Michael Caldwell, 29, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 44-year-old Fort Washington resident Damien Thompson last summer, who he left to die on the sidewalk.
According to prosecutors, on June 4, 2023, Caldwell was in the 4300 block of Halley Terrace SE at around 11:30 p.m. when he and Thompson got into a verbal argument on the street that rapidly escalated when Thompson tossed a bottle at him during the dispute.
Thompson threw everything but the kitchen sink at Caldwell during the dispute, including the bottle and he attempted to throw a plastic chair at him, but before he could do so, officials say that Caldwell lunged at Thompson and stabbed him in the face.
After the initial stabbing, Thompson fell to the ground, unconscious, but Caldwell continued the attack, stabbing him eight more times in the chest as he lay helpless and defenseless on the ground, they added.
Thompson died "a short time later," and Caldwell was arrested in connection to his murder. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in August 2023.
In addition to his prison term, a judge also ordered that Caldwell service five years of supervised release.
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