Shooting Defendant Waives Right to Test DNA Evidence

On March 8, a shooting defendant waived his right to independently test DNA evidence before DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo.

Andrew Parsons, 28, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a dangerous weapon, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting incident. The incident occurred on June 26, 2023, on the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

One individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.

At the hearing, the prosecution alerted the court they had recovered multiple items from the scene that could be tested for biological material. The items included cartridges, fragments of bullets, and multiple pairs of pants with suspected blood on them.

The prosecution also told Judge Demeo they had not tested any of the items, and do not intend to do so in the future.

Darryl Daniels III, Parsons’ defense attorney, alerted Judge Demeo that Parsons was waiving his right to independently test the evidence.

Judge Demeo found that Parsons made the decision voluntarily.

Parties are slated to return May 14.

Attorneys Argue if Shooting Was a ‘Terrible Misunderstanding,’ or Assault with Intent to Kill

On March 7, closing arguments were delivered in a non-fatal shooting trial before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.

Kamara Hoffler, 32, is charged with assault with intent to kill, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, and multiple unlawful possession of a firearm charges, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Sept. 19, 2022, on the 800 block of Barnaby Street, SE. One individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.

According to court documents, Hoffler allegedly attempted to enter an apartment that was not his own. As a result of the disturbance, a physical altercation occurred with a resident of the apartment. It escalated into a shootout, with the resident sustaining a gunshot wound to his knee. No other injuries were reported.

In their closing argument, the prosecution argued the victim’s main concern was to protect his children. “That’s what you do as a father,” the prosecution said.

The prosecution reviewed the sequence of events that occurred the day of the shooting and argued that Hoffler was not acting in self-defense, but instead had intent to kill.

“He isn’t just trying to hurt him,” said the prosecutors, in reference to Hoffler’s allegedly firing over 15 shots at the victim. “He’s trying to kill him,” said the prosecutor.

The prosecution also claimed the testimony delivered by Hoffler’s girlfriend, who was an eyewitness to the shooting and said she thought she was going to die was not credible. They argued that her relationship with Hoffler gave her “reason to present a story that is favorable to him.”

They pointed out that other witness testimony, including the victim’s, did not include threats or brandishing his firearm. The prosecution says this is supported by video surveillance footage.

“Return the only verdict that is consistent with the facts and the law,” the prosecution concluded, as they requested a guilty verdict.

Hoffler’s defense attorney, Jamison Koehler, began his closing arguments by stating, “None of this would’ve happened if not for this terrible misunderstanding.”

Koehler asked the jury to “put yourself in Hoffler’s shoes,” and said he was acting in defense of himself and his girlfriend.

Koehler argued the victim allegedly accosted them, brandished his firearm, and pushed them from the apartment building after they knocked on the wrong apartment door.

“The crime happened on those stairs, not in the parking lot,” Koehler stated. When the victim continued to pursue them outside, allegedly still making threats, Hoffler turned and fired.

“He’s furious!” Koehler exclaimed, in reference to the victim kicking a piece of trash on surveillance footage. “It’s too bad we don’t have audio,” he continued.

Koehler reminded the jury of the testimony of Hoffler’s girlfriend, who said that no one in the apartment self-identified before the victim arrived.

“No one said ‘go away.’ No one said ‘you have the wrong apartment,’” said Koehler. In referring to the other witness’ testimonies, “They minimized any evidence that Hoffler would’ve feared for his life.”

He also pointed out that, regardless of the number of shots Hoffler fired, only one struck the victim. If the two were in “close range,” as the prosecution claimed, then Hoffler could have easily aimed for a more vulnerable spot.

“They would’ve never met, but [the victim] took matters into his own hands,” Koehler said.

“Based on the evidence you’ve heard,” the defense concluded, “Hoffler respectfully asks you to find him not guilty of all charges.”

Judge Raffinan excused the jury for deliberation.

Shooting Defendant Rejects Plea Offer

On March 6, before DC Superior Judge Jason Park, a shooting defendant rejected a plea offer extended by the prosecution.

Shawnette Greene, 48, is charged with aggravated assault knowingly while armed, assault with intent to commit robbery while armed, robbery while armed, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for her alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting incident. The incident occurred on Feb. 13, 2023, on the 200 block of Allison Street, NW. One individual sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.

According to court documents, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located an individual in an alley suffering from three gunshot wounds to his upper left leg.

During the hearing, the prosecution alerted the court they had extended a plea deal, which required Greene to plead guilty to armed robbery, in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges.

