Supporters From Both Sides Testify in Stabbing Trial Hinging on Self-Defense

By Cameron Horne - November 18, 2024
Daily Stories | stabbing | Suspects |

Family members and supporters of both the victim and the defendant testified in a stabbing case before DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur on Nov. 14.

Darin Anthony, 59,  is charged with two counts of  assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged involvement in a Sep. 11, 2023, stabbing incident that took place on the 400 block of W street, NW. 

The wife of the victim testified, confirming that she saw the Anthony acting like a crazy man and waving a knife around.

Anthony’s attorney, Jamison Koehler, questioned the victim’s wife about whether she owned a cane since Anthony alleges the victim swung a cane at the defendant and the stabbing was in self-defense.

The victim’s wife denied ever owning a cane, but Koehler played a clip of body-worn camera footage, from the night of the incident, where the witness admits to owning a cane, but not knowing its whereabouts.

During redirect examination, the prosecutors asked the witness to clarify the issue of the cane. She said she had simply forgotten walking with a cane and the “cane wasn’t there that day.”

The victim testified that Anthony was chasing the victim’s brother with a knife, prompting the victim to go outside and pick up a stick as a weapon to defend him. The victim alleged that he swung the stick at Anthony and missed, but Anthony retaliated by cutting the victim’s forehead above his left eye.

Koehler suggested the weapon the victim used was actually a cane from inside the apartment rather than a stick from the ground. The victim confirmed Koehler was correct but the purpose of grabbing it was still the same. 

“He swung first,” the victim said regarding Anthony.

The victim’s brother testified that the victim never had any weapon at all to threaten Anthony with and that the cut was completely unprovoked. The victim was “trying to talk to [Anthony] man to man,” his brother said.

Koehler asked whether Anthony made any threats to either brother that could have provoked physical violence. The witness confirmed he did not.

The prosecution reminded the witness of grand jury testimony in which he testified Anthony asked him, “You want some of this too?” and made other threatening comments.

The defense called Anthony’s wife as a witness. She said Anthony was upset because of a package that he believed to have been stolen before leaving the apartment. 

The witness said she heard an argument minutes later and went to the window in time to see the victim swinging the cane at Anthony, eventually connecting with the defendant’s left shoulder and breaking the cane. It was after this, according to the witness, that Anthony retaliated by slashing at the victim with his knife.

Koehler bolstered this argument by displaying a photograph showing a large bruise on the defendant’s shoulder.

The prosecution said there was no timestamp on the photo or identification of whose shoulder was bruised and asked why the photo was never brought to their attention during the grand jury trial. 

The witness simply said the prosecution never asked.

Anthony’s close friend and neighbor testified that he too saw the victim strike first with the cane, breaking it over Anthony’s shoulder. He said Anthony’s stabbing motion was “reactionary.”

The trial is set to continue on Nov. 18.