FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Defendant Pointed a Gun at Birthday Party Attendees Following Argument

            WASHINGTON – Brahm Persaud, 69, a Maryland resident, pleaded guilty today to assault with a dangerous weapon for an incident in which he confronted Mr. Kevin Pinkett and other civilians with a firearm while attending a birthday party in Southeast Washington, DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Persaud pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. He will be sentenced by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz on September 21, 2023.

            According to court documents, on October 4, 2019, at approximately 10:30pm, at 1253 Sumner Road SE, the defendant, a former lieutenant of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), pulled out a firearm and pointed the firearm at a house where civilians were attending a birthday party. While pointing the firearm at the house in front of innocent civilians, the defendant repeatedly yelled that someone would die that night and eventually fired one shot in the air.

            MPD officers arrived on scene and arrested the defendant. During the course of the arrest, the defendant admitted to possessing the firearm and to firing a shot in the air. Alongside the street of 1253 Sumner Road, officers located a single shell casing and a single round of ammunition.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Omeed A. Assefi, who investigated and prosecuted the case.