District Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed in 2017 Shooting in Northeast, Washington, D.C.

           WASHINGTON – Garland Goddard, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for shooting a man in October 2017 near the busy intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Clay Place, in NE, Washington, D.C.

           The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

           Goddard was found guilty by a jury of assault with intent to kill while armed and related assault and firearms charges following a May 2019 trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. 

           According to the government's evidence, on October 21, 2017, just before 9:00 p.m., Goddard walked over to the unarmed victim while he was sitting and talking with another person in the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE. Goddard pulled out a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and fired seven shots at the victim, who got up and ran for his life. The victim was hit twice, but managed to get away until collapsing on the street in the next block. He was taken to Prince Georges County Hospital, where he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for weeks. 

           Shortly after the shooting, MPD arrived at the scene. The victim was unable to identify the shooter, but investigators recovered video surveillance footage from several local establishments that captured the shooting. Footage showed the shooter entering and exiting a black SUV shortly before and after the shooting. Investigators later identified the driver of the black SUV, and a search of the driver's apartment uncovered a 9-millimeter handgun that matched shell casings found at the scene of the shooting. 

           Goddard was arrested on a separate charge in November 2017, and has been in custody since that time.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Ahmed Baset, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond Hulser; Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Debra Joyner; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling.