The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a man they believe is connected to a shooting that occurred on May 31.
According to a press release, 28 year-old Jonathan Jenkins is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting 25 year-old Richard Mitchell, a resident of Oxon Hill, Md. on the 2500 block of Elvans Road, SE.
Jenkins has no fixed address.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6957804-6-25-20-Arrest-Made-in-a-Homicide-2500-Block-of.html” responsive=true]
The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect June 25 in connection to a homicide that occurred on Feb. 3 on the 4300 block of 3rd Street, SE.
According to a press release, 26-year-old Glenn Dolford was charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed. Dolford allegedly shot 26-year-old Raheem Murray multiple times in February.
There were two additional victims who survived after receiving medical treatment.
The case remains under investigation.
[documentcloud url=”http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6957800-6-25-20-Arrest-Made-in-a-Homicide-4300-Block-of.html” responsive=true]
A DC Superior Court judge said she wanted to know more about a murder case, but ran short on time forcing her to push back her ruling until July.
Gary Massey is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly firing shots at a Ford Expedition, killing the driver, 29-year-old Gregory Mayo, on the 600 block of Alabama Avenue, SE on March 29. After being arrested, Massey told the police that the victim had physically abused his sister.
Massey’s defense attorney Ronald Resetarits said he had no doubt that Massey was indeed the person involved in the incident. However, he said his client should not have been charged with second-degree murder.
Resetarits said Massey only intended to intimidate Mayo rather than kill him. Resetarits said that if Massey wanted to kill Mayo, he would have done so in a more direct way.
The lawyer said the victim’s abusive behavior towards Massey’s sister constitutes provocation and that the attack was caused by “a fit of rage”. My client acted in self defense because Mayo yelled, “I will kill you” shortly before the shooting, Resetarits said.
The prosecution objected to all arguments, saying Massey fired 13 shots. He very much wanted to at least hit the victim, the prosecutor said.
She said Massey’s actions could not have been the result of a sudden emotional upheaval because there was a substantial period of time between Massey’s acknowledgement of his sister’s abuse and the actual attack.
Surveillance footage of the crime scene, at the time of the murder, did not show any altercation between Massey and Mayo.
Judge Anita Josey-Herring said she was inclined to side with the prosecution, however she wanted to hear more from the defense.
The hearing is set to continue on July 2 when Judge Posey-Herring will decide if there is enough evidence to show whether or not Massey intended to commit the murder.
During the day of June 25, the Metropolitan Police Department sent out three crime alerts since 8 a.m.
The most recent alert was sent at 9:39 p.m. for a robbery on the 5400 block of New Hampshire Avenue. Police are looking for four black males driving a Dodge Charger with MD plates.
At 6:08 p.m., the police sent out an alert for a shooting. on the 2700 Block of Martin Luther King Avenue, S.E. Police are looking for a black male, wearing a white tank top who is in his 30’s and last scene in an older model Chevy Tahoe.
At 1:54 p.m., police sent out an alert for a stabbing on the 1200 block of 4th Street, NE. Police are looking for a black male wearing a black shirt and jeans.
Anyone with knowledge of the incidents should call 911. Please do not take any other action.
On June 25, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann released 18 defendants, holding three defendants at DC Jail.
Of those released, four defendants did not have charges filed against them, one was dismissed and two were given citations.
Judge Herrmann held a defendant on charges of assault, attempted threats, obstructing justice and contempt in a domestic violence case. She held him because he has two pending cases, and reoccurring offenses with the same person.
Raymond Touya is charged with one count of first-degree burglary for allegedly entering a residence and attempting to take some of the owners’ belongings. Touya’s defense attorney argued that the details in the police report are minimal and that it was very possible that Touya knew the alleged victims.
Judge Herrmann held Touya, citing the fact that he picked up a knife while in the residence and was concerned about the animosity between the owners and Touya.
Nicholas Dorsey was also held and is charged with one count of simple assault for spitting on the alleged victim and calling him names. Judge Herrmann held him, citing his three other pending cases that all involved Dorsey spitting on other individuals.
The judge said she would not usually hold a defendant in this situation, but she has “serious health concerns” given the current pandemic.
Judge Herrmann found probable cause in a case where the individual is charged with one count of assault with intent to commit robbery. The man’s defense attorney explained that the defendant was having an asthma attack and was asking for water, not someone’s wallet.
