A Southeast D.C. man has been found guilty of aggravated assault while armed after a confrontation that escalated into gunfire. Calvon Brown, 30, received the verdict from a Superior Court jury on Thursday for an incident that occurred on March 22.
As detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the altercation began in a corner store on the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, where Brown and his associates were involved in suspected drug activity. A squabble over loud music escalated to a point where Brown and the victim stepped outside, purportedly to settle their differences with fists. However, the situation took a violent turn when instead of a physical brawl, Brown drew a weapon and shot the victim. The victim was hit in the thigh/buttocks area before managing to wrestle the firearm away, although the gun jammed when he attempted to shoot back.
Judge Erik Christian is slated to pass sentence on December 10 after the jury found Brown guilty of multiple charges, including aggravated assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, among others.
This significant conviction stems from collaborative efforts by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, with Assistant United States Attorneys Lizzy Van Haasteren and Mark Levy leading the prosecution. According to a statement released, "The change in the law recognizes that all gunshot wounds are serious bodily injury for purposes of aggravated assault."
