Crouching on the floor, Keith Washington, a former Prince George’s County police officer on trial for murder, showed the jury Tuesday how he fired at two deliverymen he said were attacking him.
On Jan. 24, 2007, Washington shot two deliverymen with his police-issue revolver in his Accokeek home, wounding one, Robert White, and killing the other, Brandon Clark. The Prince George’s County States Attorney’s Office alleges Washington shot the two men in the midst of a verbal argument, relying on White as the sole eyewitness.
But in his testimony Tuesday, Washington said he was attacked by the two men after he confronted them about White being in the room of Washington’s 6-year-old daughter, who was downstairs eating dinner at the time.
According to Washington, he showed Clark and White to the upstairs master bedroom where they were delivering a metal bed frame. He said Clark entered the room with the frame, and that’s when Washington spotted White exiting his daughter’s bedroom. He said he confronted them on what White was doing, and Clark repeatedly said “I’ve got him shorty” to Washington, who was considerably smaller than the two men.
Washington testified that when he asked the two to leave, Clark replied: “You need to watch what you’re saying.” Washington said that a moment later White came out of his daughter’s room and punched him in the face. Washington said Clark punched him in the back and that the two men beat Washington as he hit the ground and curled into a ball. Feeling defenseless and wanting to protect his family, Washington said he opened fire.
Prosecutors peppered Washington with questions about why he still had his service revolver at his side when he was no longer on duty the evening of Jan. 24. Washington said he typically didn’t remove his gun until he went to bed.
Last week, White testified that Washington was irritated when he and Clark arrived, and that as Clark backed out of the master bedroom, Washington shot him and then shot White after he ran to Clark’s aid.
Washington’s wife, Stacey Washington, also testified Tuesday. She was downstairs at the time of the shooting, but she did say her husband had been attacked by the two men.
