Prosecution calls more eyewitnesses on 3rd day of murder trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - February 16, 2018
Court | Featured | Homicides | Suspects |

On the third day of a murder trial, the prosecution called Feb. 15 two eyewitnesses to give their stories of a series of events during and after an alleged homicide on Oct. 20, 2015.

Kevin Chase and Demetrius Brandon are charged with first-degree murder while armed for the alleged shooting death of Marcus Manor on the 2900 block of Sherman Avenue, NW.

One witness, who works for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said he saw the shooting occur while he was on his way to work.

The witness said that when he stopped at a traffic light, he saw a young, thin black man in a dark hoodie, light pants and white sneakers go from allegedly talking with an unidentified person inside of a car to pointing a gun and firing several gunshots inside the car with his right hand. The witness’ testimony contradicts with an earlier testimony of the shooter using both hands when firing.

The witness also said the shooter started to run in his direction but turned and ran up Harvard Street, NW. He said he was panicked after the shooting and pulled over, down the road, to call 911. The prosecution played the witness’ 911 call for the jury. The witness identified Chase in a photo lineup for the Metropolitan Police Department and in the courtroom.

Another eyewitness, who worked as a civil engineer, said he was working, with two other men, on a contract in the area when he heard a series of gunshots. The witness identified the shooter, who ran northbound on Sherman Avenue, NW as a young, thin black male. The witness said he only saw a profile view of the shooter because he turned away several times, he said he did not see the shooter wearing a dark hoodie. He also said the shooter looked “disheveled.”

The witness said he glimpsed the shooter get into a dark car at the gas station at the interaction of Harvard Street, NW and Sherman Avenue, NW.

In addition to the eyewitnesses, the prosecution also called a forensic scientist, Brandon’s girlfriend and a MPD detective to the stand.

The detective said videos were taken from cameras located on Chase’s sister’s apartment building, business establishments in the immediate area and an MPD crime camera on the corner of Harvard Street, NW and Sherman Avenue, NW. The videos showed a black thin man leaving the apartment and a dark car, that was at first, parked in front the building, but then proceed northbound on Sherman Avenue, NW.

The defense pointed out the car and the person seen in the video could not be clearly identified. Also, the timing of the tapings could not be verified.

Through a search warrant, the forensic scientist extracted a pair of white and black tennis, a dark jacket, an identification card and mail from the apartment of Chase’s sister.

The trial is expected to continue on Feb. 20.