Thank you for reading D.C. Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.
By
Joseph Wolf
- November 19, 2024
Daily Stories
|
Non-Fatal Shooting
|
Shooting
|
Suspects
|
Victims
|
A shooting defendant’s attorney scrutinized the lead detective’s practices during a trial in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on Nov. 19.
Demonte Gibson, 26, is charged with assault with intent to commit robbery while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, and obstruction of justice for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on the 1400 block of Fairmont Street, NW on Dec. 7, 2021. One individual suffered non-life-threatening injuries to their left leg.
According to court documents, the victim is Gibson’s childhood best friend. He told police he was going out to get food and a drink, until he felt a sharp pain in his left leg. He did not hear gunshots or see who shot him.
During the hearing, Gibson’s attorneys, Kevann Gardner and Rachel Cicurel, cross-examined the lead detective from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who investigated the incident, scrutinizing his actions.
Gardner elicited the fact that he did not instruct the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) to take pictures of a pool of suspected blood where the victim was shot. Furthermore, when the detective was testifying, he was unable to answer questions about how investigative tasks were delegated
Additionally, the detective’s testimony was apparently contradicted after Gardner showed him a Twitter profile picture. Gardner asked him if the subject in the Twitter picture was Gibson, and he answered with, “I can’t say that it’s not him.” Prior to the trial, he testified that it was in fact Gibson in the Twitter profile picture.
Finally, Gardner asked the detective about how he and his team assessed the incident scene. The officer testified that he and his team assumed the incident stemmed from a suicide attempt, not an armed robbery and a shooting.
Parties are set to gather on Nov. 20.