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By
John Battistelli
, Leah Meyer - March 27, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Suspects
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A witness to a non-fatal shooting told a jury March 26 that she didn’t see the shooter during a trial before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson.
Roger Jones, 42, is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, simple assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, threat to kidnap or injure a person, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and fleeing from law enforcement. This is for his alleged involvement in a shooting and assault that left two victims injured on the 1400 block of Okie Street, NE on Jan. 22, 2022.
The prosecution called an eyewitness who briefly met two people, allegedly Jones and his girlfriend who was one of the victims on the night of the incident. The witness also worked with the other victim.
She testified that she witnessed the two individuals she met fighting after they left the building. She was later waiting in her coworker’s car when she heard gunshots.
Jones’ attorney, Carrie Weletz, questioned the witness on exactly what she had seen that night. She said could not recall much about what the man she met that night looked like beyond having a beard and dark skin.
She said she did not see the two people arguing while inside the restaurant, only seeing the fight occur outside. She also slumped down in the car when she heard the shots, so she was not able to see the shooter.
A crime scene analyst from the Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) who photographed the scene and collected evidence, including cartridge casings and clothing, said a projectile fell out of the clothing during his examination.
Weletz noted during her cross-examination that the DFS analyst is not aware of if any evidence had been moved around, as much of it was in the street that remained open until the police were able to secure the scene.
Prosecution also called a witness who reviewed phone records related to the case, who explained that one of the numbers investigated had 40 missed calls on the day of the incident.
She stated that records showed the calls went straight to voicemail due to the phone being either shut down, on airplane mode, or not charged.
A member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) completed a data analysis report from two phone numbers provided by the prosecution. He testified that there was activity from both phones on the 1400 block of Okie Street, NE at the time of the shooting.
He testified that the phone number belonging to Jones’ co-defendant, Riley Benjamin, was unable to be traced in the hours following the shooting. Benjamin pleaded guilty August to two counts of aggravated assault knowingly while armed.
During cross examination, Weletz confirmed with the witness that the locations are a “general approximation of where the cell phone is,” rather than an exact location.
“A cell phone is a cell phone, not a person,” Weletz told the jury.
Parties are slated to reconvene March 27.