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Joshua Hemphill has been sentenced to 26 years in prison after being found guilty in June 2023 for two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other offenses for an early morning shooting more than five years ago.
Hemphill, 32, attacked an ex who was in the company during a "fit of rage," leading to his arrest and conviction, according to prosecutors.
On Sept. 21, 2018, Hemphill went to a home where his ex was staying with her friend, and during an outburst, he fired a shot into the door of the apartment and burst his way into the home.
According to prosecutors, Hemphill the chased the two women into a small closet, where he fired two rounds from only three feet away. The first shot hit the friend in the hand and the second in the back of her head.
At the time, she was 24 weeks pregnant. The woman was rushed to MedStar Washington Hospital where she received emergency neurosurgery. Both she and the child survived.
Hemphill went on the run and was arrested weeks later in Pennsylvania.
Once taken back to DC, a judge issued a court order to stay away from his ex, which he violated multiple times between October 2018 and April 2019, according to officials.
He was found guilty by a jury of:
- Two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed;
- Aggravated assault while armed;
- First-degree burglary while armed;
- Multiple counts of contempt;
- Multiple weapons offenses.
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