Witnesses can hardly remember previous statements in the shooting trial

By Varshana Ramnarine
– 23 August 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shootings | Shootings |

Before DC Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein on August 21, witnesses struggled to recall statements they had previously given to the grand jury and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) about a car crash following a shooting.

Marquez Beasley, 32, is charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that injured three victims on August 16, 2023 in the 900 block of Division Avenue, NE.

According to court documents, the shooting occurred after a car accident. During an argument, Beasly allegedly hit a victim with the butt of his gun and then fired several shots, injuring two victims and a bystander.

The prosecution called its witness, who was the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the accident. The witness was an assistant manager at a Papa John's restaurant who was delivering pizza and driving two family friends home.

The witness said he did not have a driver's license and the vehicle was registered to his “mother-like” figure, who also worked for Papa John and was the mother of the other two people in the car.

The witness said he turned right and as he was turning onto Sheriff Road his vehicle was struck from behind by a car. He pulled over to check the damage and the defendant got out and asked for proof of insurance.

The witness said he explained that the car did not belong to him and asked one of his friends to call her mother to get the paperwork. A few seconds later, Beasley allegedly swung at the witness, but missed the first two times.

The witness then said Beasley pulled out a “black handgun” and struck the witness with the bottom of the gun, injuring his forehead, then fired a shot into the ground and then at the victims.

The witness said he remembered his friend, who was in the back seat, being shot while fleeing the scene. However, he said he could not remember where the gun came from or who handed the phone to the defendant at the scene of the accident.

When the MPD later showed him a series of photos, he was unsure but was reportedly able to identify Beasley as the shooter.

During cross-examination, defense attorney John Machado reiterated that the witness did not have a driver's license, but still worked as a driver for Papa John's. Machado also played video surveillance footage of the accident, which showed the witness making an illegal right turn.

The prosecutor called the mothers of the other two victims in the car.

She said her nephew was driving and received a call from her son telling her about the accident. Both children later identified their neighbor, Beasley, as the shooter.

The witness told investigators she recognized the suspect on a FaceTime call as a local rapper she followed on Instagram as “big_foams.” She said she had only a few brief interactions with the suspect.

The prosecution also called the victim in the passenger seat, who could not remember any details of the accident or the model of the suspect's car. The witness recalled that the driver left the car and her brother was in the back seat and called her mother after the accident.

When she turned around, she remembered hearing only the phone on the floor. However, the prosecution played surveillance footage to the jury and identified the witness running away after hearing several shots.

She claimed she was drunk during police questioning and photographic identification, during which she identified Beasley as a suspect.

During cross-examination, Macado stated that detectives had persuaded her to select a suspect despite her uncertainty.

The witness said she noticed a tattoo on the suspect's head that Beasley did not have.

The next witness was a man who was in the back seat during the crash. He was also shot during the altercation. The witness said he had been drinking and smoking weed and was apparently “sleeping in between” at the time. He admitted he was too drunk to remember the crash. He said he only heard loud music from a street party.

The witness testified that he heard one gunshot and ran away. However, in his previous testimony before the grand jury, he stated that he heard multiple gunshots.

The last witness the prosecution called was a passerby who was the victim of a shooting. She was on her way to a supermarket on Division Avenue and was shot in the leg. She was unable to get up and saw a black vehicle driving down the street with shots being fired from its open window, but was unable to identify the shooter.

The process continues.

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