The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced an arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred on Nov. 16, 2024, in Northwest. The victim, identified as 31-year-old Vance Contee, succumbed to his injuries after being found with stab wounds. On Oct. 14, 55-year-old Frank Flythe was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Murder while Armed.
A homicide and shooting defendant once again refused to attend a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on Oct. 10.
Jordan Therman, 26, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, first-degree murder while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery, and the unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for allegedly murdering 33-year-old Denzel Greenwood on the 1900 block of 13th Street, NW, on Aug. 4, 2023.
He is also charged with two counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, endangerment with a firearm in a public place, armed carjacking, and possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in a shooting that wounded one individual on the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SW, on Feb. 7, 2024.
During the hearing, Judge Dayson noted that Therman had “declined” to come to court. Therman failed to appear in court on two other occasions. She acknowledged that a legal determination could still be made in his absence, but decided to continue the hearing on another date to allow the defendant to be present.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Oct 24.
DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park released a stabbing victim on GPS monitoring with a curfew in a hearing on Oct. 14.
Miyanna Parker, 31, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing that wounded one individual on the 4500 block of 3rd Street, SE, on Oct. 9.
During the hearing, defense attorney David Akulian asked for the court to release Parker. He told the judge that she had minimal criminal history and that a violent incident was “abnormal behavior” for her. He also noted that the defendant had a wound on her non-dominant hand, which he claimed looked like a defensive injury.
The prosecution objected, claiming that the incident was the result of a domestic dispute that escalated into a stabbing, and the concerning “nature and circumstances” of the offense required Parker’s detention.
Akulian noted Parker’s minimal history had no violent charges, and he informed the court that Parker’s mother had agreed to let Parker live with her temporarily. He argued that the court could release Parker with certain conditions that would ensure community safety.
Judge Park acknowledged the defendant’s limited criminal history, but noted that the charges were non-violent theft charges. He also said that the victim’s wounds were not as serious as they could have been.
Judge Park said his ruling was a “close call,” but released the defendant on GPS monitoring with a curfew and issued a stay-away order from the victim.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Nov. 4.
A shooting defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Michael Ryan on Oct. 16.
Kevin Stanton, 45, was originally charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in a shooting that injured two individuals on the unit block of M Street, NE, on Nov. 7, 2024.
After a brief conversation with Stanton, his attorney, Shawn Sukumar, alerted Judge Ryan that he planned to accept a deal, which required him to plead guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment and dismissing separate theft case.
The statutory penalty for assault with a dangerous weapon is a maximum sentence of ten years of imprisonment, and/or a $25,000 fine, and supervised release of three years.
The prosecutor stated that their evidence would’ve proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Stanton approached the unarmed victims and shot five times towards them, one hitting the back of the first victim and hitting the hand of the second victim.
The parties are slated to reconvene for sentencing on Dec. 12.
A stabbing defendant was denied release before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Oct. 14, and is considering a plea offer extended by prosecutors.
Kenyada Floyd, 48, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing incident that occurred on Sept. 19, 2025, on the 1900 Block of Benning Road, NE.
Colleen Archer, Floyd’s attorney, requested the defendant’s release, which was quickly shut down by Judge McLean.
The defense also noted that she had only just received part of the discovery evidence and the proposed plea deal that same morning.
The offer from the prosecution would require Floyd to plead guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a maximum sentence of ten years, in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment.
The defendant initially stated she wanted to reject the plea deal, prompting the prosecution to withdraw it. However, she later expressed a desire to discuss the deal further with her attorney, though she quickly retracted that statement, vacillating between the two positions.
Given the fungibility of Floyd’s responses, the judge granted her additional time to discuss the situation with Archer.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Oct. 28.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 22-year-old Kyre Robinson, who was charged with Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Gun) in connection to a shooting on June 9. The incident occurred in Northeast, where two adult males were found with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and were transported to hospitals for treatment.
A carjacking defendant reportedly violated his probation and is now scheduled to be re-sentenced before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Oct. 14.
Damian Lea, 24, pleaded guilty on Jan. 18, 2022, to robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in an armed carjacking on July 28, 2020, on the 100 block of Piece Street, NW.
