Johnathan Dawkins was ordered held Friday pending a preliminary hearing after Judge Karen Howze ruled that there was substantial probability that he was responsible for the stabbing death of Dwayne Brisbon.
Dawkins turned himself in after finding out he was a person of interest in the case, according to his attorney.
Brisbon was found by members of the Metropolitan Police Department on May 1 inside a car that had crashed into Shaws Tavern in Northwest DC. Brisbon was suffering from a stab wound to the neck and eventually died from his injuries.
According to charging documents in the case, a witness said he had been walking down the street having a verbal altercation with Dawkins, who the witness said he did not know.
Brisbon pulled up in a car and asked the witness if he was okay, causing Dawkins to begin arguing with Brisbon as well, according to charging documents. When the witness tried to intervene he noticed a silver pocket knife in Dawkins’ pocket and a stab wound in Brisbon’s neck.
The witness fled the scene and observed Brisbon crash his car into Shaws Tavern.
Another witness, who said he has known Dawkins for eight years, said he had had a conversation with Dawkins about the incident. Dawkins told the witness that he had asked Brisbon for a cigarette and Brisbon had refused, according to charging documents.
Dawkins then said Brisbon punched him in the face and when Brisbon looked like he was going to hit him again Dawkins stabbed him and fled.
Dawkins is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 10.
Note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Dawkins’ name in the headline. The error has been corrected.
