Homicides Increase in July

There were 11 percent more fatal shootings in July than June in DC this year.

D.C. Witness data shows there were 21 shootings in July. There were 19 fatal shootings in June. In addition to fatal shootings, there was one lethal stabbing.

On July 9, 23-year-old Brittany Palmer was stabbed on the 1600 block of New York Avenue, NE. According to a press release, the offense occurred within an establishment on the block.

Of the 21 shootings, the most recent was an officer-involved shooting on July 30, resulting in the death of 31-year-old Kevin Hartgraves-Shird on the 200 block of Madison Street, NW.

According to a press release, while canvassing an area after two individuals sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, a Metropolitan Police Department officer located and followed a white sedan containing three suspects to the intersection of 2nd Street and Madison Street, NW.

When the suspects fled from the vehicle, the officer saw one suspect with a handgun, according to the release. The officer fired, striking the suspect. Hartgraves-Shird succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

On July 19, four individuals, including 40-year-old William Whittington, 24-year-old Shelton Robinson, 33-year-old Audra Williams, and 57-year-old Charles Davis were killed in separate shooting incidents. Three of those incidents occurred in Southeast, DC. Robinson was shot in Northeast, DC.

The MPD apprehended suspects in two of the incidents, including 33-year-old Alphonso Oliver for allegedly shooting 16-year-old Levoire Simmons on the 700 block of Kenilworth Terrace, NE on July 5 and 30-year-old Anna Payne allegedly shot 69-year-old Marilyn Payne on the 1600 block of Webster Street, NE.

Police are looking for 34-year-old Wonell A. Jones for his alleged connection to the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Audora Williams on the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE.

Judge Releases 2 Homicide Defendants to Home Confinement

During a hearing on Aug. 2, DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee released two homicide defendants into home confinement and GPS monitoring.

Alonzo Brown, 25, and Naquel Henderson, 25, are charged with first-degree murder while armed and conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in connection to the shooting of 21-year-old Michael Taylor on Jan. 12, 2019, on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. Two other people, including a child, sustained significant injuries from the shooting.

Brown and Henderson are each also charged with multiple counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.

On Aug. 2, the prosecutor asked Judge Lee to change the defendants’ trial date, which had been originally set for Oct. 5, due to co-counsel unavailability.

Brown and Henderson’s defense attorneys, Steven Kiersch and Lisbeth Sapirstein, opposed the prosecutor’s request, citing the length for which the defendants had already been detained.

The two defendants have been detained in the DC Jail since 2019.

The prosecutor consented to releasing Brown and Henderson under the high-intensity supervision program (HISP) with 24-hour home confinement and GPS monitoring as the defendants await their new trial date.

Judge Lee accepted the parties’ requests and set a new trial date for May 6, 2024.

Judge Lee also scheduled an additional hearing on Oct. 5 to check Brown and Henderson’s compliance with their release conditions.

Document: Homicide on F Street, NE

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on Aug. 1 on the 1500 block of F Street, NE.

According to a press release, officers responded to the location after receiving reports of a shooting. They found six adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. One of those males, 24-year-old Lance Melvin, died on the scene.

The other victims were treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

he Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.

Judge Allows Homicide Defendant to Leave Home Confinement, Will Rule on Transfer to Juvenile Court

DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan decided to allow a homicide defendant to leave home confinement for purposes of employment and education. She did not reach a final ruling on whether his case should be transferred to juvenile court.

Daquan Gray, 20, is charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to allegedly shooting 15-year-old Jaylyn Wheeler on the 600 block of Alabama Ave., SE, on May 16, 2018. Gray was 16 at the time of the incident but is charged as an adult. The homicide stemmed from an earlier dispute at Ballou Senior High School when another student allegedly threatened Wheeler, according to court documents.

At the Aug. 2 hearing, defense attorney Dana Page advocated to release Gray from home confinement to personal recognizance, citing his “near perfect compliance” since his release on June 30, 2018. The release followed a mandate from the DC Court of Appeals after the court found substantial probability for second-degree murder at a June 11, 2018, preliminary hearing.

