Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 18, on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE.
According to a press release, at about 5:35 pm, officers located vehicles that are involved in an accident. The accident was a result of a non-contact shooting.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 18, on the 2000 block of P Street, NW.
According to a press release, at about 9:39 pm, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The decedent’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in a homicide that occurred on Jan. 17, on the 5000 block of Benning Road, SE.
According to a press release, at about 8:50 pm, officers located 54-year-old Dale Henson, one adult female, and a juvenile male victim suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
On Jan. 17, a 15-year-old male was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Due to the prosecution’s error of not securing an indictment before the deadline, a murder defendant was released on Jan. 18.
Christian Johnson, 32, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly murdering 25-year-old Lavonte McCloud on 1600 block of Kenilworth Avenue, NE on Nov. 25, 2021.
Johnson was released Wednesday by DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun due to the prosecution not requesting an extension to get an indictment.
According to the defense, a defendant should be released after being held for nine months without an indictment If the prosecution cannot secure an indictment within 90 days, then the prosecutor must submit a written request for an extension before the deadline.
Johnson was released to home confinement and has been issued a stay away order.
The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2.
As his mother cried in the audience, defendant Brandon Nguyen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Jan. 18 at the D.C. Superior Court.
Nguyen, 24, was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed for the shooting of Brian Ward, 17, on Sept. 29, 2020. The day after the incident, Ward’s family reported him missing to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and an investigation into Ward’s whereabouts ensued. After a two-year investigation, witness testimonies, and multiple interviews with the defendant, the MPD found probable cause that Nguyen was responsible for Ward’s death.
On Dec. 1, 2021, MPD detectives interviewed Nguyen while he was staying in California with his grandmother. During this virtual interview, Nguyen admitted to killing Ward, described the incident in detail, and gave detectives the location of Ward’s missing body.
Nguyen and Ward connected using an online service designed to help people find marijuana dealers. Nguyen, using his father’s car, drove to the 300 block of Allison Street, NW to complete the transaction with Ward, court documents state.
According to Nguyen, Ward got into the car, pulled out a firearm, and declared that he was robbing him. Nguyen wrestled the gun from Ward’s possession, pleaded with him to get out of the car, then discharged the weapon after Ward pulled out a knife and reached for the gun.
Two witnesses, who were also involved in the transaction, were outside the car in an unknown location when they heard the gunshots and saw the car speed off with Ward still inside, according to court documents.
In his virtual interview, Nguyen said he was afraid to seek medical help for Ward. Nguyen left Ward’s body in a stretch of woods on the 6900 block of Contee Road in Laurel, Md.
MPD officers went to the location provided by Nguyen and found skeletal remains 20 to 30 yards into the wooded area with a wallet containing a credit card belonging to one of Ward’s family members.
During his hearing Wednesday, Nguyen pleaded guilty to one lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, through a plea deal drawn up by his defense attorney Mary L. Paloger and the prosecuting attorney.
Paloger requested that D.C. Superior Court Judge Rainey R. Brandt sentence Nguyen under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) since he was 22 at the time of the offense.
Judge Brandt agreed to schedule a sentence hearing far enough in advance for Paloger to set up and conduct an independent YRA study to give the court the information needed to decide if Nguyen would be sentenced under the act.
One of Ward’s family members attended the hearing virtually, and Nguyen’s parents were also present in the courtroom as their son pleaded guilty.
All parties are scheduled to return to court on April 26 for Nguyen’s sentencing.
Green was acquitted of the murder charge on Aug. 24, 2023.
After a homicide defendant entered a plea of not guilty during an arraignment on Jan. 18, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo moved the case forward for trial.
Tamika Green, 35, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business for allegedly shooting 37-year-old Bryan Tate Jr. on Feb. 20, 2020, on the 1600 block of 18th Street, SE.
Kevann Gardner, Green’s attorney, entered a plea of not guilty.
The prosecution and defense also announced that they were prepared for trial.
Judge Demeo advised both parties that any motions they would like to present must be filed before May 19 and responses entered by June 9.
The next hearing, a motion hearing, was set for June 16 at 10 a.m. A trial readiness hearing is scheduled for April 7.
As the prosecution and defense prepared for trial, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo issued new dates for motion proposals and objections on Jan. 18.
Warren Tyson, 52, is charged with second-degree murder while armed, carrying a dangerous weapon and enticing a child in connection to the fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Michael Johnson on Oct. 22, 2021, on the 4900 block of East Capital Street SE. According to court documents, Johnson sustained two stab wounds to his abdomen and two cuts to his left arm.
On Wednesday Tyson was accompanied by his attorneys David Akulian and Julie Swaney.
Akulain said the defense is waiting for an expert witness to review DNA evidence, but they are ready to proceed with the trial.
