WASHINGTON, DC — A violent encounter inside a Navy Yard apartment building last month has turned fatal, prompting upgraded charges against the man initially arrested at the scene, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
On April 23, around 7:51 p.m., D.C. Housing Authority officers were called to an apartment complex in the 400 block of M Street, Southeast, for a report of a disorderly person. Upon arrival, officers found a 77-year-old man, Bernard Williams of Southeast DC, unresponsive and suffering from multiple injuries consistent with a brutal assault. The suspect, 48-year-old Walter Parker, was taken into custody at the scene without incident.
Williams was transported to a hospital, where he remained under care until his death on April 28. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death to be complications from blunt force trauma and ruled it a homicide.
Charges upgraded after medical examiner rules death a homicide
At the time of the original arrest, Parker was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a pistol without a license, and destruction of property. Following Williams’ death and the medical examiner’s findings, detectives worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue additional charges.
On May 12, a DC Superior Court Booking Order was executed, and Parker was formally charged with first-degree murder.