A Southeast Washington neighborhood was rocked by a shootout in June of 2023, and now one of the individuals involved, Jalon Jeremiah Armstead, has been handed a 10-year prison sentence. Armstead, a member of the Push Dat Shit street crew, received the sentence after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office yesterday.
In a detailed account revealed to the public, court documents showed that Armstead, also known as "Smaut," entered into a gun battle while attempting to sell a half-pound of marijuana. The confrontation occurred in broad daylight, near Third and Atlantic Streets, SE, and ultimately led to a car crash and a frantic chase on foot through local foliage. Armstead, who sustained wounds during the incident, was apprehended shortly after by authorities.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy B. Jackson levied not only a ten-year sentence to Armstead, but also imposed a subsequent four-year term of supervised release. The June 5 altercation featured Armstead firing from a .300 caliber AR-Pistol which was later found, discarded in a trash receptacle, with his DNA on it. In her sentencing, Judge Jackson addressed the broader implications of gang-related violence and the impact on community safety.
The case reflects ongoing endeavors to tackle gang activity in the area. "This sentence is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has resulted in 26 convictions," as the press release explained. The PDS gang, to which Armstead belonged, had previously forged an alliance with the nearby Jugg Gang, a partnership that fortified their drug market operations along Wheeler Road, SE, and armed them with an assortment of firearms for territorial defense.
Stemming from a collaborative effort by the FBI Washington Field Office's Cross Border Task Force, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department, this investigation has yielded significant results. According to stats provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the crackdown has led to the confiscation of 35 firearms, including four machine guns, numerous rounds of ammunition, a considerable amount of drugs, and roughly half a million dollars in cash. The case against Armstead was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
