The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 27-year-old Anfernee Brown, alleged to be involved in a shooting on Dec. 7, 2025, on the 2000 block of 14th Street, NW. The incident followed a physical altercation, resulting in the victim being hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Brown was charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun).
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 18-year-old Jaylnn Jamison in connection with a homicide that occurred on Nov. 8 in Southeast. Officers responded to a shooting on the 1900 block of C Street, SE where they found 17-year-old Tristan Johnson suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite efforts, Johnson was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jamison has been charged with Second-Degree Murder While Armed.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt sentenced a homicide defendant to 17 years of imprisonment on Feb. 27.
On Dec. 12, 2025, Roy Jordan, 23, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Gary Love III on Nov. 20, 2023, on the 4600 block of South Capitol Street, SW.
According to prosecutors, Love’s death occurred during a shootout between Love and Jordan, during which Love shot first after Jordan brandished a firearm at him.
During the hearing, several of Love’s family members delivered impact statements, including his twin sister who highlighted he was “a good person.”
“I’ve been on the other side, where you’re at,” Love’s dad said to Jordan, adding, “This is going to be a growing moment for you. I don’t hold no hatred.”
Love’s dad told Jordan, “this is your chance to evolve. You’re going to grow every day, but evolve.” Love’s dad recalled his time in the system, which he stated caused him to spend 30 years in prison, including at the time when Love was shot and killed.
“Just try to get yourself together,” he continued, “start making a change before you continue a legacy of the same repeated stuff.”
Love’s great-uncle told Jordan, “I pray to God that he find you and you find him,” adding the senseless violence in the city “is a cycle that needs to be broken… looking at you, I’m looking at him. Learn to love one another.”
Love’s mom highlighted her family’s trauma and loss, stating “the loss extends deeply into the next generation,” and impacts Love’s child, who was born after Love’s death. “He will miss every birthday, school event, and moments a father should be there for,” Love’s mom cried.
She added, “religion and the world suggest forgiveness, but I cannot offer it to you. The answer is no. This loss will haunt me every day for the rest of my life.”
“You took my kid. I have no words of peace for you. Whatever happens, I hate you. I hate you, I hate your family. I don’t care. Whatever happens to you, here, there, or in the next life, so be it,” she continued, stating, “whatever the judge says, that’s not justice for me.”
The prosecution stated that the incident arose from Jordan illegally owning and possessing a firearm, and bringing it to a convenience store on the day of the incident.
“The gun is the problem,” the prosecutor insisted, arguing that despite a court’s order for Jordan to not possess a gun he chose to have it and use it that day.
The prosecution highlighted Jordan’s failure to call 911 – despite his claim that he feared for his life.
“The bigger question is why did this happen,” the prosecutor said, stating there were rumors that it was due to the possibility of a robbery of a coat Jordan wore, which retailed at more than $1,000. However, he argued Jordan’s actions were “unreasonable.”
Prosecutors also emphasized this is not Jordan’s first time in the criminal justice system. According to the prosecutor, Jordan was on probation at the time of Love’s death for a carjacking in Maryland, for which he received a 30-year suspended sentence, and a Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) sentence, which would have sealed his conviction if he had successfully completed all sentencing requirements.
“Despite the fact Roy Jordan had already received the benefit, he decided to commit a crime of violence,” the prosecutor insisted, adding “he doesn’t care.”
“He still wanted to live a criminal life style, still had a gun,” the prosecutor continued, stating “time after time after time, courts and people have given Mr. Jordan an opportunity… all of his chances have been squandered, and now a man is dead because of that.”
“This type of behavior is unacceptable. You cannot continue to be given opportunities and throw them all away. At some point that has to stop,” the prosecutor told Judge Brandt, requesting she impose a 17 year sentence.
Antoini Jones, Jordan’s attorney, expressed his sincerest condolences to Love’s family. He insisted Jordan didn’t plan for the shooting to happen, and he “did not leave his house that night with plans to harm anyone.”