“Mr. Gray has been in home confinement for almost four years in a one bedroom apartment where the bedroom is not his,” Page said, adding that Gray has been waiting to get a job and work towards his GED. “Home confinement is no longer appropriate and is certainly not necessary.”

The prosecution did not object to allowing Gray to leave home confinement for purposes of employment or education, but objected to the removal of a GPS device.

“We think that’s keeping the community safe,” the prosecutor said.

Judge Raffinan agreed with the prosecution, ruling that Gray should remain in home confinement except for purposes of employment or education.

“I want to encourage you to do these things,” Raffinan told Gray.

Defense attorney Hanna Perry also argued in support of a motion to transfer Gray’s case to juvenile court, referring to the prosecution’s “unfettered discretion whether to charge sixteen and seventeen-year-olds as adults.”

“The government has been remarkably silent on how they make these decisions about who to pluck out of family court,” Perry said. “The government has decided behind closed doors that Daquan Gray could not be rehabilitated.”

“There’s absolutely no guidance from legislators and no review from the courts,” she added.

The prosecutor refuted Perry’s argument, stating that the seriousness of the offense affords him the discretion to charge Gray as an adult.

“The defendant fatally shot a 15-year-old boy at point-blank range five times in broad daylight,” the prosecutor said. “This was not an impulsive act… This was a defendant who brought a loaded .25 caliber to a fist fight.”

The prosecutor also raised concerns that the court did not have the jurisdiction to make such a ruling.

“The Court of Appeals has the authority to remove binding precedent,” the prosecutor said. “This court does not.”

Judge Raffinan echoed these concerns.

“It sounds like you’re advocating for change,” Judge Raffina said. “Can you tell me why I have the authority to decide it?”

“In almost every state and federal court, the court reviews these decisions,” Perry said.

Judge Raffinan did not reach a final decision, explaining that she needed more time to review the arguments and the case law. She scheduled a status hearing for Oct. 4 to reach a ruling and to set a trial date.

Judge Arraigns Defendant on Murder and Gun Possession Charges

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee arraigned a defendant on first-degree murder while armed and possession of firearm during a crime of violence. Both of these charges were for offenses committed during release.

Eric Davis, 59, is accused of fatally shooting 41-year-old Theodore Riley on the 1600 block of Gales Street, SE on July 19, 2021. According to court documents, Riley suffered from a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the Aug. 2 arraignment hearing, defense attorney Pierce Suen entered a plea of not guilty on Hall’s behalf.

Judge Lee scheduled the trial to be April 15, 2024. The prosecution expects their case to last 4 to 5 days. According to the prosecution, testing for DNA evidence is still pending.

Judge Lee scheduled the next hearing for Nov. 18.

Mental Observation Hearing Continues As Psychologist Says Defendant Competent to Stand Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee continued a mental observation hearing for a sex abuse case.

The 61-year-old defendant is charged with four counts of first-degree sex abuse while armed, two counts of third-degree sex abuse, and burglary one while armed in connection to two 2019 incidents on the 1600 block of Irving Street, NW.

He is currently being held at St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington D.C.’s psychiatric hospital.

During the July 29 hearing, a forensic psychologist testified to the competency of the defendant.

“[The defendant] is competent to stand trial,” the forensic psychologist said.

According to the psychologist, the defendant can advocate for himself, meaning he has the ability to rationally communicate with his attorneys. The defendant is also able to apply legal concepts to hypothetical situations.

“He demonstrated he understood the concepts and could discuss them,” the psychologist said.

The psychologist interviewed the defendant and said he relied on progress notes written by the defendant’s doctors at St. Elizabeths.

During the cross examination, defense attorney, Mani Golzari, presented an email, which was sent to the psychologist and then forwarded to the defendant’s doctors at St. Elizabeths, that characterized the defendant as a “serial rapist.”

Golzari said that the progress notes were not accurate because they were biased because of the email. He said the progress notes are “only reliable as they are accurate.”

During cross, Golzari pointed out times when the defendant was factually inaccurate during their discussion.

According to the psychologist’s notes and report, the defendant did not know the concept of competency and the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor. The forensic psychologist could not point to a specific note where the defendant showed understanding of the severity of charges or sentencing.

