Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating the homicide of a 16-year-old male on the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace, Northeast.
At approximately 1:10 a.m., officers located 16-year-old Levoire Simmons suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a traffic fatality that killed two people at the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, Northeast.
At approximately 5:40 p.m., a driver operating a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck struck a bicyclist and a pedestrian that was working at a fireworks stand. According to a press release, the driver of the Chevrolet Silverado lost consciousness due to a medical emergency.
The bicyclist is identified as 70-year-old Michael Hawkins and the pedestrian working the fireworks stand is identified as 64-year-old Charles Jackson.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives identified the decedent in a homicide that occurred on July 3 on the 1600 block of K Street, Northeast.
The decedent has been identified as 28-year-old Timothy Brady. He was found with an apparent gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on July 3 on the 1600 block of K Street, Northeast.
At approximately 9:55 p.m., officers located an adult male who has not been identified yet, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred on the 800 block of Yuma Street, SE.
At approximately 2:33 p.m., officers located 17-year-old Dennis Simms suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee denied July 1 the defense’s request to modify a protection order related to a detective’s misconduct in a 2021 homicide case.
Stanley Brown, 29, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the fatal shooting of Jimmy Beynum on the 1600 block of F Street, NE, on Jan. 23, 2020. Beynum, 36, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and succumbed to his injuries six days later. His co-defendant Emanuel Taylor, 38, is also charged with first-degree murder.
According to court documents, the court signed a consent protective order on Feb. 11 related to a detective’s misconduct. It was found that a detective in Brown’s case uploaded case materials to Facebook. As a result, the prosecution turned over information related to the detective’s misconduct on Feb. 18, 2021.
However, defense attorney Mani Golzari opposed the protection order and argued that it should be Brown’s decision as to whether or not the detective’s post should be shared with the public.
“As a whole, there is an interest in the public to know the information,” Golzari told the court. . “Transparency is the best way to safeguard abuse.”
Judge Lee and the prosecution opposed making any changes to the protection order because of fear that it would create public mistrust.
“I do not want jurors tainted by this information before witnesses take the stand,” Judge Lee said.
The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee denied the defense’s request to set a detention hearing for a defendant in a 2021 homicide case.
Emanuel Taylor, 38, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting death of Jimmy Beynum, 36, on the 1600 block of F Street, NE on Jan. 23, 2020. His co-defendant Stanely Brown is also charged with first-degree murder.
During the July 1 hearing, defense attorney Brandi Harden argued that the prosecution does not have sufficient evidence to continue holding Taylor in jail.
“There is minimal evidence to link Mr. Taylor to the homicide,” Harden said.
Although Judge Lee declined to set a detention hearing, Harden is prepared to file a bond review motion instead.
Taylor’s next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7
A homicide victim’s family disapproved of Judge Maribeth Raffinan decision to allow a homicide defendant to leave house arrest for employment purposes.
Dohn Harmon, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the fatal drive-by shooting of 18-year-old Kelvin Goggins on July 1, 2021, on the 1800 block of Q Street, NW.
According to court documents, Harmon allegedly drove a stolen Honda Pilot from which the shots were fired at Goggins, who was not the intended target. He said he didn’t know there was a firearm present in the car until he heard the first shot. The other accomplices have yet to be arrested.
Harmon has been released into the high intensity supervision program (HISP) under the conditions of house arrest since Nov. 23, 2020. The defense filed a motion to suspend the conditions of pretrial release on June 5, to which the prosecution filed an opposition.
At the hearing, defense attorney Steven Kiersch said Harmon is set to begin a job at a construction moving company on Monday and reiterated his motion to release Harmon from home confinement.
The prosecution raised concerns that Harmon may endanger the community if released and warned that he may pursue the intended target.
Goggins’ mother addressed the court during the June 30 hearing.
“[Harmon]’s saying he’s been placed under house arrest for one year and eight months,” Goggins’ mother said. “But tomorrow marks two years since him and his friends killed my son.”
“House arrest is like a slap in the face,” Goggins’ mother continued. “They took away my son’s choices… I don’t know his life story but he did wrong and should be in jail.”
DC Superior Court Judge Raffinan first expressed her sympathy for Goggins’ family.
“I absolutely cannot imagine the pain,” Judge Raffinan said. “On a human level, I hear and I understand what you’re saying.”
However, she emphasized that she had to “consider the law and the facts in front of [her]” when deciding to partially grant the defense’s motion to modify pretrial release conditions so that Harmon would be allowed to work.
“I’m not inclined to completely remove him from home confinement,” Judge Raffinan ruled. “He will be permitted to work. That is the only reason he’ll be able to leave the house.”
She referenced Harmon’s compliance with house arrest thus far and his lack of prior criminal history as key factors in her decision.
Harmon is ordered to home confinement for 24 hours, except for purposes of employment. He must also comply with a stay away order from the 1800 block of Q Street, NW.
Judge Raffinan warned Harmon that if found in non-compliance, she could order him to the DC jail.
