Witness Testifies About Video Evidence of Suspect Vehicle

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On March 5, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard the testimony of three witnesses regarding a 2020 fatal shooting case that involved the homicide of a 13-year-old boy.

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW. The shooting also left a second juvenile victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the right leg.

They called an individual to testify about how and when he noticed the alleged suspect vehicle parked outside his house on March 1. A silver Kia, was previously identified by prosecutors as the vehicle in which the suspects were driving. It had been parked on Lamont Street for several days, according to the witness, as this is where the individuals allegedly left the vehicle after the shooting.

The witness said he noticed the car because he saw it being parked in a handicapped spot, which was normally vacant. According to the witness, the car was left there until police arrived outside his home on March 4, 2020.

“I had seen the car parked earlier that week and I had noticed the car had been there until police came a few days later,” the witness said. “I saw either three or four individuals get out of the car and they were walking west on Lamon Street.”

The witness said he was unable to recall specific details about what the individuals looked like, but he did remember noticing that their front left tire was flat. He said he volunteered to help the group of men with their tire, but his offer was quickly declined.

“I got the vibe that they were not interested and wanted to go about their business,” the witness said.

After talking to police, the witness said he reviewed his Ring camera home security footage to identify when the parking spot was last empty. According to the screenshots presented in court, the spot was last empty around 2 p.m. on March 1 and was occupied by 2:25 p.m. that same day.

Although he couldn’t say conclusively, the witness said he is “fairly certain” he saw the individuals walk onto 6th Street after leaving the car.

During cross-examination, Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, said the witness’s inability to remember how many people exited the car and if they turned onto 6th Street suggests that he was not fully paying attention.

“Your attention was not laser-focused on this other car,” Ain said. “You didn’t see them turn on 6th Street so you’re making an assumption.”

The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sergeant who was the lead of the electronic surveillance unit to testify. He was a part of a team that retrieved footage on March 1, 2020 which depicted the suspect vehicle’s route before Lukes was shot.

According to the sergeant, on March 2, 2020 he and detectives went to apartment complexes located on the 1700 block of 8th Street, NW, and on the 1700 block of 7th Street, NW, to collect footage of the roads surrounding the buildings. They also visited a church located on the 1700 block of 9th Street to obtain footage. The footage collected from each of the three locations showed the Kia driving in the area.

During cross-examination, Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel asked the sergeant if he was able to identify any individuals from inside the Kia Soul. The sergeant explained he was not able to see people in the car.

The prosecution then called the detective who first responded to the scene of the shooting as their next witness.

Upon his arrival, the detective said he gathered surveillance footage around the area between 14th and Oak Streets to identify the silver Kia as the “suspect vehicle.”

According to the video footage, the car had the logo for a rental car company printed on its right side. The detective said this feature allowed him to easily identify the car in each surveillance video.

Due to time constraints, the detective’s testimony was put on hold.

Parties are slated to return on March 6.

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