A probation officer addressed the court regarding a bench warrant for the defendant, who failed to appear at the previous court hearing. During the proceedings, concerns were raised about the defendant’s loss of contact and failure to comply with drug treatment.
The court was informed that the defendant had recently been admitted to the Re-Entry Sanction Center (RSC) for treatment. However, he was discharged from the program allegedly due to assaultive behavior directed at staff members which raised further concerns about the defendant’s compliance and progress under probation supervision.
The prosecution formally requested the revocation of the defendant’s probation and asked the court to proceed with re-sentencing.
The court granted the request and scheduled the matter to reconvene on Nov. 18.
DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe denied a stabbing defendant’s request for release with GPS tracking due to the extreme circumstances of the case on Oct. 14.
Chela Ruffin, 39, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for her alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred on Sept. 15 on the unit block of Galveston Street, SW.
Ruffin’s defense attorney, Stuart Johnson, informed the court that he had not yet received the bodyworn camera footage of the arrest or a plea offer in Ruffin’s case. The prosecution claimed to have sent it several days prior, but said they would extend it again.
The prosecution stated that, according to the deal, Ruffin would plead guilty to attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and that the prosecution would only ask for the minimum of guidelines of the sentencing range. The defense will speak to Ruffin about the plea.
Johnson also requested Ruffin be released with GPS monitoring, as she has a stable job and children to provide for. The prosecution argued against her release due to the nature of the case and Ruffin’s prior criminal history of assault.
Judge Pipe believed that the facts of the case are extreme, as the stabbing was allegedly a reaction to a very minor incident. She denied releasing Ruffin with GPS tracking, claiming that there are no conditions she could impose that would guarantee public safety.
Parties are slated to reconvene Oct. 29.
Three witnesses appeared before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Oct. 8, and testified about the day their home surveillance footage captured a non-fatal shooting.
Reginald Steele, 26, is charged with first-degree murder conspiracy, first-degree murder, ten counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, 11 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of carrying a pistol without a license, five counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.
The charges relate to Steele’s alleged involvement in four shootings, including the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes and injury of another juvenile on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW.
Steele’s accused of a separate shooting the same day with no reported injuries on the unit block of Channing Street, NE.
Steele is also charged with a non-fatal shooting that injured two individuals on Feb. 22, 2020 on the 700 block of Farragut Street, NW, and a non-fatal shooting that injured three on Feb. 24, 2020 on the 1700 block of 9th Street, NW.
The prosecution called one of the residents of the 5000 block of 7th Street to testify about the shooting on Feb. 22, 2020. In addition to the footage on his Ring camera, the witness had a clear view of nearby street events from his front door window.
The witness testified to hearing multiple gunshots. Turning to look outside of his front door, he observed an individual wearing a green sweatshirt jump into a car and then speeding off. This was captured on the Ring doorbell footage that was shared with the jurors.
The defense did not conduct a cross-examination.
Prosecutors called two more witnesses, also nearby residents, who gave similar testimonies.
One, who resided on the 700 block of Gallatin Street, NW, was also at home and heard multiple gunshots in front of his home. The man said when he went to the front of his house, he saw multiple cars moving in different directions.
His home surveillance footage, which he provided to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers, was shown to the jury. In the footage, a vehicle was parked in the middle of 7th Place, NW. An individual wearing a green jumpsuit was seen entering the driver’s side of the car. Another individual wearing all black clothing was seen entering the passenger’s side of the vehicle. Shortly after, the vehicle sped off.
Another witness, who also lived on the 5000 block of 7th Place, NW, testified that he was not home when the shooting occurred but was informed by a neighbor. However, he provided his home surveillance footage to MPD officers.
In his footage, a grey vehicle was seen turning recklessly on 7th Place, nearly hitting another vehicle, and heading north towards Gallatin Street. Shortly after, multiple gunshots were heard and bystanders reacted.
An MPD officer who responded to the shooting testified that 11 gunshots were fired based on the home surveillance footage. He also identified the vehicle in the footage as a grey or silver Kia Soul which prosecutors previously identified as the suspect vehicle.
