Non-Fatal Shooting Defendant Receives 25 Year Sentence

By Mona Walls - February 2, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On Feb. 2, DC Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz sentenced a non-fatal shooting defendant to 25 years of incarceration.

Joshua Hemphill, 33, was charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed for offenses committed during release, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence offenses committed during release, aggravated assault knowingly grave risk offenses committed during release while armed, and burglary committed during release while armed among other charges.

Hemphill’s was sentenced for his involvement in a Sept. 21, 2018 incident where he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment and shot her in the back of the head while she was six months pregnant. The incident occurred on the 2400 block of Wagner Place SE. 

Before prosecutors made their case, the mother of a victim of domestic violence testified against Hemphill and detailed how her life and her family’s lives were forever impacted by his alleged actions.

The mother discussed how Hemphill caused her daughter to flee to California, where she is experiencing homelessness and instability.

The victim’s mother said that her granddaughter has recurring nightmares of the arguments and fights between her mother and Hemphill. She said she was forced to adopt her granddaughter after she became a ward of the state stemming from the relationship between Hemphill and her daughter. 

She also stated that she and her daughter are still dealing with threats from Hemphill, which include receiving hundreds of calls from “No Caller.”

Finally, the mother stated she laments that she and her family live in constant fear for their lives. 

Due to the nature of the crime and Hemphill’s lengthy criminal history, prosecutors requested the maximum sentence for each charge. They also noted his arrest warrant for his alleged involvement in the stabbing of another inmate at the DC Jail.  

In response to the prosecution, Jason Clark, Hemphill’s defense attorney, acknowledged the severity of the crime along with Hemphill’s violent criminal history and requested a bottom-of-the-guideline sentence. 

In the end, Judge Leibovitz sentenced Hemphill to a total of 25 years in prison.

Hemphill received 15 years for one of the charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and 10 years for the other, which will run consecutive to one another, but concurrent to all the other sentences.