A Washington, D.C. man was handed a stiff nine-year sentence for a daylight shooting that took place in Northeast Washington. Tyrone Hawkins, aged 22, received the maximum sentence available for assault with intent to kill and firearm possession during a violent crime, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced earlier this week. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Michael O'Keefe on March 1, 2024, following Hawkins' guilty plea last September, as per a report by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The fraught incident unfolded on Sept. 23, 2021, when Hawkins and an accomplice, Clint Broadus, approached an unnamed man outside of his residence. The encounter quickly escalated after Hawkins inquired about the location of marijuana and the victim claimed not to have any. Broadus attempted to brandish a weapon but was thwarted by the victim's use of pepper spray. It was then that Hawkins, from the victim's left side, unleashed a barrage of bullets, hitting the victim and several parked cars with gunfire. Hawkins was arrested on the same day and has been in custody since the incident.
Hawkins's partner-in-crime, Clint Broadus, was previously sentenced on February 16, 2024, to a five-year term for his role in the confrontation that day. His plea agreement was accepted by the court, though the specifics were not detailed in the U.S. Department of Justice's announcement. Both individuals faced significant time behind bars for their actions in an event that brought violence directly to the doorstep of Northeast Washington.
In bringing the sentence to close, U.S. Attorney Graves heralded the diligent work of the Metropolitan Police Department in the swift apprehension of Hawkins. He also lauded the efforts of his own team, including Paralegal Specialist Abubaker Alaway and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Folse who prosecuted the case. Others in his office, such as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin DeRiso and Jessica Ans, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, were acknowledged for their contributions to the case. Hawkins, now convicted, looks ahead to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a consequence of that moment when violence erupted on a quiet street in Northeast Washington.