Hannah Claudio, Greene’s defense attorney, alerted the court Greene decided to reject the plea offer, and requested a trial date.

Parties agreed to set a trial date for January 2025.

They are slated to return on June 21.

Judge Grants Motion to Sever Co-Defendants in Homicide Case

On March 6, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan granted a homicide defendant’s request to sever his case from a co-defendant’s.

Terrance Prue, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 39-year-old Bruce Gilmore. The incident took place on the 3500 block of 22nd Street, SE, on June 5, 2019. One other individual suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Prue’s co-defendant, Miguel Gibson, 21, is charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly making false statements to the police.

Judge Raffinan ruled from her chambers to sever the two co-defendants. According to court documents, while Gibson’s case is linked to Prue’s case, the severance is justified by the possibility that Gibson would be called as a witness during Prue’s trial.

Gibson has stated in court documents that he intends to assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and does not wish to testify at Prue’s trial. The court found that scheduling his trial before Prue’s trial would resolve any such issues.

Parties are slated to reconvene on April 26.

Eyewitness Describes Night of Terror in Non-Fatal Shooting

On March 6, the trial of a non-fatal shooting case resumed before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan, as parties rested their cases.

Kamara Hoffler, 32, is charged with assault with intent to kill, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, and multiple unlawful possession of a firearm charges, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting. The incident occurred on Sept. 19, 2022, on the 800 block of Barnaby Street, SE. One individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident.

According to court documents, Hoffler and another individual allegedly tried to enter an apartment that was not their own. As a result of this disturbance, a physical altercation occurred with a resident of the apartment. The altercation escalated into a shootout, in which the resident suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to his knee. No other injuries were reported.

Hoffler’s defense attorneys, Jamison Koehler and Karen Minor, called Hoffler’s girlfriend, an eyewitness to the shooting, to the stand.

The witness testified that, on the night of the incident, she and Hoffler intended to go to a friend’s apartment. According to the witness, the friend was at work, but told them that his girlfriend would let them into the apartment and host them until he arrived.

When Hoffler and the witness had arrived at the apartment and no one answered, they allegedly called the friend who informed them the girlfriend must be sleeping. He allegedly instructed them to “knock harder, knock louder,” to wake her up.

According to the witness, they continued to knock until the victim arrived at the apartment building. He allegedly shouted, “Get the f**k away from my door,” and “You b****s are going to die tonight.”

The witness testified she tried to explain that they must be in the wrong place, but was ignored as the victim retrieved his firearm from his apartment and brandished it at Hoffler. The victim then allegedly pushed Hoffler and the witness out of the apartment and continued to shout at them.

“I was scared at this point,” the witness said. “I was trying to walk away. I didn’t know what to do. I really thought I was about to die.”

On cross examination, the prosecutors replayed the video surveillance footage of the parking lot when the shooting occurred, during which the eyewitness was crouched behind a car.

The prosecution pointed out that Hoffler was allegedly the first one to fire, and the victim was no longer brandishing his weapon as he had allegedly done inside the apartment building.

The witness said she did not recall the events in the parking lot because she was “a little intoxicated” at the time of the shooting.

Further, the witness admitted neither she nor Hoffler ever reported the incident to the police.

Following the eyewitness’ testimony, Koehler and Minor called a Criminal Justice Act (CJA) investigator to the stand.

He verified that the apartment next door to the victim’s was leased to the individual Hoffler and the eyewitness intended to meet.

The prosecution presented evidence that shell casings found in the parking lot were consistent with the gun owned by the victim, but he was licensed to carry a firearm. It’s alleged he fired fewer shots than Hoffler.

A DNA specialist analyzed material from a cigarette butt found at the scene and concluded there was a high probability the sample came from Hoffler.

Parties rested their case and are slated to return March 7 for closing arguments.

Detective Identifies Homicide Co-Conspirator From Surveillance Footage

On March 5, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard additional testimony from a detective regarding surveillance footage in connection to a homicide case.

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW. The shooting also left a second juvenile victim located in the vicinity suffering from a gunshot wound to the right leg.

The case also involves alleged co-conspirators Reginald Steele, 24, and Aaron Brown, 27.

The detective, who previously testified was recalled to talk about the video footage he collected on March 15, 2020.

According to the detective, he said his team was able to retrieve surveillance from Trinity Towers, an apartment building on the 3000 block of 14th Street, NW.