Jordan knew “something was wrong,” Jones said, stating Jordan acted out of fear. “He didn’t go there to do it. He didn’t go there to cause any harm to Mr. Love,” Jones insisted. “He did though, and he did fully, at all times, take responsibility. He lives with that every day.”
Jones requested Jordan be sentenced under the YRA to nine-and-a-half years, citing his maturity and growth during his incarceration.
Jordan’s dad apologized to Love’s family on behalf of his son, stating he understands Love’s family’s pain, in a different way. “It’s the same pain because I’ll be without you, and they’ll be without their son,” Jordan’s dad said. “Nobody wins.”
“I just want to apologize,” Jordan told Judge Brandt, after she read a letter he wrote to her, which was not read in open court.
Judge Brandt expressed her sincerest condolences to Love’s family, highlighting their pain, agony and trauma. She also thanked Jordan’s dad for his “emotional, but heartfelt” statement to his son and Love’s family.
Judge Brandt highlighted multiple letters of support for Jordan stating they want him to grow and learn from this.
“I really hope that you do. But something [the prosecutor] said during the allocution struck me. Because it really is at the root of what has brought us here today. [The prosecutor] mentioned something about the opportunities squandered, and now a man is dead,” Judge Brandt said.
She recalled the multiple opportunities given to him by courts to grow and become a productive member of society, “and nothing changed, which is why I’m having a semi-hard time wrapping my mind around this whole concept – that you believe that you have matured while you have been locked up at the jail.”
Parties discussed a disciplinary report for Jordan’s alleged possession of contraband in the jail – though it’s unclear what the contraband was.
“I see you as a person. I see you. I’ve seen you every day when you have come to various hearings. I know you’ve wanted to step up and take responsibility for this from the jump,” Judge Brandt said. However, she stated, “It wouldn’t be fair for the court to sentence at the bottom of the guidelines,” due to Jordan’s criminal history.
Judge Brandt imposed a 17 year sentence, and denied the request for it to be under the YRA. “How people act and react to things while they are incarcerated pretrial is a telltale sign of how they might act once they go to prison,” she said. “I’m not in a position to give a youth act sentence.”
“At the end of the day, this was a senseless act of violence,” Judge Brandt stated. “By the grace of whoever anyone prays to, innocent bystanders weren’t struck.”
No further dates were scheduled.
A homicide defendant pleaded not guilty to all indictment charges before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Feb. 27.
Damari Taylor Thomas, 18, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon while armed, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Anthony White. The incident occurred on May 5, 2024 on the 3500 block of Stanton Road, SE. Two additional victims sustained gunshot wounds, but survived.
According to court documents, White and the other victims were gathered in a group when shots were fired.
During the hearing, Taylor Thomas’ attorney, Madalyn Harvey, alerted the court of his intent to plead not guilty, and asserted his constitutional rights including the right to a speedy trial.
Parties are slated to reconvene on March 20.
With less than a day to deliberate, a jury found a non-fatal shooting defendant guilty of all charges Feb. 25 before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Bryant.
Gerald Day, 34, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence or dangerous offense, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, and threatening to kidnap or injure a person for allegedly pointing a gun at a woman after a fight on Oct. 29, 2023, at the intersection of O Street and Carrollsburg Place, SW.
Day’s co-defendant, Paul Poston, 32, was sentenced on June 26, 2024, to two years of imprisonment, with all but 10 months suspended, for shooting at the same victim’s car after the altercation.
He “went too far,” the prosecution said during closing statements, referencing Day’s actions on the day of the incident.
Throughout the trial, which began on Feb. 18, the prosecution argued that Day was guilty of all charges, claiming he assaulted and threatened the victim.
Days’defense attorneys, Steven Polin and James Valentine, argued that Day was acting in self-defense during the incident. The defense said Day was deescalating the situation, using his training as an off duty special police officer.
