Road-Rage Shooting Defendant Sentenced to 32-and-a-Half Years

By Richa Sharma [former] , Lily Engel [former] - June 17, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

A shooting defendant was sentenced to 32-and-a-half years for a road-rage incident by DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on June 17. 

Kenneth Davis, 45, was found guilty in January of assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that injured one person on May 19, 2021, on the 1600 block of Eastern Avenue, NE. The altercation stemmed from a traffic incident.

A prosecutor claimed that Davis displayed a “total lack of accountability” and remorse, despite his impact on the victims. They explained that one of the victims still has nightmares, and can barely drive due to post-traumatic stress. Their son, who was six-years-old at the time of the incident, could not sleep in his own bed for a year and could not stand the sound of fireworks on July 4th.

According to the prosecutor, Davis had not been taking his case seriously. He has filed a civil suit for $19 billion against one of the government’s witnesses “because they testified,” according to a prosecutor. 

The prosecution proposed a sentence of 360 months and claimed this reflects the defendant’s actions and decisions.

Defense attorney Marnitta King said the sentencing guideline the prosecution recommends does not fit the defendant. She requested that the judge not “lump him into” a “number of time.” Instead, she asked the court to focus on the “positive light” he has been in the community, citing his involvement in the music industry throughout the DC area. 

King asked the court to consider an 11-and-a-half-year sentence, a departure from the sentencing guidelines.

The defendant told the court the prosecution wants a sentence that does not take the low “severity” of the crime into account. He said, “I’m a father, I’m a brother, I’m a son,” and am trying to “do better.” 

Davis said that he is “praying for the best” and thanked Judge Brandt for reading letters of support from his friends and family. 

Judge Brandt acknowledged that the defendant has “always stuck up for himself” throughout the case, but that is where the “accolades end.” She claimed that the defendant sees the case and his criminal history differently than the court, as he has been convicted for other serious crimes. 

“This case kind of speaks for itself,” Judge Brandt said. “Four people on that fateful day could have ended up dead.”

Judge Brandt sentenced Davis to a total of 32-and-a-half years. He received 11-and-a-half years for assault with intent to kill, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence, and 21 years for three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Concurrently, he received 21 years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Davis will have to register as a gun offender for two years after his supervised release ends. He has 30 days to appeal his case.