Additionally, the officer said he spoke to other residents. One, in particular, was a young Black man who interacted with the officer the most.
The officer described his demeanor as “collected,” and explained that he was calmer than his family members and gave an impression that he had more knowledge of what happened that day than he was willing to provid–and his story was not adding up, according to the officer.
Parties are slated to reconvene Oct. 9.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the arrest of 36-year-old Christopher Taylor on Oct. 15.
Taylor allegedly stabbed 31-year-old Michael Alanzo Jackson on April 10 on the 1600 block of V Street, SE.
Jackson was found unconscious with puncture wounds and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Taylor, who was already incarcerated, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed.
A stabbing defendant pleaded guilty in a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro on Oct. 16.
Michael Mason, 21, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for stabbing an inmate in the DC jail on the 1900 block of E Street, SE, on Feb. 27.
During the hearing, Mason entered a plea agreement with the prosecution for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon. In exchange, the prosecution agreed not to seek any further charges.
The prosecution stated that, had the case gone forward, they would have proven that, while at the DC Jail, the defendant assaulted the victim from behind and stabbed him with a sharp object.
Parties are set to return for sentencing on Oct. 31.
A jury acquitted a shooting defendant not of all nine charges on Oct. 14, on the same day as closing arguments before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz.
Daquawn Lubin, 30, was charged with conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the non-fatal shooting of two victims.
The incident occurred on the 4600 block of Benning Road, SE, on July 24, 2023.
On Oct. 9, Judge Kravitz granted Lubin’s motion for judgment of acquittal in regards to the carrying a pistol outside a home or business and the possession of a prohibited weapon charges.
During closing arguments, the prosecution argued that Lubin and his ex-codefendant Jonathan Young, 35, shot two men in retaliation for being asked to leave an apartment belonging to one of the victim’s now ex-girlfriend.
According to the prosecution, Lubin and Young along with two other guests were hanging out in one of the victim’s ex-girlfriend’s apartment. While they were at the apartment, one of the victims came over to talk to his then-girlfriend about their relationship and kicked out her guests, including Lubin and Young.
The victim claimed that the vibe from the group “threw him off.” In response, the victim called his godfather, who was the other victim in the shooting.
Surveillance footage in the apartment complex showed Lubin, Young, and the two other guests leaving one of the victim’s ex-girlfriend’s apartment around the time the victim came over. The individual that the prosecution claims was Lubin was seen wearing a teal Plant Burger T-shirt and Young was seen wearing a black T-shirt and grey sweatpants.
Surveillance footage also showed Lubin and Young in the apartment complex parking lot circling a red Hyundai, which belonged to Lubin, for a period of time and then driving off, according to the prosecution.
About an hour later, two suspects were caught on surveillance footage in the same parking lot wearing black hoodies and ski masks as they huddled behind vehicles in possession of firearms.
The two suspects fired gunshots at the two victims as they entered the parking lot.
“How do we know Lubin was involved?” the prosecution asked.
The prosecution argued that although the red Hyundai was not in the apartment complex parking lot when the shooting occurred, GPS data showed that it was in the vicinity of the 4600 block of Benning Road and argued that Lubin and Young traveled by foot to the apartment complex.
Additionally, the prosecution argued that although the suspects were wearing black hoodies during the time of the shooting, the shooter was wearing the same distressed jeans and sneakers that Lubin was wearing in the earlier surveillance footage and grey sweatpants that Young was wearing.
Defense attorney Kevin O’Sullivan argued that Lubin had no involvement in the shooting.
First, O’Sullivan argued that Lubin wasn’t upset when told to leave the apartment by one of the victims. In fact, no fight, argument, or eye-communication took place, O’Sullivan emphasized.
Additionally, O’Sullivan stated, “a lot of stuff was missing” in regards to the prosecution’s evidence.
Surveillance footage also showed the two victims leaving the apartment, and they were casually walking, not displaying any signs of fear, concern, or tension, according to O’Sullivan. However, the prosecution did not show this footage in court.