The video, which was displayed in court, shows the suspect vehicle, a silver Kia with a rental car company logo on it, pulling up to the complex. One individual was seen leaving the apartment building and entering the vehicle through the rear passenger door on the driver’s side in the moments prior to the shooting.

The detective identified the individual entering the vehicle, wearing glasses, and light-colored jeans with tears as Brown.

Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, said the detective’s previously testified at a preliminary that the vehicle could have been “several places.” including Freeman’s residence and Jackson’s family’s residence, on the 1200 block of Otis Place, NW, shortly after the vehicle left a gas station before the shooting.

The detective explained that he didn’t locate any cameras, on the 1200 block of Otis Place, to determine if an individual entered or exited the vehicle in the hours leading up to the homicide.

The prosecution also introduced footage of the 300 block of Georgie Ave, NW, where an individual identified as Brown and two other individuals were walking sometime after the shooting.

The detective could not recall the exact time the three individuals were walking in the area. However, he recalled one of the individuals was wearing a dark cap and shirt. The other individual was observed to be wearing a hoodie with a NASA logo on the back, as well as dark green shoes.

A search warrant was conducted on Jackson’s family member’s home, and the detective recalled a pair of “greenish” shoes being recovered. The detective did not identify who owned the shoes, but noted that they were similar to the shoes the individual wearing the NASA hoodie was wearing in the previous video.

Ain said the detective’s previous uncertainty is enough to question how evidence was collected at the beginning of this case.

“In a fast-moving investigation errors of judgment can be made,” Ain said. “And sitting here today you don’t recall specifically the questions and answers about Otis Place.”

The detective said he could not recall if he tested the video’s accuracy by comparing its time stamps to those of other devices.

This led Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel, to confirm that there was “no documentation” that anyone had checked the video’s actual time.

The prosecution countered by confirming with the detective that “not everything that happens in an investigation is always documented.”

The detective said he only documents something significant to the case.

“This report says ‘the 600 block of S Street, NW was negative for camera footage,’ so there was no footage,” Ain said. “But the absence of cameras does get noted sometimes.”

McDaniel followed by recalling the detective’s interview with an eyewitness on March 4.

According to the detective’s notes, the witness said four men exited the vehicle and one was wearing “a sweatshirt with a sports team on it.” However, McDaniel confirmed that the detective never took note of what team this was.

“That seems like something that would be good to know to identify a suspect,” McDaniel said. “But we don’t know because you never asked that question.”

McDaniel questioned the reliability of the surveillance footage that captured the sounds of the shooting.

“There is no video where you can see into the vehicle to determine who was driving at that time,” McDaniel said. “There is no video that tells us how tall they were or what they looked like, and there is no video of the actual shooting, only the sounds of gunshots.”

Parties are slated to return on March 7.

‘There Is a Dead Three-Year-Old Here,’ Says Judge Denying Release for Homicide Suspect

On March 6, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt denied a homicide defendant’s release request to mandatory in-patient drug treatment after her 3-year-old son overdosed on fentanyl.

Sasha McCoy, 27, is charged with first-degree cruelty to children, and first-degree murder for her alleged involvement in the death of her three-year-old daughter, Journey McCoy, on Oct. 28, 2022. The incident occurred in a neighbor’s home, on the 3400 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

According to the autopsy report, Journey’s death was due to the “accidental” ingestion of and intoxication from fentanyl and fluorofentanyl.

According to court documents, on Sept. 25, 2019, Journey was born with percocet withdrawal and experiencing a marijuana high.

In September of 2020, DC Child and Family Services Agency (CSFA) received a report of Journey’s ingesting marijuana. CSFA determined that there was inconclusive evidence to support the allegation, and the case was closed.

During the proceeding, Sasha waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and her defense attorney, Elizabeth Weller, said they are requesting she be released and placed in a mandatory in-patient rehabilitation center.

Weller said Sasha recognizes the severity of what happened, but the court should note that the death was purely accidental.

“While this is first-degree murder, there is no indication of any intent to hurt the child,” Weller said. “There was accidental conduct and an accidental death.”

Weller said Sasha’s background indicates that she has and still is in the “darkest recesses of her narcotics addiction,” and was never treated.

“When we look at McCoy’s case, there is no reason to believe she will be a danger,” Weller said. “The court needs to impose conditions of release that will deal with this very specific circumstance because she deserved an opportunity for drug treatment.”

Weller said it’s the best option.

“It does not benefit anyone to sit her in jail and be done with her,” Weller said. “In-patient [treatment] is the thing that helps everyone because, at some point, she has to walk through the door.”

