LA PLATA, Md. (July 17, 2019)—Tony Covington, State's Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West sentenced Damarco Rashord Hall, 21 of Waldorf, to 18 years suspend all but 8 years for First-Degree Assault and Wear, Carry, and Transport of a Handgun.
Hall previously entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned charges on May 31, 2019, in Charles County Circuit Court.
On August 15, 2018, officers responded to Saint Peter's Catholic Church in Waldorf to meet with a victim of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers made contact with victim Omar Catoe, who reported that an unknown suspect, later identified as Hall, shot at his vehicle multiple times on Slater Drive in Waldorf. Alexis Coates was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
An investigation revealed that prior to the shooting, Catoe was operating a rental vehicle with Coates as his passenger. Catoe was dropping off Coates at a residence on Slater Drive when Hall approached the vehicle and attempted to open the front passenger door. In fear, Catoe accelerated the vehicle in reverse and began fleeing to the area of Poplar Hill Road. As Catoe was fleeing, Hall produced a gun and shot towards the vehicle at least twice, striking it once. Catoe was able to drop off Coates at a residence on Poplar Hill Road, then meet with officers at Saint Peter's Catholic Church. Fortunately, no one was injured during the shooting.
Hall, who was previously in a relationship with Coates, was developed as a suspect during the course of the investigation and admitted to the shooting, stating that he and Coates were on bad terms during the time of the incident.
During sentencing, Assistant State's Attorney Donna Pettersen told the judge that the victim was "really affected" by the incident. She furthered that the offense was "very serious. This could've gone very differently had the victims been struck."