Three defendants charged with being fugitives from outside of DC were released with instructions to turn themselves in to the states where their warrants reside. One of the defendants’ case was dismissed.
A defendant charged with carrying a pistol without a license was released with a stay-away order from the 400 block of N Street NW because he has no criminal history.
Judge Herrmann agreed to release another defendant on GPS surveillance with a stay-away order from where the alleged incident occurred.
Two individuals with bench warrants for failure to appear were released with new dates set for their missed hearings.
Two defendants involved in domestic violence cases were also released as the prosecution was amenable. Judge Herrmann released them both with stay-away orders in place.
One final defendant is charged with one count of attempted threats and one count of destroying property in a domestic violence case. “Sometimes people just get overly angry,” said the defense attorney, suggesting that the defendant may just need anger management counseling.
Judge Herrmann released the defendant because the person who pressed charges is not the same person in his other cases.
She noted that he appears to have no problem following stay-away orders.
DC Superior Court judge denied June 25 a defendants’ motion for a mistrial due to COVID-19 related delays.
Nyekemia Everett and Malik Hewitt are charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, attempt to commit robbery while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for their alleged roles in the shooting of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE in 2017. They have also been charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly using threats to persuade a witness.
The trial of Everett, 34, and Hewitt, 40, began on March 3 and continued until it was suspended on March 18, right before the prosecution was supposed to have closing arguments.
Both defense attorneys stated jurors would be unable to remember what happened since it has been so long since the trial occurred. The attorneys also said they believe that towards the end of the trial, jurors were too distracted by the pandemic to give the case their full attention.
“There were many competing demands on jurors’ attention: death rates in areas affected by the virus soared; area schools shut down, and panic set in about the safety and health risks presented by the continuation of any business as usual,” the motion said.
Towards the end of the trial, there was so much confusion about the court’s operations that one juror was sent home after security incorrectly said the courthouse was closed to the public.
The prosecutor on the case said he does not believe that the pandemic impaired jurors’ ability to pay attention or adequately remember what occurred.
When courts reopen, there will be a “serious backlog” on jury cases, he said. Also, witnesses will have to be flown in again from Ohio, Texas., and California. The prosecution also cited a precedent set by the California courts. In the precedent multiple murder trials were motioned for mistrial in the state for the same reasons. The mistrials were denied every time.
Defense attorney Nikki Lotze acknowledged the concerns, but reminded the judge that “no one is more inconvenienced than the people that must sit in jail during this delay.” She said that “if Hewitt will accept the inconvenience, it’s not too much to ask the government to fly in a few witnesses.”
Counsel agreed a voir dire must take place to ensure individual jurors can fairly proceed with the trial.
While finding the delay “problematic,” Judge Anita Josey-Herring said she does not consider it to be an issue so long as all jurors state they are okay to continue the trial.
Another area of disagreement was whether transcripts may be used to refresh jurors’ memories in the trial.
The defense fears the prosecution may use the transcripts to “cherry-pick” and give unfair weight to certain arguments. However, the prosecution said the availability of the entire transcript to both parties will prevent issues.
Judge Josey-Herring did not decide on whether transcripts could be used in the trial.
She said that every voir dire should ask jurors if they would be able to remember everything when given a full transcript.
Defense attorney Michael Madden disagreed, saying the suggestion was coercive, as it would allegedly make jurors believe the trial must go on.
Everett and Hewitt’s next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17.
A man thought to be homeless was almost taken off of GPS monitoring by a judge when he admitted that he has had a home from the beginning.
Norman Horace is charged with one count of stalking–should have known harm. Horace allegedly sends the person he is stalking love letters and appears outside her home on a regular basis.
The woman has reportedly asked Horace to stop, but she says he has ignored her requests. She also reported that she served a Temporary Protection Order to Horace.
Horace was scheduled for a hearing on June 25. The Pretrial Services Agency (PAS) reported that Horace did not have a GPS device on his ankle as instructed because he reported on June 15 that his ankle monitor was ripped off while he was on a run.
Horace apparently left behind his charger and GPS device while a High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) employee was preparing to install another device on him.
Horace’s defense attorney, Kevin Irving, stated that Horace does indeed have a GPS device = on his ankle and Horace confirmed that he did by showing his ankle.
The representative from PSA was unaware that he had gotten it replaced.
