Davon Payton, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and weapons charges in the 2015 fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ray Harrison on a dimly lit stoop in Northeast Washington. The verdict, delivered February 16, 2018, by a jury in D.C. Superior Court, closes a chapter on a violent dispute that erupted in the early hours of November 13, 2015, when Harrison arrived unannounced at Payton’s apartment building.
According to trial evidence, Harrison arrived at the 1300 block of Adams Street NE around 2:30 a.m. with his fiancée and her friend from Texas. The two women remained in the car as Harrison approached Payton’s unit and knocked on the front window. Payton, responding immediately, retrieved a firearm from his waistband and confronted Harrison at the building’s entrance, demanding to know why he was there at such a late hour. Words turned to blows — a struggle broke out on the front steps, and during the physical altercation, Payton fired a single shot into Harrison’s chest.
Harrison, just 21, staggered to the curb, collapsed, and died at the scene. Police and medical personnel arrived within minutes, but he was pronounced dead shortly after. The killing triggered a manhunt that ended a week later when the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Payton on November 20, 2015, following the issuance of an arrest warrant tied to the shooting.
At trial, prosecutors painted Payton’s actions as reckless and unjustified. Despite claims of self-defense, the jury rejected the argument, convicting him of involuntary manslaughter and multiple firearms violations. Judge Danya A. Dayson presided over the trial and has scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2018, where Payton faces significant prison time.
U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, who announced the verdict, praised the Metropolitan Police Department for their investigation and credited the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force for apprehending Payton. She also recognized key personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Counsel Michael Ambrosino, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mannarino and Nicholas Coleman, Criminal Investigator Zachary McMenamin, and multiple paralegal, forensic, and victim assistance staff who supported the prosecution.
Liu specifically highlighted the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Gonzalez Roman, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Earnest and Jennifer Fischer, who prosecuted it. The conviction marks another hard-won victory in a city where street violence often goes unresolved — but in this case, justice arrived, three years late and under the weight of undeniable evidence.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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