This afternoon, the Metropolitan Police Department provided their first written narrative of events concerning yesterday’s drive-by shooting along U Street that left 21-year-old Jamal Coates dead. Last night, police arrested Brandon Miller for Coates’ murder. Miller was arraigned in D.C. Superior Court this afternoon. The police narrative was filed with the court post- at the arraignment.
According to the court documents, police were able to locate several witnesses and video footage of the scene. This led them two believe two shooters were involved and that they drove a Buick LeSabre. One witness even provided an accurate tag number. The shooting took place mid-day. Detectives found the car in well under an hour. It wasn’t long before they found Miller.
According to the court documents, detectives ran the tags off the grey sedan as provided by a witness. The vehicle was a 2001 Buick registered to an address at 1211 Girard Street NW. Detectives found the car at 12:45 p.m. Detectives located video footage that showed two males get out of the car shortly after the shooting. Police go on to state:
“While Detectives were still outside of 1211 Girard Streets NW, Mr. Brandon Miller came to the scene and said the Buick was his vehicle. Detectives asked Mr. Miller if he would accompany them to the Homicide Branch and he agreed to do so.”
As Miller was being interrogated in police custody, other detectives conducted a search warrant of Miller’s home. They found: “two handguns (9mm and .40 cal) inside a backpack,” “an assault rifle (AK-47), and Tech (machine gun)” in a bedroom, and a shotgun in another bedroom. A witness in the house stated that Miller slept on the couch and did not have a bedroom.
During the interview, Miller explained just how his car came to be seen at 13th and U Streets NW:
“He said he was at the gas station at 14th and Euclid Street NW when he saw the two guys, who he described as wearing blue jeans and white tee shirts. Mr. Miller said the two guys asked him for a ride to Florida Avenue. Mr. Miller agreed and said he then drove the two guys to 13th and U Streets NW, and made a left into an alley. He said he parked his car in the alley and the two guys exited and went down the street. Mr. Miller heard gunshots and then saw the two guys running back to his car. He said they got into his car and he sped down the alley. Mr. Miller said he dropped them off at his house. He said he didn’t know they were going to do what they did. Mr. Miller said the guns found in his house would not have ballistics matching to the shooting.”
According to the court record, Coates died from multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot in the back right side of his head, his right cheekbone and right bicep. When medical personnel arrived on the scene, it was determined that Coates’ death “was apparent.”