Golzari also pointed out discrepancies between the psychologist’s report, notes, and earlier testimony.

The hearing is tentatively set to continue on Aug 2.

Judge Denies Prosecutor’s Motion to Admit Witness Statements

After listening to counsel arguments on July 29, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan decided not to admit a contested witness’s statements about a homicide defendant.

Robert Moses, 23, and James Mayfield, 22, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed, and aggravated assault while armed for allegedly shooting 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor and wounding three other bystanders on Aug. 10, 2017.

Moses and Mayfield also face multiple counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, threat to kidnap or injure a person, robbery while armed, attempt to commit robbery while armed, possession of an unregistered firearm, obstructing justice, and conspiracy while armed.

The shooting is believed to have occurred from an ongoing feud between young men from the Langston and Saratoga neighborhoods in Northeast DC, according to reports.

During the July 29 hearing, Judge Raffinan addressed the prosecutor’s motion to admit Mayfield’s statements to a witness – Mayfield’s friend. According to the prosecutor, the witness, without being prompted by the police, told detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) about conversations Mayfield had about the shooting.

In her opposition to the prosecutor’s motion, Mayfield’s defense attorney, Veronice Holt, argued the witness’s statements were not credible due to the witness’s mental health issues and animosity toward Mayfield, which would potentially bias or alter the witness’s testimony.

In response, the prosecutor told Judge Raffinan that a medical examination concluded that the witness’s “memory, sight, and perception are fair.” Additionally, Mayfield and the witness were cohabiting, placing the witness in a “vicinity of trust” where he could overhear Mayfield’s conversations.

“They were acting as a de facto family,” the prosecutor said, emphasizing the close and nuanced relationship between Mayfield and the witness.

Holt refuted the prosecutor’s arguments, calling Mayfield and the witness’s familial relationship a “complete fiction.” She pointed to the witness’s statement to police that whenever Mayfield came to his home, the witness would “throw his ass out” as evidence of “a complete dislike for Mr. Mayfield.”

In addition to the witness’s alleged animosity towards Mayfield, Holt argued the witness completely lacked credibility due to his criminal record, which includes a conviction for contempt. Holt said the conviction showed how the witness “is someone who has no respect for the law.”

“The prosecution is desperate and that’s why they want to use the witness’s statements,” said Holt.

After reading the parties’ motions and hearing their arguments, Judge Maribeth ultimately denied the prosecution’s motion to admit the witness’s statements.

The parties also investigated a potential conflict with the witness’s testimony due to the witness having been previously represented by Moses and Mayfields’ current defense attorneys, Steven Kiersch and Sweta Patel.

Due to the prosecution’s motion being denied and the witness’s statements no longer available, Judge Raffinan determined the conflict investigation to be moot.

Mayfield and Moses’ next court appearances are scheduled for Aug. 23, so parties could address additional motions from both the prosecutor and defense.

Document: Police-Involved Shooting on Madison Street, NW

The Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on July 31 on the 200 block of Madison Street, NW.

According to a press release, officers responded to the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Longfellow Street, NW after receiving a report of a shooting. They located two adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. The individuals were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

While canvassing the area, an officer spotted a vehicle, a white sedan with three suspects who were seen hiding weapons, the release said.

The officer followed the sedan to the intersection of 2^ndStreet and Madison Street, NW.

When the suspects attempted to flee, the officer spotted one of the suspects, 31-year-old Kevin Hartgraves-Shird, with a handgun. The officer shot at the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The other suspects fled the scene.

Judge Finds Substantial Probability in 2021 Homicide Case

During a preliminary hearing on Aug. 1, DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee found substantial probability for a homicide case.

Trevon Devore, 21, is charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to the shooting of 27-year-old Daqual Covington on May 21, 2021, on the 60th block of O Street, SW.

The prosecutor called to the stand the detective from the Metropolitan Police Department who was in charge of the investigation.

The detective played videos of surveillance footage collected from the houses surrounding the shooting and from the house behind Devore’s residence.