“He was the driver of the people who killed my grandson,” Goggins’ grandmother yelled. “What justice? He’s a f*cking murderer. No justice!”
Judge Raffinan scheduled a status hearing on Aug. 23 as the case awaits a formal indictment.
On July 1, D.C. Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo set a jury selection date for a defendant charged with burglary, fourth-degree sex abuse, and two counts of second-degree theft.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District responded to a possible burglary and was informed that a sexual assault also took place, according to court documents. The complainant reported that she fell asleep in her apartment and awoke because she felt “like “he” was licking her nipples.”
When the defendant was fleeing the scene, he took $100 and a key to a car from the complainant’s keychain.
DNA from the complainant’s nipple area showed there was at least one male contributor. The male DNA matched the defendant.
“I’ve talked to him more than once about it; he’s respectfully considered it,” defense counsel said in reference to a pending plea offer from the prosecution.
Sara Kopecki, the defendant’s defense attorney said he would follow up if his client expresses any interests.
The prosecutor anticipated he would need at least three days for arguments. Defense counsel said she would need at least a half of a day.
The defendant’s next hearing is scheduled for July 20 at 9:30am.
A child sex abuse defendant rejected a plea offer on June 30.
The defendant, who appeared via WebEx video, is charged with two counts of second-degree child sex abuse in connection to allegedly inappropriately touching two siblings, 11 and 13, on multiple occasions. The defendant was arrested May 10, 2021, at the 1700 block of Kilbourne Place, NW.
The defendant rejected the plea deal because it required a lifetime registration as a sex offender, according to defense attorney Rachel Cicurel, who also appeared virtually.
If the defendant would have accepted the plea offer, the defendant’s charges would have been reduced to two counts of misdemeanor sex abuse against a minor.
The prosecution indicated that it was working towards indicting the case.
DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan scheduled a status conference for Oct. 4. The defendant is currently released his on personal recognizance.
A homicide trial resumed on June 29 with prosecutors calling the victim’s girlfriend.
Co-defendants Saquan Williams, 20, and Quincy Garvin, 22, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm, criminal street gang affiliation, and conspiracy in connection to the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Carl Hardy on the 1200 block of I Street, SE on Sept. 10, 2017.
The prosecution called Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, who had been dating Hardy for five years at the time of his death. The witness, who had been arrested for missing her court appearance for this trial the previous week, said she was present at the shooting on Sept. 10, 2017.
During her testimony, the witness told the prosecution she had been on drugs on the day of the shooting. The prosecution refuted the witness’s statements by playing a recording from an interview with the police where she stated she had not been under the influence of anything at the time of the incident.
When the prosecution asked the witness what she saw during the shooting, she stated she saw three individuals run into a black vehicle on I Street and drive away after she heard gunshots.
The prosecution then asked the witness whether she could identify any of the individuals. The witness responded she couldn’t recall.
After the prosecution replayed her interview with the police, the witness said she saw “CDeuce” and “Head” run into the vehicle after the shooting.
According to court documents, “CDeuce” and “Head” are nicknames for Garvin and Williams, respectively.
However, the witness insisted her knowledge of the identities of the individuals was only second-hand, and she couldn’t tell the prosecution their real names.
The prosecution responded to her claims by showing her photos of signed identifications of Williams and Garvin during her police interview. After seeing her signed identifications, the witness admitted she could identify the individuals running into the vehicle but did not personally know either of the co-defendants.
The defense also questioned a private firearms examiner who the prosecution called to the stand the previous day. The examiner said the cartridges found at the scene matched groups of casings to different firearms.
During his questioning, Williams’ defense attorney, Kevin McGonigal, pointed out that the process by which the examiner compared bullet casing markings is a “completely subjective process.”
Garvin’s defense attorney, Steven Kirsch, also asked the examiner about the number of hours he billed to the US Attorney’s Office for this case. The examiner could not recall the total number of hours, explaining he has worked on this case since 2019.
DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun presided over the trial.
The trial continued on June 30.
After a domestic violence defendant waived his preliminary hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe released him into home confinement with GPS monitoring.
The defendant is accused of repeatedly assaulting multiple victims, including his sister, in his home before threatening them with a gun on at least two separate occasions.
He was arrested for assaulting his sister and another individual. According to court documents, the defendant waived the weapon at the victims while shouting, “I’ll shoot y’all–I’ll kill y’all.”
The defendant was charged with first-degree assault with a dangerous weapon on June 27.
During the June 30 hearing, defense attorney Winston Yallery-Arthur asked Judge O’Keefe to release the defendant from the DC Jail, citing the defendant’s lack of prior convictions, employment status, and community support.
Judge O’Keefe pointed out that although the defendant had no prior convictions, he has had many contacts with the juvenile court since 2014. “These prior contacts with the court are pretty concerning,” said Judge O’Keefe. “Some of them are violent.”
