On the evening of the Fourth of July in 2015, a burst of gunfire shattered the holiday festivities in the 2600 block of Douglas Place in Southeast Washington, D.C. When the chaos subsided, 23-year-old Dwayne Gene Dillard, a male resident of Southeast D.C., was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Three other men were also wounded in the shootout but survived.
In the weeks and months that followed, the Metropolitan Police Department actively investigated the shooting. They released surveillance video to the public showing several persons of interest, hoping for assistance in identifying those involved in the brazen act of violence that unfolded on a crowded street. The investigation led to the arrests of three men in July of 2015: Shakim Lyons, 26, Jonathan Taylor, 24, and Harry Herbert, 27. All three were charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Nearly a year later, in April 2016, authorities apprehended a fourth suspect, 24-year-old James Coffield of Northwest D.C., who also faced a charge of second-degree murder while armed. As the case moved through the legal system, prosecutors prepared to argue that the defendants were responsible for Dillard's death under an 'urban gun battle' theory, which posits that if an individual is involved in a shootout where a bystander is killed, they can be found guilty. The progression of the trial faced delays, including the vacating of a trial date due to a potential conflict of interest involving a key witness.