Judge Demeo set the deadline for all motion and expert notices is July 7. The deadline for responses was set on July 21.
The next hearing is scheduled on April 21 at 9:30 a.m. The defendant is currently being held at the DC Jail.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe decided Jan. 17 to continue a bench warrant release hearing for sex abuse defendant.
The defendant is charged with sex abuse and simple assault after allegedly following a woman, making sexual comments towards her, and grabbing her groin around the 12th and 13th blocks of Alabama Avenue, SE.
The defendant was ordered to return to court on Jan. 24 by Judge Pipe, as D.C. Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan, who initially issued the warrant, was not available Monday.
The defendant missed court several times between July 2021 and January 2023, as well as violating his probation. The warrant was issued by Judge Ryan on Jan. 10 when the defendant failed to appear to a probation show cause hearing. The defendant was first charged in this case in 2020.
He was initially found to be incompetent to stand trial on the basis of mental health in August 2021.
However, it was later discovered that the defendant was competent during February 2022.
He pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which he has received credit for. The assault charge was ultimately dropped in the plea bargain.
The defendant was released on his promise to return to his next court date, as well as being required to check in with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA).
As a result of a felony arraignment held on Jan. 17, DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein set a date for a homicide case to go to trial.
Javon Duckwilder, 25, pleaded not guilty to his charges of first-degree murder while armed, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license in the alleged shooting of Juwan Smith on Oct. 23, 2021, on the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE.
The trial date was set for Oct. 15, 2024, three years after Duckwilder’s initial charge, due to Judge Epstein’s schedule being full until then.
The parties are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 27, 2024, for a trial readiness hearing.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are asking for the public’s help in locating a vehicle in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 16, on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW.
According to a press release, at about 6:14 pm, officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives made an arrest in a homicide that occurred on Jan. 15, on the 200 block of 37th Street, SE.
According to a press release, at about 7:25 pm, officers located 53-year-old James Brooks suffering from apparent puncture wounds from a stabbing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Jan. 16, 45-year-old Sherman Holley was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed.
A homicide defendant requested one-on-one meeting with DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun at a Jan. 17 status hearing.
Jacobi Williams, 35, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of Phillip Roache, 38. Roache was found with 10 gunshot wounds on the 7000 block of Blair Road, NW on Sept. 17, 2020.
Defense attorney Marnitta King was not present due to medical reasons. However, a stand-in attorney filled in for King and represented Williams.
After the meeting, which was closed to the public, Judge Okun informed King that he would need to speak with her about the concerning nature of his meeting with Williams during the next scheduled court date. Information on what the defendant and judge referenced during the meeting, and the judge’s concerns were not publicly addressed during the hearing.
The case was transferred to Judge Okun on Dec. 30, 2021.
A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2, where the parties will discuss forensic evidence and DNA testing.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a traffic fatality resulting from a traffic trash on Jan. 15, at the intersection of 15th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
The decedent has been identified as 24-year-old Carlos Enrique Christian.
On Jan. 15, 30-year-old Reginald Johnson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, driving under the influence, and reckless driving.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on Jan. 15, on the 3200 block of 15th Place, SE.
According to a press release, at about 12:49 am, officers located two adult male victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One of the victims was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The decedent has been identified as 34-year-old Renaldo Griffin.
On Jan. 13, during a felony status conference, an issue over an indictment led to the defense’s request for release of a murder defendant. The indictment deadline was initially set for Jan. 15.
Marktwan Hargraves, 24, was arrested for the murder of six year old Nyiah Courtney. This was allegedly the result of a gang related drive-by shooting, which happened on July 16, 2021 on the 300 block of Parkland Place, SE.
Defense Attorney Anthony Matthews claimed he was not aware of the full extent of the charges being brought against his client, since he had not yet received the indictment.
Upon hearing this, the prosecutor expressed she did not know if she was legally allowed to say the charges in open court before the indictment. Despite this, she told the defense the charges being brought against Hargraves included second-degree murder.
During the hearing, the prosecution also requested a trial date.
Matthews called this suggestion “problematic”, as he did not yet have access to the indictment. He expressed that if he did not receive the indictment by the end of the day, then Hargraves should be released.
“Nine months is nine months”, said Matthews.
Towards the beginning of Friday’s hearing, the prosecution said the indictment would be ready two days before the deadline. However, the prosecutor also stated that she was unsure if the hard deadline was Sunday. She said she was under the impression that this deadline only counted business days.
The prosecutor insisted the indictment would be filed on Friday, and that she would be willing to schedule the arraignment for later in the day. The defense and DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan concurred.
The arraignment occurred, and Hargraves pleaded not guilty to all charges including second-degree murder. A trial date was set for April 29, 2024.
An IPA hearing is set to happen on March 27.
