A majority of the homicide victims in 2022 were male, data shows.
Document: On-Duty Special Police Officer Killed in Southeast, DC
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of an on-duty special police officer in Southeast, DC.
At approximately 12:23 a.m. on May 22, officers responded to the 2500 block of Elvans Road, SE, for the sounds of gunshots, according to a press release. There, they found 33-year-old Shawn Minor suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Document: Deadly Shooting in Southeast, DC
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a deadly shooting in Southeast, DC.
At approximately 1:28 p.m. on May 20, officers responded to the intersection of Poplar Street and Oak Drive, SE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found 34-year-old Cedric Williams suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Document: 1 Killed, 2 Injured in Shooting
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a shooting that injured two men and killed another.
At approximately 9:26 p.m. on May 19, officers responded to the 1500 block of V Street, SE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found the three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them, 41-year-old David Christian Spencer, Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fate of Plea Deal Uncertain for Man Charged in Shooting of 27-Year-Old Father
A DC Superior Court judge decided he needed more time to determine if he should accept a plea deal for a man convicted in the shooting of a 27-year-old father.
“I think justice is oftentimes an elusive concept,” Judge Milton Lee said.
Several members of Jamal Bandy’s family addressed the court on May 20 during the sentencing hearing. They spoke about the person Bandy was and the life he lived before he was shot to death on July 21, 2019.
“I want him to not just be a number on your case file,” Bandy’s mother told Judge Lee before thanking the prosecuting attorneys for their efforts to pursue justice for her son.
Bandy’s grandmother described him as a soft-spirited young man who “had just started getting his life together.” He recently started a job at a plumbing company and had three children with another on the way.
“When he passed, he never got a chance to see his child born,” Bandy’s father said.
The deadly shooting occurred on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE, in what prosecutors believe was a revenge-based attack. Romiel Hightower, who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed in Bandy’s death in December 2019, was shot on that same block the year before, according to court documents. Bandy is thought to have been associated with the person suspected of having shot Hightower in 2018.
Bandy’s aunt is a retired police officer who spent 25 years with the Metropolitan Police Department. In her victim impact statement, she referenced the time she has spent with families enduring the type of loss she now has to live with, too.
“We have to stop smacking people on the wrist, and they have to realize that when you pull a trigger, there’s consequences for that,” she said.
This sentiment was echoed by Bandy’s grandmother. “I know the young man is a human being too, but he needs to realize what he did and what he took away from us…these kids today, they have to start being accountable for what they do,” she said.
Hightower, 30, accepted a plea offer for voluntary manslaughter while armed in February. As part of the deal, parties agreed to recommend a six-and-a-quarter-year prison sentence. Judge Lee asked the prosecutor why he agreed to this.
The prosecutor said much of the evidence they had was circumstantial. Witnesses either did not cooperate or did not see much since they ran when they heard the gunfire. Their primary evidence was a white vehicle seen in surveillance footage that was connected to Hightower’s girlfriend. Instagram messages from Hightower also suggested an intention to retaliate, according to court documents.
“No one is trying to value Mr. Bandy’s life at a number,” defense attorney Jason Tulley said.
Judge Lee remained unconvinced.
“I’m disappointed that I learned so much about the background today…I cannot say in good conscious at this point that six-and-a-quarter years is a correct sentence,” he said.
Judge Lee said he needs more time to decide if he will accept the plea deal. He scheduled parties to reconvene on June 21.
Domestic Violence Defendant Sentenced to Probation, Community Service Under Youth Rehabilitation Act
A domestic violence defendant was sentenced to 18 months of probation and 90 hours of community service under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.
Michael Marqele Briscoe was indicted on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, threats to kidnap or injure a person, carrying a pistol without a license and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence for brandishing a gun at his uncle during a family dispute in 2020. Briscoe pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license and a lesser charge of misdemeanor threats to do bodily harm in March. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dismissed the two remaining charges.
DC Superior Court Judge James Crowell said he would implement a recommended intervention plan during the May 20 sentencing hearing. He imposed fully-suspended sentences of nine months for threats to do bodily harm and six months for carrying a pistol without a license. Under this sentence, Briscoe will have to serve the full 15-month term in prison if he violates his probation and has it revoked.
“I would like to say I still feel ashamed, like, what I did [sic],” Briscoe said. “I definitely do feel sorry. Me and him talked. We’re alright. Next time, I’ll walk away. I won’t even engage in that nonsense.”
Defense attorney Kevin Kassees said the victim’s mother reported Briscoe and his uncle were on good terms and moving forward from the dispute. Additionally, he said the trauma of getting shot in a previous incident served as a “wake up call” for Briscoe.
