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Press Release

District Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Man in Northwest Washington

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia
Defendant Stabbed Victim With a Screwdriver

            WASHINGTON – Alton Rivers, 54, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing a man with a screwdriver during a fight in Northwest Washington last summer, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.

            Rivers pled guilty on Sept. 28, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2018.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Friday, July 27, 2018, at about 4:30 p.m., an off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed two men fighting in the middle of the street in the intersection of 14th Street and Perry Place NW. One of the men – later identified as Rivers - was seen holding a weapon, and the other was swinging his fists. The officer confronted both men, announced that he was a police officer, and ordered them to stop fighting. Seconds later, the man who had been swinging his fists fell to the ground, with blood coming from his mouth. Rivers was then ordered repeatedly to drop his weapon, a bloody screwdriver. He finally complied and was arrested.

            The second man was identified as Anthony Anderson, 68. All life-saving efforts failed and Mr. Anderson died from two stab wounds to the chest, one of which punctured his chest and aorta. Rivers has been in custody since his arrest.

            A witness reported seeing the two men prior to the stabbing, fighting with their firsts. At one point, according to the witness, Mr. Anderson punched Rivers, who fell to the ground. Rivers then got up, this witness stated, and pulled out the screwdriver and stabbed Mr. Anderson.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Updated October 1, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime
Press Release Number: 18-261