The prosecutor objected to Yallery-Arthur’s request for release, arguing there had been a prior incident between the defendant and his sister earlier this year. Additionally, the prosecutor said she had video footage from the police of the defendant waving a gun in an unrelated incident. The gun was similar to the one used in the domestic violence incident.
Yallery-Arthur responded that the defendant was not a danger to the public because the incident occurred in the defendant’s home, not in public.
“He didn’t go out looking for trouble,” said Yallery-Arthur.
Judge O’Keefe decided to release the defendant into home confinement with GPS monitoring and a stay-away order from the victims in this case.
The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9.
During a June 30 hearing, a homicide defendant rejected a plea deal in connection to a 2021 stabbing.
Warren Tyson, 52, is charged with second-degree murder of 21-year-old Michael Johnson. On Oct. 22, 2021, members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sixth District received a call about a stabbing on 49th Street and East Capitol Street, SE.
Terms of the plea offer were not disclosed in open court.
According to court documents, Tyson had previously sent numerous sexual texts to Johnson’s underage daughter, asking her to send explicit pictures of herself to him. According to the documents, he also bought her gifts.
The day of the homicide, Johnson, Johnson’s minor child, and Tyson had gone to McDonald’s together.
One of the witnesses told an officer the victim said he decided that was the day [Tyson] was going to jail, according to court documents.
Johnson confronted Tyson on the way back from McDonalds, which made Tyson panic and drive at a high rate of speed. Johnson and another witness jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to call 911. Tyson then stopped the vehicle, approached Johnson and began stabbing him, according to court documents.
Instead of a trial, a status hearing was held Thursday to make up for a previously vacated hearing because there was new evidence in the case.
Tyson’s trial is scheduled for Sept. 6, 2023.
DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled Tyson to return back to court for a status hearing on Sept. 9.
A lead detective in a murder case said a defendant’s GPS monitoring device placed him at the scene of a murder.
Devon Edwards, 19, is charged with first- degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting death of Dmaree Miller on the 3300 block of 12th Street, SE on Jan. 4. According to court documents, Miller and his friend were trying to purchase a firearm from Edwards and another suspect. During the interaction, Edwards allegedly shot Miller while trying to rob him.
During the preliminary hearing on June 29, the prosecution called a detective from the homicide branch of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who led the investigation. According to the lead detective, the group, all in Miller’s car, drove to the 2700 block of Bruce Place, SE.
The prosecution showed surveillance footage from the afternoon of Jan. 4 on Congress Street, SE, showing Edwards, Miller and Miller’s friend driving and walking around the area before driving off.
The footage later showed the car return with four individuals getting out and walking toward the location of the crime.
Edwards was under supervised release for a different case and was under GPS-monitoring at the time of the crime.
A recording of the GPS tracking shows Edwards being at the crime scene at the time of the murder. According to the detective, Edward’s movements on the GPS tracker match the surveillance videos.
Miller’s friend identified Edwards as “Wink,” and provided a photo of him to police.
Edwards was also identified by another witness who referred to Edwards as “Eddy.” Edward’s defense attorney, Prescott Loveland, pointed out that this witness lied to the police regarding a relationship with the other suspect in this case.
Edwards was arrested on March 22. When searching his apartment, which is located less than a block from the crime scene, MPD detectives found a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a laser and extended magazine.
According to the detective, the pistol was a “ghost gun,” meaning the parts were did not have serial numbers.
Parties were not able to finish the preliminary hearing on June 29. DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the proceedings to resume on June 30.
DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan sentenced a domestic violence defendant for assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted kidnapping.
Zhong Chen was initially charged with kidnapping while armed for an incident that occurred on Sept. 27, 2021. Chen accepted a plea deal in March 2022. As part of the plea agreement, Chen was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted kidnapping.
The assault was against Chen’s spouse and occurred at the Shanghai Tokyo Cafe in Washington, D.C.
“I would first like to apologize to my brother’s wife and three children,” said the defendant’s sister during the sentencing on June 30. She explained that Chen was under immense stress and had always been a good son to their parents.
During the plea deal Chen admitted that he was trying to convince the victim not to end their marriage. He agreed that he was not defending himself or anyone else and was of sound mind.
“It demonstrates a very aggressive physical attack on someone who was or appeared to be incapable of defending herself,” Judge Ryan said of the video and photographic evidence.
“I have had to do a lot of healing,” said the defendant’s son in a very emotional impact statement. “I do not wish to have my father in my life, I just wish him the best from afar.”
Chen was sentenced to 28-months for assault with a dangerous weapon, 14 of which are suspended, as well as 24-months for attempted kidnapping, suspending all but 10 months.
“I’m not here to debate whether or not my son or wife have spoken the truth,” Chen said. “I regret what I did, and I apologize to the victims.”
Chen will serve 2-years in DC Jail followed by three years of probation with mandated participation in the domestic violence program, a mental health assessment and an evaluation for gambling addiction and treatment.
Ryan cited cross-cultural differences, an oral history of domestic violence, and a zero criminal history score as elements he took into account when deciding Chen’s sentence.
