Shooting Defendant in Milk Crate Dispute Found Guilty

By Audrey Staudacher - April 10, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On April 8, a jury of 12 returned a guilty verdict for a non-fatal shooting defendant in the courtroom of DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld. 

Diandre Caesar, 29, was originally charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of second-degree cruelty to children, and three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, among other charges, for his involvement in a shooting that occurred on June 28, 2022, on the 2200 block of New York Avenue, NE. 

Throughout the trial, the prosecution provided the jury with surveillance footage of the shooting as well as several witnesses’ testimony, including an off-duty police officer and the two victims involved in a verbal altercation with Caesar.

Video surveillance showed Caesar throw a milk crate over a fence and into the drive-through lane of a McDonald’s while he was mowing the lawn of the nearby parking lot. The victim, who found his path blocked by the milk crate, exited his vehicle to throw it back over the fence. As he attempted to drive away, Caesar retrieved the milk crate and threw it back over the fence, striking the victim’s vehicle. 

A verbal altercation ensued, in which the victim’s dash camera audio captured Caesar and the two victims in the car exchanging insults. When the victims drove away, Caesar followed their car to the exit, striking the vehicle repeatedly. He then fired four shots at the car as it drove down the road. The two victims’ infant child was in the backseat. No injuries were reported.

In closing statements, the prosecution reminded the jury of the victims’ infant child in the backseat, arguing that his actions showed disregard for human lives.

Caesar’s defense attorneys, Joseph Fay and Adrian Madsen, argued that Caesar was never seen with a firearm in his hand either by witness testimony or from video surveillance footage, and no firearm was ever recovered by police.

Following three-day deliberations, the jury of 12 found Caesar guilty of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but acquitted him of all other charges.  

Sentencing is scheduled for June 10.