DC Superior Court Judge Heide Hermann held a preliminary hearing on June 25 without the defendant in a stabbing case.
Dallas McKinney, 20, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a stabbing that occurred at the DC Jail on the 1900 block of D Street, SE on Nov. 26, 2024.
According to court documents, McKinney and another prisoner were allegedly engaged in an argument in the jail when McKinney reportedly pulled out a metal shank and stabbed the victim multiple times. The victim sustained wounds to his upper left chest, shoulder, and arm.
During the hearing, Steven Kiersh, McKinney’s attorney, requested a new date for the hearing because McKinney was unable to appear due to medical reasons.
The prosecution objected and cited McKinney’s previous failures to appear in court. Prosecutors asserted that the defendant’s medical excuse “appears to be a maneuver to avoid court.”
Judge Herrmann decided that the hearing would move forward without McKinney present.
Prosecutors called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer to testify. The prosecution presented video footage of the incident, in which the officer identified McKinney as the perpetrator. The officer testified that the suspect in the video had an object in his hand, punched the victim, and grabbed the victim’s t-shirt. The officer also said that the video footage showed blood stains and holes in the victim’s t-shirt.
After viewing the video footage, Judge Hermann found probable cause to move forward with the case.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Aug. 15.
