Peyton Sentenced to 8+ Years for Involuntary Manslaughter

By D.C. Witness Staff - May 15, 2018
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson recently sentenced Davon Peyton to eight and a half years in prison for the shooting death of 21-year-old Ray Andre Harrison.

Judge Dayson also sentenced May 11 Peyton, 27, to five years of supervised release following his prison term.

Peyton shot Harrison on the 1300 block of Adams Street, NE on Nov. 13, 2015, while his girlfriend and her friend waited in the car. Peyton was initially charged with second-degree murder while armed, but after a two-week trial in February, the charges were dropped to involuntary manslaughter with related weapons charges.

According to court documents, Harrison drove to Peyton’s house to get marijuana. His girlfriend’s friend was visiting from Texas. According to the girlfriend, they were trying to show the friend a good time.

The incident allegedly occurred when Harrison knocked on Peyton’s 7-year-old daughter’s window around 2:23 a.m., provoking him to answer the door with a loaded gun, documents from the Metropolitan Police Department state. From there, a verbal altercation turned physical and Harrison punched Peyton. Peyton then shot Harrison in the chest.

“I feel horrible,” Peyton told the jury. “I didn’t mean for him to die. It wasn’t supposed to go like that.”

Harrison’s girlfriend also told police that the incident was an accident.

Read more about the trial on dcwitness.org.