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers spoke with an eyewitness who was able to get a description of the suspects, according to O’Sullivan. The eyewitness said that the suspects had dreadlocks, which Lubin did not have. O’Sullivan explained that the prosecution played this interview in court without any audio.
In reference to Lubin’s clothing, O’Sullivan argued that distressed jeans are commonly worn in DC. He noted that in the surveillance footage which showed Lubin and Young leaving the apartment, Lubin’s jeans had one distressed mark on them. However, the shooter had two distressed marks on their jeans.
O’Sullivan also argued that the prosecution did not mention the point about Lubin’s clothing in their opening statements.
Additionally, when a search warrant was conducted in Lubin’s apartment and vehicle, no black hoodie, ski mask, or firearm was found that could have connected him to the description of the shooters, according to O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan also noted that the prosecution never called in the lead detective in this case to testify.
The prosecution also never called in the two other guests that were in the apartment with Lubin and Young to testify.
O’Sullivan stated, “the prosecution is just trying to throw whatever they can” against Lubin.
Following closing arguments, the jury was dismissed for deliberations and returned the verdict by the end of the day.
The jury acquitted him of all charges.
No further dates have been set at this time.
A defense attorney’s impromptu explanation to the court that his client wished to represent himself in a stabbing case got a chilly reception before DC Superior Court Justice Michael Ryan on Oct. 9.
Ovid Gabriel, 20, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and assault on a police officer for his alleged involvement in a stabbing at the DC Jail on Aug. 3. One officer was injured during the incident.
According to court documents, Gabriel allegedly stabbed the officer nine times after he was ordered into his cell by the officer.
Reading from folded up notebook papers Gabriel brought with him to court, Gabriel’s defense attorney Raymond Jones announced that Gabriel wished to represent himself. Judge Ryan stopped Jones in his tracks before he could read more from Gabriel’s notes.
“I think that [the motions] will need to come through you Mr. Jones,” Judge Ryan said.
Judge Ryan added that should Gabriel choose to represent himself, the parties must meet in a formal process to go over Gabriel’s rights and review elements of the case. Gabriel is already representing himself for a separate assault on a police officer incident from 2024.
Jones complicated matters further when he informed Judge Ryan that he and prosecutors were working out the final details in a plea agreement.
“We were still discussing plea negotiations and we were at a point where we were almost in agreement,” Jones said.
Judge Ryan informed Gabriel that working out a plea agreement with prosecutors as his own representative posed enormous challenges and urged Jones to speak with Gabriel about the issue. Jones said that he would speak more with Gabriel about the effect self-representation might have on his ability to negotiate a plea deal.
Parties are slated to reconvene Nov. 14.
One charge was dropped and a witness was questioned in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on Oct. 8.
Maurice Felder, 54, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed and possession of a prohibited weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on the 1900 block of 7th Street, NW on Nov. 10, 2024. One individual suffered a stab to the chest.
Felder was previously charged with aggravated assault knowingly while armed. The prosecution dismissed the charge prior to the jury trial, though they did not state why.
During opening statements, the prosecution described the victim and his group of friends, claiming that the victim was “the smart one.” He stated that while the group was walking home from a night out, they passed by Felder. Someone in the group made an off-handed remark about him, which allegedly prompted Felder to follow them even though they didn’t know each other.
The prosecution claimed that a small fight broke out among Felder and the victim’s friends and that the victim tried to step in to deescalate the conflict, but that Felder didn’t back down. He claimed that Felder swung a knife at the victim, stabbing him in the chest. He argued that the victim’s thick jacket is the only reason he is still alive.
The prosecution also noted that a knife police recovered from Felder upon his arrest most probably had the victim’s DNA on it.
The prosecution said that they had a video of the incident from one of the victim’s friends, and that it would clearly show Felder as the perpetrator.
Matthew Rist, Felder’s attorney, insisted the prosecution’s opening statements would have been impressive “if anything they said was true.” Rist argued that, since the incident occurred on the victim’s 21st birthday, he could have been drunk. He said the victim tested positive for marijuana while in the hospital.
Rist said he was glad the incident was caught on video, as he believed it could depict the incident as an act of self-defense. He argued that, in the video, the victim’s friends provoked Felder repeatedly, urging another friend to join in, and that what the prosecution claimed was the victim telling Felder to “calm down” was, in reality, an “unintelligible high-pitched noise.”