Parties are set to reconvene for sentencing on May 1.
A stabbing defendant’s attorney said her client’s wheelchair was taken at the DC Jail during a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Feb. 26.
James Gregory, 37, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE on March 26, 2025. The victim sustained a stab wound to their left arm.
US Marshals stated Gregory refused to appear in court for the hearing.
At the hearing, Judge McLean said Santia McLaurin, Gregory’s attorney, filed a motion on Jan. 27 requesting restoration of her client’s wheelchair and a medical evaluation. McLauren said a psychologist visiting Gregory at the DC Jail informed her she saw “Gregory crawling on his hands and knees” after his wheelchair was taken.
According to McLaurin, Gregory was given a cane in the absence of his wheelchair. The motion requested Judge McLean order the jail to immediately return Gregory’s wheelchair and have an independent medical evaluation performed.
Judge McLean stated that she would send the order from her chambers.
The parties are in negotiations for a plea agreement, according to McLaurin. Judge McLean noted that Gregory must be present in order to pursue a plea agreement.
The parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 13.
DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson found probable cause that a defendant was involved in a murder stemming from a mass shooting at a nightclub during a hearing on Feb. 25.
Frank Johnson, 44, is charged with first-degree felony murder for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Blake Bozeman, 31, at CRU Lounge, on the 1300 block of H Street, NE, on Sept. 23, 2023. Bozeman sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest and three surviving victims also sustained gunshot wounds.
Johnson’s co-defendant, 44-year-old Cotey Wynn, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the same shooting.
A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective identified Wynn, Johnson, and Bozeman in surveillance videos from the night of the incident.
According to the detective’s testimony, the video footage showed one of the suspects arriving at the lounge and getting out of a black car. The suspects met up in the nightclub, left, then returned together, bypassing club security before re-entering the club. The detective narrated that in the video, as Bozeman moved to leave, he was shot two times at point-blank range.
According to the detective, Johnson was the person who fired the shots.
Security footage showed Bozeman, and other bystanders, running out of the nightclub before Bozeman collapsed by a nearby vehicle and the shooter ran to the black car and drove away.
The detective stated that during the investigation, MPD found the lease for the suspected vehicle was under Johnson’s name. Prosecutors acknowledged that Johnson’s name was common, adding that a parking ticket charged to Johnson’s credit card also linked him to the suspected vehicle. The detective could confirm the vehicle’s make and model.
In additional security footage from a nearby smoke shop, the detective identified Johnson wearing a white shirt, baseball hat, Timberland boots, and a necklace with a medallion. The detective identified Johnson in court, saying he was the same person shown in the nightclub and smoke shop footage because of physical similarities.
The prosecution also played surveillance footage from November 2025 that the detective said was from outside Johnson’s residence, showing him wearing a similar necklace to the shooter in the nightclub footage.
The prosecution asked Judge Dayson to find probable cause based on Johnson’s previous criminal history, the suspected vehicle linked to Johnson through a parking ticket, Johnson’s necklace matching the one the suspect wore in the video, the shooter and Johnson having earrings on the same side, and Johnson’s phone being reset two days after the incident.
David Akulian, Johnson’s attorney, questioned how the detective determined it was the same necklace. The detective said during his investigation, he found out that the medallion was custom made for Johnson and cost roughly $15,000.
Akulian also pointed out his client’s baldness, stating that there was no way to confirm Johnson was the shooter in the video because the suspect wore a hat the entire time. Akulian also stated that no witnesses identified Johnson as the shooter in the video.
The detective testified that during an MPD search of Johnson’s home, they did not locate the necklace, white shirt, or baseball hat shown in the nightclub footage. MPD did locate similar pants and boots, a jacket, and a cell phone.
The detective agreed there were no text messages, but said there was one phone call between Johnson and Wynn in Spring 2023, prior to the murder. Although, the detective said the call was brief, might not be connected, and he did not know what the substance was.
