The victim in a stabbing case testified about meeting the defendant on a hook up app in a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld on June 3.
Tavonte Graham, 33, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, and attempted robbery for his alleged involvement in a stabbing on Dec. 22, 2025 on the 4100 block of Ames Street, NE. The victim sustained multiple stab wounds throughout his body.
Graham is also charged with possession of an open container of alcohol for his alleged involvement in a Jan. 16 incident.
In his testimony, the victim said he invited Graham into his home to engage in sexual relations and was maced a few moments after feeling a “vibe-shift.” The victim claimed he saw Graham grab the victim’s Louis Vuitton Timberland boots.
When his “adrenaline kicked in,” the victim said he ran after Graham causing both to fall down two flights of stairs. The victim claimed during this fall, he heard “clicking sounds” and only realized that he was stabbed multiple times after seeing a pool of blood.
Graham’s attorney, Craig Ricard, questioned the victim’s timeline. Ricard asked, “Graham was holding the boots with one hand, spraying the mace with the other, and unlocking the door with his third hand?” To which the victim responded, “yes.”
The victim initially told the officers the aggressor was an Amazon delivery driver. However, during the victim’s testimony, he admitted that he made that fact up because he was “embarrassed” by the potential stigma of homosexual relations that was the springboard for the incident.
The prosecution presented body-worn camera footage of officers walking into the apartment complex allegedly confronting a pool of blood on the ground. After walking up the stairs, the video showed the officers finding the victim at the scene of the crime, wrapped in a blanket, lying on the floor, covered in blood.
The detective, from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who arrived at the victim’s apartment about an hour later, then testified. According to the detective, she found a phone unlocked and opened it to what looked to be a dating app. After putting the phone in airplane mode to preserve evidence, the detective opened the settings app to see that the Apple ID owner was allegedly Graham.
According to the detective, when she showed the victim a photo of Graham in the hospital, the victim assured he was “100 percent certain” that was the perpetrator due to the identifying star tattoo on Graham’s face.
The detective and the victim both confirmed evidence found at the scene included an empty can of mace, a yankees cap, a tag from the boots, and the Timberland boots that were covered in blood stains. In addition, the victim said the jogging shoes he wore during the attack had multiple holes and blood stains.
An MPD officer who arrived at the scene testified and described a large pool of blood on the first-floor loading area and chemicals that smelled like pepper spray before arriving at the victim’s apartment. When she got to the apartment, the officer said the victim opened the door and immediately fell to the floor.
The officer noticed the victim’s multiple stab wounds, excessive bleeding and tried to help the victim with his injuries. In body-worn camera footage, the officer stated that, “apparently [the victim’s] Timbs [referring to the boots] were taken,” but quickly found them.
In cross-examination, Ricard emphasized the officer assumed the boots were stolen. The officer clarified she thought that because the victim said they were stolen.
The officer who arrested Graham on Jan. 16 also testified, describing why he was stopped and found a clear cup of what seemed to be alcohol. Video evidence showed that another officer told Graham “I watched you drop it,” then asked for his identification. After Graham said he didn’t have an identification, he told the officers his name and was arrested.
The trial is scheduled to continue with the detective’s cross-examination on June 4.