Rist argued that the group was trying to incite Felder and that the things they were saying could’ve sounded threatening. “The force [Felder] used was not greater than the threat he faced that night […] it was three against one.”
Rist also noted that the victim’s jacket was open during the stabbing and that the wound was only one centimeter deep and two wide, which would not be life-threatening as the prosecution made it seem.
The prosecution called the officer who arrested Felder who testified he was patrolling the area near the incident when he was flagged down by a group regarding a stabbing.
At the hospital, the officer said he spoke to the friends of the victim and saw the video they recorded of the incident. He used the video to identify the suspect by his sports-themed hat and scarf. He said he recognized the man in the video as someone he saw while patrolling, and described him to other officers in the area.
The prosecution also showed a photo from the officer’s camera of him and another officer arresting Felder. In the photo, the defendant is wearing a similar hat and scarf that the officer previously identified.
The officer stated that they collected three items from Felder when they arrested him–the hat, the scarf, and a knife. The officer said he sent the knife to be swabbed for DNA to see if anything came up. He reported that DNA matching the victim was probably on the knife.
Due to time constraints, Rist did not cross-examine the officer; however, once he and the jury left, Rist raised concerns regarding outstanding complaints against the officer–the majority related to cases where the officer’s body-worn camera was turned off, and one was for excessive force which, Rist said, was sustained. Another complaint against the policeman was dismissed before trial.
As a result of the issues, Rist challenged the officer’s credibility as a witness.
Judge Edelman chose not to rule on the matter during the hearing
Parties are slated to reconvene Oct. 9.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt renewed an order for outpatient substance abuse treatment for a defendant on probation during an Oct. 10 hearing, despite continuously testing positive for alcohol and drug use.
On Feb. 23, 2022, William Johnson, 42, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill for his involvement in a stabbing incident on the 2700 block of Langston Place, SE, on Dec. 23, 2021.
He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years of imprisonment, with one-and-a-half of those years suspended, two years of probation and three years of supervised release.
During a hearing discussing his probation status on Oct. 10, a report from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) showed that Johnson violated his probation multiple times due to testing positive for alcohol and drugs, including cocaine. As part of his probation, Johnson was ordered to participate in an out-patient substance abuse program that required abstinence.
A Correctional Safety Officer (CSO) from CSOSA who monitors Johnson’s case testified that Johnson was terminated from the program because of substance use and he would now have to restart the entire out-patient care process.
The CSO also explained that Johnson missed one of his appointments because he chose to report to his place of employment instead.
The prosecution, agreeing with the request of the CSO, asked that Judge Brandt require in-patient treatment, which would commit Johnson to an institution.
At the last hearing, the prosecution emphasized to Johnson that alcohol was prohibited, showing that he was in defiance of the court. The judge also condemned him for not attending his most recent appointment.
“Not coming to the appointment is the wrong choice,” the prosecution said. “Him having alcohol is what puts the community in danger.”
Defense attorney Wole Falodun said Johnson is not dangerous to the community because he has not incurred additional charges and continues to show up to his appointments and court hearings despite his alcohol usage.
“He is working; he is a plus to the community,” Falodun said. “With respect to the missed appointment, he had to choose between the appointment and his livelihood. He has got to feed himself.”
Falodun also argued that Johnson is diagnosed with substance addiction and that he is struggling with his condition. He argued that the court should not view the recovery process as linear.
As Judge Brandt began to deliver her ruling, Johnson began to cry. Judge Brandt comforted Johnson with words of encouragement.
“Lets not cry, I’m not going to, spoil alert, I’m not going to push you back,” Judge Brandt said, referring to in-patient treatment. “You have a big cheerleader in me.”
While she was sympathetic to Johnson’s addiction, Judge Brandt also made sure that this renewal of an out-patient order would be the last.
“But we are going to hit a wall where I’m not going to be able to not send you to in-patient treatment,” Judge Brandt said. “We are hitting the reset button but this is the last reset.”
Parties are slated to reconvene Nov. 21.