“It was after that incident – I think his uncle helped him at the time – he decided he was going to get his life turned around. He got hooked up with Life Deeds, which trains youth to make better choices, and he worked really hard,” Kassees said.
The prosecution said they had spoken with the victim and his family, and would no longer be pursuing a no-contact order. They did ask Judge Crowell to impose a no Harass, Stalk, Threaten or Assault order. Judge Crowell granted the request.
Briscoe must register as a gun offender for two years following his period of supervised release. He is also required to pay $150 to the Victims of Violent Crime compensation fund.
The prosecution said Briscoe had recently started his own LLC and wished him the best in his business endeavors.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Killing Man with Wooden Board, Assaulting Others with Bed Frame
A defendant pleaded guilty to killing a man in 2019 and assaulting two others in 2020.
Andre Dubose was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed for beating 37-year-old Ahmad Simms to death with a wooden board and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for attacking his aunt and uncle with an iron bed frame. Dubose, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon during his most recent hearing on May 19.
“The defendant was not legally justified in using a wooden board to hit the decedent,” court documents read. Simms died from his injuries that same day.
In June 2020, almost one year after he was arrested and charged with murder, Dubose was released from DC Jail into home confinement under the High Intensity Supervision Program. He lived with his aunt and uncle until the following December, when he was rearrested and returned to DC Jail for assaulting them.
The victims told detectives that Dubose had appeared to be on an unknown substance. They barricaded themselves in their bedroom with the iron bed frame to keep Dubose out. Dubose eventually broke through the barricade and “forced his way into a bedroom to hit a 72-year-old man and his wife with a metal bed frame,” according to court documents read by the prosecutor during the hearing.
Simms’ sister took the opportunity to address the court in a brief statement.
“This man, Andre Debose, committed a lot of violence in our community,” she said. She asked DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan not to accept the plea offer because of the violent nature of the offenses.
“I know that there is nothing that can bring your brother back to you,” Judge Raffinan said, explaining that she would accept the plea, but the sister’s statements would contribute to her decision in sentencing.
As part of the pre-indictment plea offer, the parties agreed to recommend eight years in prison for the homicide charge and six years in prison for each of the assault charges. These will be served concurrently, meaning Dubose will be in prison for a maximum of eight years if the judge adopts the recommendation.
Dubose is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5.
Defendant Arraigned on Murder, Weapons Charges
A murder defendant was arraigned on a four-count indictment and scheduled to go to trial.
Shaka Haltiwanger is accused of killing 39-year-old Anthony Kelly, who was found in the foyer of a Greenway neighborhood home suffering from a gunshot wound on the morning of Sept. 10, 2021.
Haltiwanger, 22, was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device during his most recent hearing on May 19.
Defense attorney Kevin Irving pleaded not guilty to the charges on his client’s behalf.
The prosecutor said he has turned various items of evidence over to the defense but is still waiting on more. There is not much surveillance footage in the case, and they are still waiting for DNA testing results from the Virginia-based scientific consulting firm Signature Science, he said. Body Worn Camera footage and grand jury exhibits and transcripts have been given to the defense.
DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled Haltiwanger to go on trial in October. Haltiwanger will remain detained at DC Jail as he awaits his June 9 trial readiness hearing.
Document: Suspect Arrested in Green Street Homicide
A suspect has been arrested in reference to a deadly shooting in Southeast, DC.
At approximately 3:39 p.m. on May 4, officers responded to the 2300 block of Green Street, SE, for the report of a shooting, according to a press release. There, they found 24-year-old Davon Sullivan suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On May 17, 31-year-old Raheem Gafari was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Document: Arrest Made in 2021 Homicide
A suspect has been arrested in reference to the fatal shooting of an 18 year old in 2021.
At approximately 4:18 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2021, police responded to the 2000 block of Savannah Place, SE, due to a report of an unconscious person, according to a press release. There, they found Noel Prince Nicol suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On May 17, 21-year-old Jordan Jones was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Man Charged in Deadly Hostel Shooting Pleads Guilty to Non-Homicide Charge
The defendant charged in a deadly hostel shooting pleaded guilty to a non-homicide charge.
Nathan Hunter, 40, and Ronald McKnight, 44, were at the DC International Hostel in the Shaw neighborhood during the early hours of April 18, 2021, when an altercation broke out between the two in a first-floor communal bathroom that ended with McKnight being shot twice in the head. Hunter later told detectives that McKnight bum-rushed him in the bathroom that night, which caused the initial altercation.
According to the prosecution, Hunter fired warning shots with a gun later proved to belong to him.
