Probable Cause Found in Fatal Shooting Case

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On Jan. 23, DC Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe found probable cause to bring a shooting defendant’s case to trial under assault with intent to kill charges, but denied the prosecutor’s request for probable cause for murder.

Jerome Dukes, 32, was originally arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Jayvon Jones at the 1400 block of Saratoga Avenue, NE on Feb. 21, 2023.

Dukes was charged alongside 34-year-old Justin Borum. On July 11, 2023, Judge O’Keefe found probable cause that Borum was the perpetrator in Borum’s death.

During the Jan. 23 preliminary hearing, a sergeant from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) testified about Dukes and Borum’s alleged involvement in the shooting. The sergeant was questioned regarding surveillance footage that allegedly captured the defendants near the crime scene.

The video displays two individuals there allegedly shooting at Jones who was running west. The sergeant identified the two individuals as Dukes and Borum.

Brandi J. Harden, who was acting as a stand-in attorney for Borum, argued against the sergeant’s identifying the defendants based on the video, emphasizing that the video was “grainy” and facial features could not be determined.

The prosecution said that there was a witness that identified two of the men in the video as Dukes and Borum.

The sergeant mentioned Dukes holding what looked like an assault rifle and a handgun. According to the sergeant, .39mm cartridge casings, which allegedly matched Duke’s gun, were found near the crime scene.

During his testimony, the sergeant also discussed several tips that came through. There were two other people at the scene that were injured, who discussed the incident with MPD while being treated at a medical facility.

However, many of the tips did not come from eyewitnesses, and the sergeant was unable to corroborate them. As a result, Harden insisted that there was not enough evidence for probable cause.

Judge O’Keefe stated that there is enough evidence to charge Dukes for assault with intent to kill, but not sufficient evidence for second-degree murder.

A felony status conference will take place on March 8.

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