The prosecution insisted that it’s inaccurate for Weller to argue that Sasha was never offered treatment, but this may be the first time she wants treatment.

Due to Sasha’s previous interactions with CSFA, the prosecution explained she was aware of the consequences of inadequately supervising her child.

“We’re passed reckless, we’re at conscious disregard,” the prosecution said.

According to court documents, when police approached Sasha after the incident and offered her treatment, she refused.

“Not right now, this is not the time, I’m not going to lie I’m going to get high as a mother f**ker when I leave,” she allegedly said to the police.

Judge Brandt responded this “all sounds like the blame game,” and Sasha can’t shift responsibility for the tragedy that occurred.

“At the end of the day there is a dead three-year-old here,” the judge said. “The only one person who stands responsible is McCoy.”

Judge Brandt said, based on the law, because Sasha waived her right to a preliminary hearing, the court has reasons to believe there is probable cause. This inherently establishes Sasha is a “danger to the community” and a “danger to her children.”

Considering Sasha’s drug use history and the weight of the prosecution’s evidence, the judge said this was a clear case of “parental neglect” and that she could see it no other way.

“I can’t believe that you could sit here and argue the release of this defendant,” the judge said to Weller. “A child is dead, and no amount of drug treatment can take that back.”

Weller stated “The court does realize this is my duty, correct?”

Judge Brandt acknowledged Weller as a good attorney, however, the court decided that Sasha would remain in custody and there would be no consideration of release.

Parties are slated to return on April 17.

Document: MPD Arrests Shooting Suspect

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced an arrest was made in connection to a shooting that occurred on Nov. 29, 2023, on the 5900 block of Foote Street, NE.

According to MPD documents, the suspect shot the victim inside the hallway of the listed location. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

On March 6, 46-year-old Jerry Tyree was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Document: MPD Arrests Third Man in Mother’s Day Murder of 10-Year-Old Girl

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced a third arrest was made in connection to the shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl on May 14, 2023, on the 3700 block of Hayes Street, NE.

According to MPD documents, officers responded to the location for the sounds of gunshots, and located evidence of a shooting. A short time later, 10-year-old Arianna Davis was taken to a DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) station with gunshot wound injuries. She was transported to a hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries on May 17.

On March 6, 24-year-old Charles Edward Owens was charged with first-degree murder while armed, in connection to an arrest warrant. Owens was already in custody at the DC Jail.

Previously, two 19-year-old men were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Witness Testifies About Video Evidence of Suspect Vehicle

On March 5, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard the testimony of three witnesses regarding a 2020 fatal shooting case that involved the homicide of a 13-year-old boy.

They called an individual to testify about how and when he noticed the alleged suspect vehicle parked outside his house on March 1. A silver Kia, was previously identified by prosecutors as the vehicle in which the suspects were driving. It had been parked on Lamont Street for several days, according to the witness, as this is where the individuals allegedly left the vehicle after the shooting.

The witness said he noticed the car because he saw it being parked in a handicapped spot, which was normally vacant. According to the witness, the car was left there until police arrived outside his home on March 4, 2020.

“I had seen the car parked earlier that week and I had noticed the car had been there until police came a few days later,” the witness said. “I saw either three or four individuals get out of the car and they were walking west on Lamon Street.”

The witness said he was unable to recall specific details about what the individuals looked like, but he did remember noticing that their front left tire was flat. He said he volunteered to help the group of men with their tire, but his offer was quickly declined.

“I got the vibe that they were not interested and wanted to go about their business,” the witness said.

After talking to police, the witness said he reviewed his Ring camera home security footage to identify when the parking spot was last empty. According to the screenshots presented in court, the spot was last empty around 2 p.m. on March 1 and was occupied by 2:25 p.m. that same day.

Although he couldn’t say conclusively, the witness said he is “fairly certain” he saw the individuals walk onto 6th Street after leaving the car.

During cross-examination, Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, said the witness’s inability to remember how many people exited the car and if they turned onto 6th Street suggests that he was not fully paying attention.

“Your attention was not laser-focused on this other car,” Ain said. “You didn’t see them turn on 6th Street so you’re making an assumption.”

The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sergeant who was the lead of the electronic surveillance unit to testify. He was a part of a team that retrieved footage on March 1, 2020 which depicted the suspect vehicle’s route before Lukes was shot.