Although Hunter was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed in relation to the homicide, DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee only found probable cause for voluntary manslaughter while armed during a preliminary hearing in March. On May 16, Hunter pleaded down to assault with a dangerous weapon, sparking anger from McKnight’s family.
“Who brings a gun to a fistfight?” McKnight’s sister said in a victim impact statement. The sister focused her statement on what she found to be inaccuracies with the case.
While Hunter could have the right to retaliate if it is proven that McKnight started the altercation, the prosecutor alleged during the preliminary hearing that Hunter failed to abide by the duty to retreat law that exists in Washington.
“I have a lot of concerns about the amount of effort that has gone into establishing intent,” she said.
His sister said portions of the case that were not looked into, including how the events played out.
“The defense has presented this case on my brother being this erratic person,” she said, explaining that McKnight had neurological disabilities, which caused him to act differently than a typical person. His sister said he was consistently using PCP to limit the side effects of his medications and this combination caused McKnight to appear calm and tired.
Her concerns also focused on evidence, including the six credit cards that were in McKnight’s Sierra backpack with him at the hostel. His sister had this backpack in the courtroom during her statement.
McKnight was working two jobs and was having difficulty finding a place to live, hence him staying at the hostel.
Hunter also said he yelled out for help amid the altercation, but McKnight’s sister disputed this.
“He yelled so loud nobody heard it,” she said. “He yelled for help multiple times, but nobody heard it.”
The two were in the bathroom for over 30 minutes, but it is not clear who had possession of the gun first, according to court documents. The prosecutor said during the preliminary hearing they could not know for sure who had the weapon first.
Multiple other family members were also at the hearing, with two cousins speaking.
“His character was truly assassinated in this courtroom,” one of the cousins said. “There were so many facts about it that were not truly presented.”
Hunter was scheduled to go on trial for voluntary manslaughter while armed in August but decided to accept the plea offer instead. Parties have agreed to a 51-month sentence for the charge. Judge Lee will announce if he will the deal during the next hearing on July 22. In the meantime, Hunter will remain detained at DC Jail.
Defense Awaits Plea Offer in Three-Defendant Murder Case
A defense attorney accused prosecutors of procrastinating on a plea offer and asked for his client to be returned to a treatment facility during a hearing for a three-defendant murder case.
Tyler Stringfield, 23, Keith Baham, 22, and Raymond Avent, 22, are indicted on 18 charges including first-degree murder, while armed in the death of 23-year-old Rafiq Hawkins. Hawkins was shot multiple times on the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE, on March 23, 2019.
According to court documents, surveillance footage shows three individuals- one driver and two passengers- exiting a car near the location of the crime and opening fire at Hawkins, who was walking on the sidewalk. Two individuals allegedly used handguns and the third used a long gun with what police said appeared to be a high-capacity magazine.
During the most recent hearing for this case on May 17, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun asked if a plea offer was on the table and if a trial should be scheduled.
During a previous hearing on Feb. 4, the prosecution said they anticipate having a plea offer within 30 days. On March 21, the prosecution said they needed two more weeks.
“It has never taken this long in any case I’ve ever had to get a plea offer from the government,” defense attorney Todd Baldwin said during the May 17 hearing. “Each time the government has said ’a plea is on the way, a plea is on the way,’ and each time they’ve procrastinated and kicked the ball down the road.”
Baldwin represents Stringfield, who was recently moved back from the Department of Correction’s Correctional Treatment Facility to the Central Detention Facility. He completed the LEAD Out! Program, which trains men to become mentors for local youth while providing general and transitional education for participants. Baldwin said the program has allowed Stringfield to receive an education and contribute to the community and asked Judge Okun to recommend he be moved back to CTF so he can continue with his progress.
Baldwin also said he was worried for Stringfield’s safety. “Another one of my clients overdosed at the jail on Sunday,” he told Judge Okun. “I don’t want to see anything bad happen to another one of my clients.”
A 37-year-old domestic violence defendant represented by Baldwin died of a possible overdose at the DC Jail on May 15. Another incarcerated person overdosed as well but was revived by a jail employee.
Despite the prosecution’s opposition to Baldwin’s request, Judge Okun agreed to recommend Stringfield’s transfer back to CTF.
Judge Okun offered to set a trial date in light of the uncertainty about a potential plea offer. The prosecution said they had prepared an informal plea offer the day before but could not discuss the terms with the defense before the hearing because prosecutors were late due to traffic. They said they would defer to the defense about possibly setting a trial date since they were preparing a global plea offer for all three defendants to become available that same day.
“If [a trial date] is set today, that would not prejudice the defendant in terms of the plea offer,” the prosecutor said.
Avent’s attorney, Leonard Long, was open to setting a trial date but said it depended on whether the prosecution would actually have a plea offer prepared when they said they would. Anne-Marie Moore, Baham’s attorney, asked Judge Okun for a trial date.