Akulian argued there was no probable cause because there was a lack of evidence that Johnson was the shooter in the videos. There was no similarity between their clothes, no way to identify if the shooter had hair on his head, they could not guarantee the necklace was the same, and could not confirm the model and license plate number of the suspected vehicle.
Additionally, Akulian noted there were no texts between Wynn and Johnson, no texts from Johnson’s phone admitting guilt or involvement, and the only phone call between Wynn and Johnson was brief.
Judge Dayson found probable cause, citing similarities in dress and appearance between the suspect in the nightclub and smoke shop footage. The judge also noted that Johnson’s phone was wiped.
Judge Dayson determined Johnson would remain in custody, stating he put numerous people at risk and no conditions would ensure the safety of the community.
Akulian indicated he planned to file a motion requesting Johnson’s release, to be discussed at a later date before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt.
Parties are slated to reconvene on March 9.
Despite DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz declaring that “this was a very dangerous and serious offense,” he felt a sentence moderated by the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) was warranted in a shooting case.
In a Feb. 27 hearing, Judge Kravitz told Antwon Lake, 24, that he must serve 48 months in jail for assault with a dangerous weapon as well as a concurrent sentence of 48 months for possession of a firearm in a crime of violence. The jail term would be accompanied by three years of supervised release on each charge as well as paying more than $2,000 in property damages to the victim.
According to the police report, officers responded to an Exxon station on the unit block of Florida Avenue, NW on Aug. 2 following reports of gunfire. Recovered surveillance footage of the incident shows the victim walking by Lake’s car and the two appear to have a brief conversation. As the victim was walking back to his vehicle, Lake “drew a handgun and fired multiple rounds in the victim’s direction.” The bullets missed their target and the victim fled the station in his car.
Surveillance footage as well as identifying information of his vehicle led police to Lake as the suspected shooter.
When he was arrested on Sept. 18, court documents say he “admitted to being at the Exxon gas station. The defendant identified himself in the CCTV video as the shooter.”
Lake said that while he didn’t think the victim had a gun, nor did he know him, he feared he would retrieve a weapon from his car.
Defense attorney Elizabeth Weller said she would not minimize what happened in that Lake felt terrified, reacted very badly and “tried to kill somebody” by firing dozens of shots in a public area.
However, she said Lake’s action was very much out of character and she requested sentencing under the YRA. The statute allows a defendant’s record to be sealed upon successful completion of his term and gives judges flexibility in sentencing for those under 25 at the time of the offense.
Weller emphasized that Lake is a high school graduate and that he has extensive family support. His grandparents, sister and brother were in the courtroom.
“He won’t get the benefit unless he succeeds,” said Weller.
In terms of the sentence, there was a question as to whether the minimum had to be five years based on the charges. “This is a classic example of what happens when too many guns are around,” said the judge.
However, he felt that sentencing under the YRA was appropriate. He pointed out that Lake was younger than 25 at the time, had a limited criminal record and had done well in jail. Thus, Judge Kravitz labeled Lake’s actions “unusual behavior.”
Four years is enough punishment and deterrent and “will take a big chunk out of his 20s,” said Judge Kravitz.
The prosecution did not challenge the sentence. No further dates were set.
“This has happened many times,” said DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz about stabbing defendant Rubin Holman, 35, who failed to show up for a hearing on Feb. 27. He reportedly refused to leave his cell at the DC Jail to come to court to advance his case which has been pending for nearly four years.
Holman is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for an incident at a CVS store on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE on Oct. 5 2022. According to the police affidavit, Holman got into an argument with an employee who confronted Holman for allegedly trying to steal food items. The pair exchanged words. Holman exited the store, reportedly tossing back the stolen goods.
Then, he returned and allegedly threatened the employee saying, “On my dead mother, I’m gonna kill you in this joint!” And in addition, “You wanna die over this job?”
Police say Holman took out a black folding knife and stabbed the victim in the neck who subsequently required medical attention. However, based on his description, police identified Holman as the suspect since the defendant had been arrested multiple times in DC.