The prosecution said this was not the only time that Horace violated GPS requirements over the past couple of months. “This is a serious stalking case involving several incidents where the defendant would not leave the victim alone,” the prosecutor said.
Irving noted that the woman has since moved out of the DC area and that GPS requirements are no longer needed at this time. He also noted that Horace is homeless, so charging the GPS is a struggle for him.
District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Heide Herrmann said she did not want to reward bad behavior, but it seemed that keeping Horace on GPS would be punitive and no longer a protection. “I don’t want a person to be set up for failure,” she said.
Just as Judge Herrmann said she would continue the show cause hearing and take Horace off of GPS, Horace interjected and said that he is not homeless and never was.
This came as a surprise to everyone in court. Judge Herrmann said she was no longer taking him off GPS.
She said that he must report to pretrial services every day until July 2, the date of his next hearing. She said that if he makes one mistake, the judge that will be presiding on that day will take it very seriously.
On June 25, a DC Superior Court judge released a defendant despite his history of fleeing to avoid court.
Richard Bennett was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia on Nov. 23, 2016. Bennett has no prior criminal history except for the possession charge.
Bennett had his first jury trial in July of 2019. He was convicted of the charges, and a sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 27, 2019. Before the sentencing date, Bennett fled to the country of Colombia.
Bennett was deported from Colombia in February and charged for his failure to appear for his sentencing. He has been incarcerated since his return to the United States. D.C. Witness could not confirm why Bennett was deported from Columbia.
Bennett was transported to a jail in Virginia before he was brought back to DC Jail. He tested positive for COVID-19 in Virginia and was transferred back to DC jail despite his results.
Judge Michael Ryan decided to release Bennett after hearing about his lack of a criminal history and his recent health issues.
The prosecution asked that Bennett be released to the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP), but Judge Ryan declined the request, citing a shortage of HISP funds due to COVID-19.
Bennett was then released on his personal recognizance. He is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 6 to review the status of his case.
The prosecution dismissed a defendant’s fugitive charge, saying the defendant is already being held in DC jail for an unlawful possession charge.
Kyree Dawes was originally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction on May 9. He was then charged with being a fugitive from Maryland for a separate matter on April 2.
The prosecution dismissed the fugitive charge because of Dawes’ charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Dawes is scheduled to appear in court again to discuss the status of his possession case on July 10.
A DC Superior Court judge transferred a defendant to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC psychiatric institution, after the defendant declined to participate in a mental health evaluation.
Terell Brown is charged with a violation of a protective order and contempt of court for violating a previous release condition.
Brown declined to participate in a mental health evaluation on June 23. However, based only on Brown’s files, Grant suggested that Brown may be currently incompetent to stand trial.
Brown was previously on the mental health floor of DC Jail where he was receiving treatment. According to his lawyer, there has been no change in his mental state.
Judge Michael Ryan granted the defense’s request to move Brown to St. Elizabeth’s with no opposition from the prosecution. Judge Ryan said he believes the hospital would ne a “less stressful environment” for Brown to understand the proceedings against him and help his attorney in the case.
Brown is scheduled to appear in court again on July 23 to review his progress at St. Elizabeth’s. The hearing will also evaluate if he is competent to stand trial.
DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker rescheduled a defendant’s hearing since the case could not proceed in June 25.
Larry Debose is charged with assault using a sword and a machete.
Debose wishes to enter a plea deal for the case, but he cannot because he must first enter a plea deal for his felony case. Virtual felony pleas are prohibited at this time.
The defendant is attempting to receive an amendment from the court of appeals so he may proceed in both cases.
However, Judge Becker said that she did not think the plea would be ready in time for Debose’s next hearing. I’m “not optimistic the court of appeals will move that fast,” she said.
Debose is scheduled for his next hearing on June 30.
A DC Superior Court judge extended a defendant’s hearing, saying that the Department of Corrections needed more time to establish a reintegration plan before the defendant can be released into the community.
Edward Cowser is charged with attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, simple assault, attempted threats to do bodily harm, second-degree theft and shoplifting.
Cowser was previously on probation for a second-degree theft from January to March without any additional charges. However, in late April, Cowser was arrested multiple times for the aforementioned charges.
Judge Michael Ryan asked defense attorney Jamison Koehler why no plan has been made for Cowser’s release, since he is currently sitting in DC Jail’s mental health unit on misdemeanor charges.
