely cleared from the crime scene. However, the witness stated, “I might as well keep them here and let them help me.”
According to the officer, he did not see a firearm on the ground next to Braxton because “it wasn’t [his] focus.” He also told the jury that it was his first time using his tactical medical kit outside of Police Academy training.
After applying a chest seal to Braxton, the officer testified, he put a tourniquet on of another victim, who had been shot in both legs.
Then the officer stated he returned to Braxton and held his head upright, recalling that “at this point I was transitioning to compassionate care.” It was only seconds later that the officer told those nearby, “I don’t feel a pulse.”
The officer also testified he followed an ambulance that transported a surviving victim to a hospital for care.
Peter Fayne, Johnson-Lee’s defense attorney, told the jury that “part of the role of police is trying to protect the integrity of the evidence.” Fayne asked the witness how much time passed until the scene was free of any potential contamination, and he responded “it took us some time to get the scene under control.”
“There’s always a risk” when civilians are present at a crime scene, the officer stated.
Brian McDaniel, Queen’s defense attorney, stated that the witness “never assumed responsibility for discovering evidence,” at the scene because his immediate priority was the victims. McDaniel referred to a backpack that Braxton was wearing when he was injured but was never recovered by authorities.
The officer also testified that on Sept. 6, 2021, he responded to a call about an abandoned Nissan Maxima. The vehicle was found in the bushes of an alleyway on the 5200 block of 14th Street, NW away from the crime scene.
The witness stated that he issued a ticket and called a tow truck for the car, which prosecutors claim was Rezene’s.
The prosecution called another officer, who made her way to Longfellow Street after a dispatch call for sounds of gunshots. She testified that she was patrolling the zone because “it is a high crime area.”
Once she arrived on scene, body-worn camera footage showed her rushing to apply a chest seal to Joyner, who had more than five gunshot wounds to his chest, according to the officer.
Although he was unconscious and “drained of all color,” the witness continued to render life-saving care because “there’s always hope that person could still be alive.”
The witness stated that police officers “are not medical professionals,” but are expected to provide care to all victims in an incident.
After transferring Joyner’s care to the medical response team, the witness helped another victim find an ambulance. The victim is seen on body-worn camera shouting, “where the f*** the ambulance,” since the ambulances were occupied by victims with more severe injuries.
The officer testified she helped treat that gunshot wound on the victim’s leg before escorting him to an empty ambulance down the block.
Once the witness finished administering aid, she assisted other officers in locating shell casings at the scene. She stated she had found 30-to-50 casings.
The officer also testified she helped secure the scene with police tape in order to prevent civilians from disturbing the scene.
Fayne argued that the crime scene did not seem secure at the time of the witness’ arrival, stating that during the chaos, evidence may have been “kicked or knocked around,” by people walking through. He told the jury that the evidence was likely compromised before police taped off the area.
McDaniel agreed with Fayne, stating there was, “at least a half an hour where the scene was not taped off.”
McDaniel paced around the courtroom, demonstrating how civilians could have been moving shell casings or other evidence as they walked through the scene.
The witness stated that she had no actual knowledge of any civilians tampering with evidence, and there were more than 20 other officers on the scene helping secure it.
A patrol officer who responded to Longfellow Street the morning of Sept. 5 testified that he was ordered to take over the crime scene. According to the officer, when he arrived the scene was secure.
The officer stated that multiple bystanders were associated with the Kennedy Street crew, a group associated with multiple crimes, also known as KDY, that morning. Body-worn camera footage showed the officer escorting one individual to a bullet-damaged car so he could open the trunk to locate the shell remnants.
Following testimony, David Akulian, Johnson’s attorney, alerted Judge Kravitz that members of Braxton’s family allegedly “harassed” Johnson during the trial breaks. Judge Kravitz warned that everyone needs to “understand how important it is not to engage in this sort of conduct,” and if continued they will be excluded from the courtroom.
Parties are slated to reconvene April 21.
A stabbing defendant relayed concerns he’s getting inadequate medical care to DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on April 15.
Christopher Moore, 24, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to kidnap or injure a person, assault with intent to kill while armed and aggravated assault knowingly while armed in connection to a March 1 stabbing on the 700 block of 15th Street, NE.
Moore’s defense attorney, Sellano Simmons, stated that Moore had an appointment at Howard Hospital for a serious wound, but the physician allegedly only renewed his asthma inhaler. A representative from the Department of Corrections (DOC) joined via WebEx, and was able to obtain Moore’s medical records.
Judge Kravitz requested that the DOC notify the parties when any follow up appointments are scheduled for Moore.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene May 16.
A stabbing defendant was arraigned before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz and pleaded not guilty to her charges on April 15.
Kelly Williams, 52, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred at the intersection of Independence Avenue and L’Enfant Plaza, SW on Jan. 12. One victim was harmed during the incident.
The prosecution offered Williams a plea deal for acknowledging guilt on one count of aggravated assault while armed. Williams has until the next status hearing to accept or decline the offer.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene May 30.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced they are seeking the community’s help in identifying two suspects involved in a shooting on March 15 on the 2300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE.
The incident left an adult male, who is a surviving victim, with a gunshot wound, and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Surveillance footage of the suspects is available for public viewing.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on April 16 in Southwest D.C.
According to court documents, Kathy Tanner, a 74-year-old resident, was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of 6th Street and M Street, SW.
The driver remained at the scene, and Major Crash Detectives are conducting the investigation.
