Opinion ID: 4574286
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Background Facts and Trial Proceedings

Text: According to the government’s evidence, on September 2, 2017, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Officers Nico Scott, Ramon Moe, and Lojocano,5 assigned to the Narcotics Special Investigation Division (NSID), were working in the 4500 block of Quarles Street, Northeast. While in the area, Officer Scott noticed a man later identified as Blocker “ducking” between cars as if to avoid being seen. Blocker then got into a black Dodge Charger driven by a friend, 2 D.C. Code § 7-2502.01(a) (2018 Repl.). 3 D.C. Code § 7-2506.01(a)(3) (2018 Repl.). 4 D.C. Code § 7-2506.01(b) (2018 Repl.). 5 Officer Lojocano’s first name is not in the record. 3 Deandre Belt, and the car “sped off at a high rate of speed.”6 Approximately ten minutes later, while scouting the area, Officer Scott spotted the Charger coming toward him in the 2100 block of Benning Road, Northeast. Officer Scott then made a U-turn onto the road in front of the oncoming Charger, in order to block it as his co-workers, driving a marked police car, were pursuing the Charger from behind, using lights and sirens. Blocked by Officer Scott’s vehicle, the Charger came to a stop. Blocker jumped out of the front-passenger seat and ran up the hill leading to the 2300 block of G Street, Northeast. Officers Scott and Moe ran up the hill after Blocker while other officers pursued the Charger after it sped off again. While the officers were chasing Blocker, he ran into a parked car and fell down. As Blocker started to fall, both officers saw Blocker reach with his right hand into the front of his pants, and Officer Scott saw him “toss a hard object” away. The officers then heard the sound of metal hitting and skidding on the pavement. Officers Scott and Moe both testified that the sound was consistent with the sound of a gun hitting the pavement. The officers caught up with Blocker, arrested him, and, while doing so, 6 Mr. Belt testified that he picked up Blocker from Blocker’s home to “run some errands” with him, and that while Mr. Belt was driving, his Charger was struck from behind by a police car, initiating the chase described below. Mr. Belt was the only witness that testified to this version of events. 4 both observed a handgun on the pavement within two or three feet from Blocker. Officer Moe secured the gun. Trial began on December 12, 2017, and a jury found Blocker guilty on all counts two days later. On appeal, Blocker seeks reversal of his FIP conviction (and related charges) on the ground that: (1) the underlying predicate felony, robbery — on appeal while Blocker was tried and convicted — was later reversed. He also claims that the trial court erred in four other ways: (2) admitting the gun in evidence, (3) instructing the jury that the government did not have to provide forensic evidence to establish guilt, (4) providing other wrong instructions to the jury, and (5) rejecting Blocker’s request to inform the jury of the defense theory of the case.