When queried by Judge Kravitz about Holman’s current state of mind, defense attorney Terrence Austin said he’d talked to Holman at the jail who agreed to appear the following week.
“Promise me he’ll be here at 10:00 am on March 3,” said the judge trying to determine next steps.
Austin said Holman had abandoned a motion to dismiss the case, which was filed by his previous attorney, Barry Winograd. Further, Austin said Holman was seriously considering a plea offer but the terms were not specified in court.
The matter is “near resolution,” Austin said.
Judge Kravitz scheduled a hearing for March 3.
A defendant in a stabbing case rejected a plea offer, requesting a trial Feb. 25 before DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur.
Bianca Young, 36, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred on the 1600 block of K Street, NE on Dec. 10, 2025.
Prosecutors extended a plea offer that would require Young to plead guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, which, according to the DC Sentencing Commission’s voluntary sentencing guidelines, carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
Prosecutors stated the sentencing guidelines would be capped at the bottom third in the offer.
The trial is set to begin on June 15.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on March 12 for a felony status conference.
A shooting defendant’s probation was terminated unsuccessfully due to his failure to pay the Victims of Violent Crimes fund in a probation show cause hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur on Feb. 25.
Michael Newman, 29, was sentenced on July 16, 2025 for attempted unlawful discharge of a firearm. This charge stems from Newman’s involvement in a shooting that occurred on the 100 block of Galveston Place, SW on April 14, 2025.
A representative from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), who was present via Webex, stated that Newman was compliant overall in his probation, but failed to pay the court ordered sum of $50 to the Victims of Violent Crimes fund.
The CSOSA representative suggested that Newman’s probation be terminated unsuccessfully, meaning while he was compliant, he did not satisfy all the terms of the probation.
The prosecutor agreed with the representative’s suggestion, but requested that Newman be required to pay the fee so the probation could be terminated successfully.
Newman’s defense attorney, Jamison Koehler, also requested that the probation be terminated.
Newman is still required to pay the sum, or he may face additional hearings.
No further dates were set as of Feb. 26.
DC Superior Court Judge Dorsey Jones found probable cause Feb. 20 for a defendant accused of a DC Jail stabbing.
Christian Ware, 19, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE, on Oct. 21, 2025. One victim sustained five stab wounds, two to the back, two to the right arm, and one to the abdomen.
The prosecution called the detective, who wrote the arrest warrant, to testify about his knowledge of the incident. The detective adopted the arrest warrant as evidence in this case.
The arrest warrant stated that two suspects, one who was identified as Ware, entered into a cell, a few seconds later they left. Following the attack, an individual identified as Ware was seen holding a metal object in his hand, which the suspect proceeded to throw over the railing. After throwing the object, another inmate at the jail was seen picking it up and sliding it into a cell nearby. Later, in that cell, a shank was recovered.
In their argument for probable cause, the prosecution said there was a shank recovered in a cell directly below where Ware was allegedly seen throwing it, and there is a video of him rushing into the cell where the stabbing happened.
The prosecution requested that Ware be held for his charges.
Varsha Govindaraju, Ware’s attorney, argued against probable cause because in the arrest warrant it stated that the identification process for Ware was done by his mugshot, rather than the video of the incident. She argued the victim did not identify Ware as a suspect, and Ware was not the one who attacked the victim.
Govindaraju requested his release, even though he is held on other matters, including a homicide and multiple carjackings.
However, the prosecution objected to the release because Ware has a serious criminal record. He is a significant danger to the community, the prosecutor said.
Judge Jones ultimately granted the hold due to the seriousness of the case.
Parties are set to meet again on March 4.
A defendant accepted a plea deal for a fatal shooting in front of a row house before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on Feb. 27.
Damion Brown, 26, was originally charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. The charges stemmed from his involvement in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Jordan Coates on Sept. 9, 2023 on the 1200 block of Duncan Place, NE. Coates died from two gunshot wounds to her torso.