In one surveillance clip, four individuals walk on the sidewalk when one individual, identified by the detective as Devore, turns back around the corner, pulls a suspected firearm from a satchel, and points it in an off-camera direction, before running away in the opposite direction with the three other individuals.

The detective said the victim was found in the direction where Devore pointed his firearm.

Additional footage shows Devore and two other individuals entering Devore’s residence through the back entrance. After a brief period of time, the three individuals exit wearing differently-colored clothes.

The prosecutor then linked the identity of the individual in the surveillance videos to the defendant, citing images of Devore wearing the same clothes as the individual earlier that day and the identification of the defendant by an MPD officer who was familiar with him.

“The evidence in this case is quite strong, given the offense is recorded on video,” the prosecutor said.

Eleven .45-caliber shell casings were also recovered from the scene, according to the detective. A firearm testing analysis report determined all 11 casings were fired from the same firearm. The firearm was not recovered.

The prosecutor said a 9mm firearm was recovered from Covington’s body, but the detective confirmed he recovered no shell casings that matched that firearm.

FBI cell site data from Devore’s phone places him in the area of the offense location near the time of the shooting, despite Devore’s contradictory statements to police when interviewed.

Devore’s defense attorney Lisbeth Sapirstein focused on whether the detective had evidence Devore acted in self-defense and whether Covington had a firearm pulled out when he was shot.

The detective told Sapirstein that a witness, who was on the scene of the shooting, reported to police officers Covington had a firearm on his person when he was shot. The witness removed the firearm and placed it away from Covington before members of the MPD arrived on the scene.

Sapirstein said the witness, who was Covington’s close friend, initially told police he recovered Convington’s firearm from Covington’s waistband, and then, in a future interview with Sapirstein and the prosecutor, said the firearm was near Covington’s hand.

The witness also told police officers he and Covington had been walking together when they passed by the four individuals, including Devore, when Covington said, “that’s my arch-enemy.”

Sapirstein said surveillance footage wasn’t recovered by the detective, which could show how Covington was acting before he was shot.

After Sapirstein finished her questioning, the prosecutor asked Judge Lee to find substantial probability for the case.

During her closing argument, Sapirstein said there was no evidence of what Devore was responding to. She pointed out Covington’s prior criminal history of gun-related charges, his possession of a fully-loaded semi-automatic weapon, and his claim that Devore was his “arch-enemy” as justifications for self-defense.

Although Judge Lee agreed with Sapirstein that a key piece of evidence concerning Covington’s actions up to the shooting was missing, he found substantial probability linking Devore to the individual in the video.

Devore will continue to be held in the DC Jail until his next court appearance, which is scheduled for Nov. 14.

Devore was also arraigned on multiple counts of carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition for a separate, unrelated case.

Status Hearing Rescheduled for Homicide Convict Awaiting Sentencing

The status hearing for a homicide defendant was rescheduled to Aug. 1 after the prosecution announced that it planned to imminently file a motion.

Daquon Brooks, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed on Oct. 18, 2021, for the fatal shooting of 52-year-old Leon Williams during a road rage incident on July 30, 2019. According to a proffer of facts, Brooks was a passenger in his former girlfriend’s car when Williams rear-ended their vehicle in the Third Street Tunnel near Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Brooks’ former girlfriend confronted Williams before Brooks approached Williams’ car and shot him once in the neck. Williams was paralyzed and later succumbed to his injuries on Oct. 18, 2020, over a year after the incident.

Brooks also pleaded guilty to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and stalking in connection to a separate domestic violence shooting that occurred on July 15, 2019. According to court documents, Brooks threatened to murder his ex-girlfriend and shot her new boyfriend several times in the leg and the foot on the 4800 block of Benning Road, SE.

Brooks is awaiting sentencing, which is currently scheduled for Sept. 23. He has remained in custody since his initial arrest on Aug. 5, 2019.

DC Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna presided over the virtual hearing via WebEx video.

Prosecution Completes DNA Testing in 2020 Homicide Case

The prosecution informed DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee Aug. 1 that DNA testing was complete, but the defense is still waiting on a completed case file to decide what independent testing to do.

Ravel Mills, 28, is charged with first-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 his alleged connection to the shooting of 28-year-old Toussaunt Strong on April 18, 2020, on the 3400 block of 24th Street, SE.

The prosecutor told Judge Lee he had reached out to Bode Technology, a forensic services company, and received the final DNA testing report, which completed the prosecution’s testing.

The parties, however, are still waiting for Bode Technology to upload the complete case file.

“I think there’s a chance the defense may want to do DNA testing,” said Mills’ defense attorney Jacqueline Cadman. “But we’ll need to see the full case file to determine the extent of what testing we’ll do.”

Cadman said she did not expect the delay to affect the trial date, which is set for Jan. 4, 2023.

Judge Lee scheduled an additional hearing on Sept. 14 for Cadman to confirm whether the defense would conduct DNA testing.

Document: Police Investigate Homicide on Valley Ave, SE

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred on July 29 on the 900 block of Valley Avenue, SE.

According to a press release, officers found 49-year-old Jeffrey Oxner suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s text tip line by sending a text message to 50411.

Defendant Sentenced for Two Counts of Contempt

A sexual abuse defendant accepted a plea offer July 29 for two counts of contempt.

Kennedy Davis, 47, was originally charged with kidnapping while armed, first-degree sex abuse and first-degree sex abuse by force for an incident that occurred on Feb. 9. According to court documents, Davis sexually assaulted an ex-girlfriend on the 2800 block of Q Street, SE.

Davis was released in 2020 for unrelated charges and, according to the prosecutor, Davis “violated a stay away order multiple times by contacting [the victim] by phone and being within 100 yards of [the victim].”

This violation accounted for two charges of contempt.

“There were hundreds of violations that comprised the two accounts” the prosecutor said.

Davis expressed that he would like to remain at a local correctional treatment facility, so that he could better himself.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Demeo accepted the plea agreement and sentenced the defendant to two consecutive six-month sentences. She also recommended that the defendant serve his sentence at CTF.

“It’s a good plan for him to try to complete the programs he is already in,” Judge Demeo said.

She also ordered Davis to have no contact with the victim. Other cases will be dismissed in accordance with the plea agreement.

Judge Sets Trial Date Nearly 5 Years After 10-Year-Old was killed

On a July 29 hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun set a trial date for 5 co-defendants in the 2018 homicide case of a 10-year-old girl.

Qujuan Thomas, 24, Quentin Michals, 25, Marquell Cobbs, 20, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Gregory Taylor, 26, are charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation and other charges in connection to the fatal drive-by shooting that killed 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson on July 16, 2018, on the 300 block of 53rd Street, NE.

According to court documents, Wilson was getting ice cream when she was shot. She suffered a gunshot wound to the back which penetrated multiple organs.

During the Friday hearing, all parties had difficulty scheduling a trial date due time constraint issues among multiple attorneys.

“We’re going to have many issues with this many lawyers and a case this long,” Judge Okun told the court. “I think ultimately I’m going to have to choose a date that doesn’t work for everybody.”

The trial is currently set to begin in February of 2023.

Quanisha Ramsuer, whose case was severed from the other defendants, is set for a hearing for Sept. 16, when parties are slated to set a trial date.

Mark Price, 28, and Antonio Murchison, 29, are set for trial on May 30, 2023.

Judge Sets Trial Date for Murder Case

DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun set a trial date for a 2018 murder case.

Mark Price, 28, and Antonio Murchison, 29, are charged with first-degree murder, seven counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, seven counts of criminal street gang affiliation, felony, or violent misdemeanor, conspiracy, five counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and one count of aggravated assault knowingly grave risk, for the murder of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson.

Price is two of nine suspects charged for the murder, but he will be tried separately from his co-defendants.

On July 16, 2018, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to 300 block of 53rd Street, NE after reports of gunshots. According to court documents, numerous individuals were suffering from injuries. The victim was found unconscious and was pronounced dead.

Jury selection is set to begin on May 24 The trial is scheduled to begin on May 30, 2023 and is expected to run for six-to-eight weeks.

The other defendant, except of Quanisha Ramsuer are slated for a jury trial in February 2023.

Search