According to the sergeant, on March 2, 2020 he and detectives went to apartment complexes located on the 1700 block of 8th Street, NW, and on the 1700 block of 7th Street, NW, to collect footage of the roads surrounding the buildings. They also visited a church located on the 1700 block of 9th Street to obtain footage. The footage collected from each of the three locations showed the Kia driving in the area.

During cross-examination, Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel asked the sergeant if he was able to identify any individuals from inside the Kia Soul. The sergeant explained he was not able to see people in the car.

The prosecution then called the detective who first responded to the scene of the shooting as their next witness.

Upon his arrival, the detective said he gathered surveillance footage around the area between 14th and Oak Streets to identify the silver Kia as the “suspect vehicle.”

According to the video footage, the car had the logo for a rental car company printed on its right side. The detective said this feature allowed him to easily identify the car in each surveillance video.

Due to time constraints, the detective’s testimony was put on hold.

Parties are slated to return on March 6.

Defendant Rejects Plea Deal for Triple-Fatal Vehicular Homicide

On March 5, before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun, a triple vehicular homicide defendant rejected a plea deal offered by the prosecution.

Nakita Walker, 44, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder for allegedly crashing into a car occupied by Mohamed Kamara, 43, Johnathan Alberto Cabrera Mendez, 23, and Olvin Josue Torres Velasquez, 22, on March 15, 2023, on Rock Creek Parkway near the intersection of 26th Street and P Street, NW. Walker is also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and fleeing from an officer.

According to court documents, a vehicle was stopped by a Park Police officer on Rock Creek Parkway and the driver fled towards the spot where the crash occurred.

Walker was identified as the driver, and it was reported that her blood alcohol tested well beyond the legal limit

At the hearing, the prosecution alerted the court they had extended a deal, which required Walker to plead guilty to three counts of involuntary manslaughter, in exchange for a dismissal of all other charges for maximum jail term of 30 years.

Albert Ammisah, Walker’s defense attorney, alerted the court that Walker was rejecting the plea deal, and requested a trial date be scheduled.

Walker pleaded not guilty to all charges during an arraignment on Feb. 22.

During that hearing, Judge Okun expressed concern that Walker didn’t fully understand the plea deal. Judge Okun granted a continuance to allow her attorney, Albert Amissah, to thoroughly explain the offer to Walker.

Parties agreed to a trial date on Aug.12, 2025.

Parties are slated to return May 3.

Shooting Defendant Accepts Plea Moments Before Trial

On Mar. 6, a non-fatal shooting defendant accepted a plea offer as a jury trial was scheduled to begin before DC Superior Court Judge Erik Christian.

Raymond Stoddard, 59, was originally charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, two counts of unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon outside of a home or business for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on July 22, 2022, at the 4900 block of Benning Road, SE.

According to court documents, the victim and a witness had been arguing on a bus when the suspect became involved and the argument turned physical. The suspect then pushed the victim out of the bus, pulled out a gun, and shot him.

One individual was left with gunshot wounds.

Moments before opening statements were set to begin, the defense and prosecution requested Judge Christian pass the case so that they could discuss a settlement.

Later, when Stoddard’s case was called again, his attorney, Susan Ellis, informed the court that the defendant wished to accept the prosecution’s offer and plead guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.

The mandatory minimum for this charge would be 12 months in prison, while the maximum is ten years.

The prosecution stated that they were not pressing more serious charges, and would dismiss the remaining counts against Stoddard.

Judge Christian accepted the plea offer, and canceled Stoddard’s trial.

Parties are slated to return on May 13 for sentencing.

‘I Didn’t Want the Kids to Get Killed,’ Victim Testified in Non-Fatal Shooting Trial

On March 5, the victim’s testimony was presented in a non-fatal shooting trial before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan.

Kamara Hoffler, 32, is charged with assault with intent to kill, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, and multiple unlawful possession of a firearm charges, for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting. The incident occurred on Sept. 19, 2022, on the 800 block of Barnaby Street, SE. One individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries,

According to court documents, Hoffler and a woman allegedly tried to enter an apartment that was not their own. As a result of this disturbance, a physical and verbal altercation occurred with a resident in the apartment. The altercation escalated into a shootout, in which the resident suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to his knee. No other injuries were reported.

The prosecution called the victim of the shooting to the stand. He testified about receiving a call from his girlfriend, and could hear loud banging through the phone.

When asked if the call worried him, he replied, “Absolutely.”

After retrieving his firearm from the apartment, the victim testified that he never raised it from his side. Instead, after the unknown man refused to leave or explain his presence, the victim claimed he pushed the unknown man from the apartment building, shouting at him to leave.

