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By
Raina Bonifacio
- February 14, 2025
Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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A shooting victim testified the incident stemmed from a verbal dispute with the defendant’s sister before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe on Feb. 13.
Dayquan Henderson, 22, is charged with four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and endangerment with a firearm, for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 300 block of Anacostia Road, SE on May 11, 2024. No one sustained injuries.
Prosecutors called on a resident who lived at the apartment complex, the location of the shooting. She said a verbal altercation escalated when Henderson’s sisters allegedly spat on the witness and her daughter from their apartment balcony. Her daughter retailed by spraying mace on the sisters.
In her testimony, she claimed the surveillance footage shown from the apartment complex was altered. The prosecution later clarified the videos shown were genuine and not doctored, as part of their stipulations to the jury.
A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer revealed he found three shell casings near the apartment’s balcony and a live bullet in a children’s room. Another MPD officer, who worked for the firearms registration branch, testified Henderson did not have a permit to carry a firearm, nor any firearm registered.
Prosecution also called a detective, who testified another witness at the scene selected a photo of Henderson as a suspect during a blind photo array identification procedure.
During the hearing, Judge Pipe granted the defense’s motion for judgement of acquittal of carrying pistol without license outside home or business. The judge ruled there is no concrete evidence to support Henderson fled the scene with the firearm.
The defense called Henderson’s sister to provide context for what happened inside their apartment. She claimed the altercation was pure words and neither of her sisters spat on the victim and her daughter. When the mace was sprayed, she testified, her whole family was hit, including her young children.
During the redirect, prosecution inquired whether Henderson was the one who shot the gun and if he fled with the firearm, to which the witness answered “Correct.”
William Conlow, Henderson’s attorney, clarified she did not actually see that herself and only made assumptions.
Parties are slated to reconvene Feb. 18.