“If the government were going to say ‘We’re not going to offer a plea offer,’ they could have said that last October, and we could have gone to trial,” Baldwin said. “I am happy the government is now offering a plea offer.”
D.C. Witness was unable to access the terms of the plea offer, but it remains on the table for the next 45 days. Judge Okun set a trial date for May 20, 2023, as a formality.
All three defendants are scheduled to return to court on June 22.
U.S. Border Patrol Apprehends Suspect Wanted for DC Homicide
Members of the U.S. Border Patrol in Douglas, Az., apprehended a suspect wanted in reference to a March homicide.
At approximately 8:50 p.m., police responded to the 1500 block of Ogden Street, NW due to reports of an unconscious person, according to a press release. Police found 38-year-old Ramon Gomez-Yanez on the sidewalk and pronounced him dead. After an autopsy, the cause of death was ruled to be blunt force trauma.
Alvin Cruz-Garcia, 24, was wanted on a DC Superior Court arrest warrant for second-degree murder in Gomez-Yanez’s death. He was apprehended on May 13. He is going through the extradition process,
Document: Woman Fatally Stabbed in Northeast, DC
Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating the fatal stabbing of a woman in Northeast, DC.
At approximately 12:53 p.m. on May 10, officers responded to the Unit block of P Street, NE, for the report of a stabbing, according to a press release. There, they found 42-year-old Ebony Morgan suffering from an apparent stab wound and took her to a local hospital. She died on May 15.
Attorneys Prepare for Murder Trial Involving Alleged Police Leak
Attorneys are preparing for a September murder trial involving alleged gang violence and police leaks which is expected to feature testimony from more than 90 witnesses.
Derek Turner and Ronnika Jennings face charges including first-degree murder while armed, obstruction of justice and conspiracy in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Andrew McPhatter on March 5, 2017, on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE. Jennings, 43, is accused of funneling criminal intelligence to Turner, 30, during her time as a clerk for the Metropolitan Police Department. Another co-defendant, Duan Hill, 33, is currently charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The three are scheduled to go on trial in September.
During a March 13 hearing, Hill’s defense lawyer Bruce Cooper asked DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo to modify his client’s release conditions. Currently, Hill is required to call his Pretrial Services Agency officer once a week during his release, but Cooper wanted the requirement reduced to once a month. The prosecution opposed the request, calling it unnecessary. Hill is on pretrial release while the others remain in custody.
One of the prosecutors on Hill’s case said Hill has been re-arrested for an alleged firearm possession offense since he was released from DC Jail in August 2018, but he was not prosecuted. Judge Demeo said Hill only missed one call with his PSA officer in one week and has been otherwise compliant. Still, the prosecutor argued that a weekly call was not an infringement on Hill’s personal liberty.
“Why change something that appears to be working?” the prosecutor asked. “We’re five months from trial. I don’t see the benefit to the court of changing Mr. Hill’s conditions.”
“You are not a judge, you’re a prosecutor, so you’re not seeing it through the judge’s perception of what the law is and how to best decide a set of release conditions that would assure the safety of the community,” Judge Demeo said. “Ultimately it’s your burden to argue or assure the safety of the conditions … I have an ongoing obligation to not put on conditions that are not necessary to protect the community. How is calling once a month versus four times a month better to [sic] the community?”
Judge Demeo said weekly phone calls were different from a GPS tracker, in part because they do not bear a direct, verifiable reflection on the defendant’s behavior. The prosecutor insisted they did, and that the requirement was part of an ensemble of release conditions that was working to keep the community safe.
Judge Demeo granted Cooper’s request to reduce Hill’s reporting requirements to once a month. The prosecution said they will look into any of Hill’s arrest records from his time on pretrial release and file a motion for reconsideration.
Jury selection for this case is scheduled to take place on Sept. 6. Judge Demeo noted that there were many pending motions in the case across the three co-defendants and scheduled hearings for July 5 and July 8 to discuss the motions that required an evidentiary hearing. On the motions that don’t, Judge Demeo said she would issue a written decision from her chambers.
Jennings’ lawyer recently left the case after being tapped to become a judge. Judge Demeo appointed Russel Hairston as Jennings’ new counsel and emphasized the need for him to be caught up by the time the trial commences.
Turner, Jennings and Hill are scheduled to return to court for a status hearing on June 29.
Turner and Jennings were charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice before they were charged with murder. Marshay Hazelwood was charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice, but her case has been dismissed. Turner is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in a separate case for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Devin Hall on Jan. 7, 2017, on the 3500 block of 6th Street, SE.