A brutal assault from last year has taken a dark turn, with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) now probing it as a homicide after the victim died from his injuries. The vicious attack occurred on October 12, 2023, when Vincent Hemphill, age 62, allegedly used a shovel to assault three men, including 81-year-old Charles Short of Clinton, MD, on the 1800 block of 4th Street, Northeast.
The MPD reported that officers who arrived at the scene found the injured men and swiftly arrested Hemphill, who was initially charged with Assault with Intent to Kill, all three victims were still conscious and breathing when they were taken to the hospital, however, on January 22, 2024, Short's life was claimed by his injuries. According to a statement obtained by the MPD, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined that Short died due to complications from blunt force trauma, officially declaring the cause of death a homicide on May 9.
The homicide detectives are not sitting still with this revelation—they are coordinating with the United States Attorney’s Office to discuss the possibility of escalating charges against Hemphill.
