District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Murder Near Playground in Columbia Heights

           WASHINGTON – Deontae Britton, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced on Friday to 22 years in prison for the murder of Dawud Debruhl near a playground and parking lot in Columbia Heights, Washington. U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) made the announcement today.  

           Britton pled guilty on July 9, 2019, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of murder. He was sentenced on September 13, 2019, by the Honorable Craig Iscoe.

           According to the government’s evidence, on March 28, 2019, Dawud Debruhl was hanging out with friends in the parking lot of the Columbia Heights Village Apartment Complex located in the area of the 2900 block of 13^th Street in NW Washington. Britton approached Mr.Debruhl from behind while he was engaged in conversation and shot him in the back. Britton then fled on foot.

           In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch, the Third Police District of the Metropolitan Police Department, and Evidence Technicians. U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham also expressed appreciation for those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity and Victim Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.

           Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gauri Gopal for investigating and prosecuting the case.