All charges faced an aggravating factor of being committed while Brown was on release for another offense.
At the hearing, Brown accepted a plea deal from prosecutors that required him to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and robbery while armed in an unrelated case. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining and greater charges against Brown in both cases.
As part of the agreement, Brown will serve between 15-to-19 total years of imprisonment for both cases, subject to Judge Dayson’s approval at sentencing.
The prosecution said if the case had proceeded to trial, they would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Brown shot and killed Coates in front of a row house where he lived with his aunt. Coates was there to visit her ex-girlfriend, a relative of Brown’s, when Brown asked her to leave.
Brown shot Coates with a firearm with an extended magazine. She fell backwards over a short wall, landing in the mulch of an adjacent home. There was no legal justification and Brown acted knowingly, intentionally, and without mistake or accident, concluded prosecutors.
In the robbery case, prosecutors said they would have proven that on Sept. 8, 2022 on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE, Brown and two other suspects forced the victim to the ground with a handgun and took her car keys, phone, and debit card. Then, the suspects demanded the victim withdraw money from her bank account at an ATM.
Judge Dayson determined there was a factual basis and that Brown knowingly and voluntarily accepted the deal.
Brown is scheduled for sentencing in both cases on June 26.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan released a murder defendant following his preliminary hearing despite pushback from the victim’s family on Feb. 25 and 26.
Martell West, 23, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Treyvon Wilson on the 2300 block of Good Hope Road, SE, on Nov. 19, 2023.
Prior to the hearing, prosecutors offered West a deal under which he would plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed. In exchange, the prosecution would drop the arrest charge and not seek an indictment with additional charges related to the incident. Additionally, West would be sentenced to seven-and-a-half-to-11 years in prison. West rejected the plea offer and proceeded with his preliminary hearing.
The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who responded to the scene on the night of the incident and investigated surveillance recordings from nearby residential buildings.
Prosecutors played a portion of the footage recovered by the detective, which showed a person identified as the suspect vehicle entering a parking lot. After the vehicle stopped, surveillance video showed the driver exiting the vehicle as a second individual, who the detective identified as Wilson, left a house and approached the suspect.
The detective explained that the victim and suspect met for a pre-negotiated marijuana exchange.
According to the detective’s analysis of the video, the victim used his flashlight to look into a bag being held by the suspect, then grabbed the bag and attempted to flee the scene. The suspect then pulled a gun on the victim and fired shots before he chased the victim out of the camera’s point of view.
Moments later, surveillance footage showed the suspect reappearing, sprinting towards his car, entering the vehicle, and driving away.
The prosecution then showed the detective photos from the scene, which the detective identified as shell casings from a 9mm handgun, a pile of spilled marijuana on the ground near a parked car, and gunfire damage to an AC unit.
On cross-examination, West’s attorney, Shawn Sukumar, questioned the detective about filing the arrest warrant. The detective said that he filed two arrest warrants, but the first was rejected by the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) in a letter saying they wouldn’t pursue the case.
In the first arrest warrant, the detective wrote that the surveillance footage showed the victim holding something “consistent with a firearm” in his right hand. According to the detective, he filed a second arrest warrant more than a year-and-a-half after the first, adding additional information about an eyewitness and an anonymous tip received by MPD. The detective said he also altered the wording discussing the alleged firearm in the victim’s hand in the second warrant, making the weapon’s presence on the scene sound less conclusive.
Sukumar pressed the detective further about the eyewitness whose testimony was added to the second warrant. The detective stated that this witness had an intimate friendship with Wilson and was granted immunity for cooperation with MPD.
Sukumar pointed out that according to the eyewitness, he was inside the house from which the victim originally exited during the shooting. However, Sukumar said another witness claimed that the eyewitness exited the house with the victim and was outside the house during the shooting, only re-entering the home after the shooting, putting his testimony in conflict with other pieces of evidence.
Additionally, Sukumar asked the detective about the anonymous tip he received a week before sending the second warrant to USAO, in which an individual claimed he saw West at a party. According to court documents, the tip allegedly said West bragged about the murder. The detective admitted that he had no previous contact with the individual who left the tip, never followed up with them, identified them, or verified the validity of their information.
Prosecutors argued for probable cause, claiming the video evidence did not support the notion that the victim was holding a gun during the incident, negating any arguments for self-defense.
Additionally, the prosecution claimed that West’s reaction to Wilson taking the marijuana, as shown by surveillance footage, did not resemble the reaction of someone at gunpoint.
The prosecutors said if probable cause was found, they expect an indictment on a first-degree felony murder charge against West.
Sukumar replayed the surveillance video, pausing it at the point Wilson allegedly grabs the bag of marijuana from West, where, according to Sukumar, the presence of a gun appears to be “absolutely clear as day” in the victim’s hand. Sukumar argued that as West and Wilson ran off camera, the gun Wilson was allegedly holding may have still posed a danger to West’s life, necessitating the use of deadly force for self-defense.
Furthermore, Sukumar said that the victim was allegedly known to previously rob people at gunpoint.
The prosecution asserted that no gun belonging to the victim was found on the scene.
Judge Ryan found probable cause due to the strength of the prosecution’s arguments and because West didn’t appear visibly threatened by Wilson in the surveillance footage, regardless of whether or not he had a gun.
West’s other attorney, Michelle Stevens, asked for West to be released on 24 hour home confinement at his mother’s and stepfather’s residence in Maryland. Stevens claimed that West demonstrated exceptional behavior in the community and had a substantial employment history, working at Dunkin’ Donuts, Amazon, and volunteering with the homeless.
Stevens said that West would fully cooperate with any release conditions the court enforced, describing the conditions as a “tight leash.”
Prosecutors argued that due to the severity of the crimes and surveillance video evidence, West should remain in the DC Jail until his next hearing.
During arguments, Judge Ryan allowed the Wilson’s mother and father to express their strong support for detention. The victim’s father described release conditions as a “slap on the wrist,” and asked the judge to “keep him locked up.” Similarly, the victim’s mother pleaded with the judge to keep West detained, not wanting what happened to their son to happen to another family.
Nonetheless, Judge Ryan released West on 24 hour home confinement and ordered a stay-away from any of the victim’s family members, as well as a witness described as the defendant’s ex-girlfriend.
While Judge Ryan claimed it would be far easier to simply keep West locked up, he believed that he met the conditions of release due to his clean record and the fact that he is living with a supportive family.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on March 13.
A carjacking defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Feb. 26.
Ira Shaw-Bates, 23, was originally charged with armed carjacking and robbery while armed for his involvement in a carjacking on the 300 block of N Street, NE on June 6, 2025.
According to court documents, Shaw-Bates and his co-defendant, 40-year-old Derrick Coltrane, approached the victim outside of their car and demanded the victim hand over their phone. Shaw-Bates and Coltrane seized the victim’s phone, wallet, and car before driving away in the victim’s car.
Coltrane pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking and possession of a prohibited weapon on Oct. 31, 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for April 17.
During the hearing, Shaw-Bates accepted a plea deal from the prosecution requiring him to plead guilty to unarmed carjacking. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss any greater and remaining charges in this case in addition to an unrelated robbery case.
In the plea deal, the parties agreed upon a sentence of six-to-eight years in prison, subject to Judge McLean’s approval.
After ensuring Shaw-Bates understood his rights and knowingly pleaded guilty, Judge McLean accepted his decision.
Had the case gone to trial, the prosecution said they would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Shaw-Bates assisted in carjacking the victim and was in the passenger seat of the stolen car when Coltrane drove away with the stolen property.
The parties are slated to reconvene on June 5 for Shaw-Bates’ sentencing.
