A jury trial in which one foster brother allegedly tried to kill the other began Sept. 10 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Alan Lazerow.
Denntae Hall, 37 is charged with attempted first-and-second-degree murder, first-and-second-degree assault, use of a handgun in commission of a felony, possession of regulated firearms after previous conviction of disqualifying crimes, including previous assault convictions, drug possession with intent to distribute, other related weapons charges and intentionally resisting arrest for allegedly shooting his former foster brother on Jan. 25 on the 5000 block of Pemridge Avenue.
The victim was staying at the defendant’s home during a snowstorm. The former foster brothers reunited for the evening, and the night of drinking took a turn for the worse when the defendant allegedly hit the victim with a cup that shattered over his head. Allegedly, Hall was fearful that the victim was going to kill him due to past history.
The foster brothers allegedly fought for nearly 90 minutes, during which the defendant allegedly pulled out a .45 caliber Desert Eagle and fired at the victim. The victim managed to flee the scene.
According to charging documents, police officers arrived at the scene around 11:41 a.m. and discovered a man, later identified as the victim, in an ambulance about a block away from the defendant’s home. Police saw blood on the door and outside Hall’s home. Officers recovered two weapons, including the Desert Eagle and a .357 revolver. A single .45 caliber shell casing was also recovered from the scene.
During cross-examination defense counsel Karyn Meriwether got a witness, the lead detective on the case, to admit that police failed to read the defendant his Miranda Rights before arresting him. The detective also said the defendant was not interviewed before he was sent to Central Booking.
No eyewitnesses to a shooting have been identified.
The defense attorney claimed that the bottle that the defendant allegedly broke over the victim’s head was not glass, but plastic. Police recovered a broken, but mostly intact cup that was shown to the jury.
The trial is expected to continue on Sept. 14.