Koehler said that he has had great trouble getting in contact with Cowser and authorities at DC Jail in order to create a plan for release.
Judge Ryan contacted the Department of Corrections, asking why a plan has not been established to release Cowser, especially because there is a federal judge’s order to lower the jail population based on COVID-19.
The Department of Corrections did not have a complete answer for Judge Ryan.
After requesting, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Behavioral Health begin shaping a release plan for Cowser.
Judge Ryan said that he is interested in safely releasing Cowser with an Assertive Community Treatment team, an approach devoted to delivering mental health services to those on the schizophrenia disorder spectrum.
Cowser is currently still being held in DC jail, but he is scheduled for a hearing on July 1 to evaluate his readiness for release.
America is speaking, and it is saying change is needed.
But what will that look like? Defunding the police? Criminal justice reform?
At D.C. Witness, we do not believe our place is to advocate for any specific kind of change.
Instead, by bringing thorough transparency to the system and sharing the data we gather, our goal is to provide data-backed information so that better, more informed — and most importantly — more effective policies can be developed.
We believe accurate data holds the answers to which way forward we should go.
To that end, the Knight Foundation has joined us in our mission, awarding us a grant to rebuild our website as part of a $20 million three-year technology initiative to help newsrooms focused on local journalism strengthen their digital publishing solutions. The Knight Foundation, working alongside News Revenue Hub, developed a grant for publishing tools that will improve distribution, community engagement and revenue opportunities.
We are excited to be included in the foundation’s first group of grantees.
With this grant, D.C. Witness will build out our publishing platform to provide readers with more data visualizations on homicides, domestic violence and sexual assaults in the District. We will also use the grant to make our mobile output stronger.
All to the end of helping better plan what effective criminal justice reform should look like.
In a push to produce better sustainability for newsrooms and digital outlets across the country, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced June 22 that it has awarded D.C. Witness, a Washington, DC nonprofit organization, with a grant to improve digital publishing solutions.
The $20,000 grant focuses on improving distribution, community engagement and revenue opportunities, such as digital subscriptions and membership, through digital platforms.
Grants were given to 24 recipients across the country with a focus on local journalism. D.C. Witness’ mission focuses on criminal justice transparency during a time when citizens are calling for change in the criminal justice system.
“This is a time where trust in the criminal justice system needs to be reestablished, and what better way to do that than by data transparency,” said Amos Gelb, D.C. Witness publisher and chair of the board. “D.C. Witness provides the public with information on specific crimes with the intention that data on these crimes could empower several governmental and community entities with knowledge to produce policies that are better equipped to stop these horrific acts.”
As a community organization devoted to giving a voice to residents who are often overlooked in the wake of crime, D.C. Witness is hopeful that the grant will enable the nonprofit to create more data visualizations and reach a bigger audience looking for content that includes hard statistics on crime.
The grant, which is a part of a $20 million initiative will not only improve the way D.C. Witness’ content is published, but also strengthens the news site’s mobile agility to make accessing information from phones, tablets and other mobile devices easy and simple for users.
“We are in the courthouse. We gather the data. We disseminate the information,” Gelb said. “Let’s stop throwing together policies that are not backed by real data. We have the data.”
According to Gelb, the grant will enable the non-profit organization to continue to produce innovative measures to disseminate data and articles on homicides, domestic abuse and sexual assault in the city.
Knight, along with News Revenue Hub, a nonprofit organization that works with publishers on building membership revenue, growing audiences and developing sustainable business practices, developed the grant for newsrooms focused on providing local journalism.
“Now, more than ever, it’s critical for newsrooms and publishers to adopt digital solutions that meet audiences where they are and provide new revenue opportunities,” said Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation director for journalism and technology innovation. “These outstanding news organizations now have the opportunity to leverage technology to maximize their revenue and better serve their communities.”
DC Superior Court Judge Julie Becker granted a defense attorney’s request for more time to review evidence with his client.
NeQuan Carthens is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting Lagioria Brinkley on March 20 on the sidewalk on the 1900 block of 16th Street, SE. Brinkley, 36, suffered from a gunshot wound to the head and died on the scene.
Some of the evidence includes video surveillance that two gun recovery unit officers used to independently identify Carthens, 19, as the shooter.
The defense attorney also requested Carthens’ name be edited to its proper spelling in the court system. Previously, he was listed as ‘MeQuan.’
Carthens is scheduled to reappear in court on July 13.