The victim testified that he specifically told the unknown man, “Why are you here? Why are you banging on my door at three a. m.? You need to leave.”

According to the victim, he followed the unknown man and woman outside to ensure they left the property. The prosecution corroborated these claims by displaying video surveillance footage of the apartment parking lot as the victim followed the strangers out.

The surveillance video then showed the unknown man leave the video frame before he allegedly started firing.

The victim testified that the third shot struck his knee, causing him to collapse behind a car. When he tried to stand up, the victim felt “like a baby giraffe” that was trying to walk. He claimed the unknown man fired “at least 20 shots” at him as he fled into the apartment building.

Only once he was back in his apartment he did call the police, the victim testified, fearing the unknown man would return.

“I didn’t want the kids to get killed,” the victim said.

On cross examination, Koehler questioned the victim about the location of his firearm the night of the incident. The victim testified that he usually keeps his firearm in a locked case inside his closet, but since he was working the night shift, he left it unlocked in the event that his girlfriend might need to access it for protection.

Koehler reminded the jury that six children resided in the apartment on the night of the incident.

The prosecution called a detective to the stand to do an in-court identification of Hoffler as the alleged perpetrator. Subsequently, they called two other responding Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers, one who collected a cigarette butt and submitted it for DNA testing, and the other one who testified regarding his body-worn camera footage, that showed the officer walking into the apartment building and the victim holding a towel compress on the gunshot wound on his knee.

The prosecution also called the victim’s girlfriend, who was in the apartment at the time of the shooting..

She was awakened to someone knocking on her apartment door. When she looked through the peephole, she saw a woman wrapped in a blanket. The witness did not recognize her, and assumed the woman had the wrong apartment and returned to bed.

She then testified that the knocking turned into aggressive banging. When she returned to the peephole, a man had joined the woman outside.

According to the witness, she overheard the unknown man say into his phone, “I can hear her moving around in there.” She also saw him drop a cigarette butt outside her door.

Feeling “uneasy” for herself and her children’s safety, she called her boyfriend at work, believing his presence at the apartment would “scare them off.”

But when the victim arrived at the apartment, the unknown man and woman were not deterred.

Then, according to the witness, she heard shots coming from the parking lot and the victim yelled that he’d been shot.

On cross examination, Hoffler’s defense attorneys, Jamison Koehler and Karen Minor, questioned why the witness did not call police if she felt threatened, and instead gave the victim his firearm. The witness replied that she didn’t think the victim “would do anything” with the firearm.

Parties are slated to reconvene for further witness testimony on March 6.

Shooting Defendant Accepts Global Plea Offer

On Mar. 6, a shooting defendant accepted a global plea offer extended by prosecutors before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun.

Ivan Dixon, 19, was originally charged with assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Sept. 22, 2023, on the 1700 block of 53rd Street, SE.

According to court documents, Dixon fired 17 shots, missing the intended target, instead injuring a bystander.

The prosecution alerted the court that they had extended a plea deal, which required Dixon to plead guilty to assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, in exchange for a dismissal of two other cases against Dixon.

They were in connection to Dixon carrying a pistol without a license and leaving the scene of an accident.

Dixon’s defense attorney, Johnathan Lanyi, alerted the court that Dixon would accept the offer, and requested Judge Okun order a Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) study. The YRA provides a reduced sentencing option as well as sealing the case upon successful completion of the terms.

Lanyi concluded by requesting that his client’s sentencing be delayed so he could finish his classes from Howard University and Georgetown University.

The Judge agreed.

Parties are expected to reconvene for sentencing on June 28.

Judge Holds Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant During First Hearing

On Mar. 5, DC Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann detained a non-fatal shooting defendant during a presentment hearing.

Andre Harvey, 28, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on the 2700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE on Dec. 2, 2022.

The incident left one individual suffering from gunshot wounds.

According to court documents, the victim and the suspect had been in a verbal argument that turned physical when the suspect pulled out a gun and allegedly shot him. However, the victim stated he didn’t know who shot him, and later died from unrelated causes.

Harvey’s defense attorney, Gail Engmann argued that there was not sufficient evidence to find probable cause to hold Harvey, because there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, and the victim had also failed to identify Harvey as the shooter despite having known him for years.

Judge Herrmann found that since the lead detective in the case had identified Harvey in surveillance footage of the crime scene, there was enough evidence to determine probable cause that he was the shooter, and decided to hold him until his preliminary hearing.

The preliminary hearing is set for Mar. 8.

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