Hagerstown teen charged in murder has violent criminal history
A Hagerstown teenager who turned himself in Tuesday regarding a Friday night shooting that left one dead was previously charged in a July 2021 attempted murder, according to the Washington County State's Attorney's Office.
For the second consecutive day, the bond hearing for Ty Shan Jerome Dotson, 16, of Hagerstown, was continued — this latest time until Friday.
On Wednesday, Washington County District Court Judge Victoria J. Lobley continued the bond hearing a day to give the defense time to file motions regarding possibly moving Dotson to a juvenile facility.
On Thursday, Judge Mark D. Thomas continued the bond hearing until Friday because Dotson's private attorney was not present in the courtroom.
Dotson is facing charges, including first- and second-degree murder in the shooting death of Taron Shawnta Trice, 44, of Silver Spring, Md., according to Hagerstown Police. Charged as an adult, Dotson also is charged with first- and second-degree assault and use of a firearm in a violent crime.
Police responded to the 1400 block of Haven Road around 11:06 p.m. Friday for a report of a homicide and found a person dead in the parking lot of the Stone Ridge Apartments and Townhomes. There does not appear to be a connection to the apartment complex because neither subjects live there, according to a police news release.
That neighborhood is west of Pennsylvania Avenue in the city's North End.
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On Monday, Hagerstown Police announced they had identified the suspect as Dotson and an arrest warrant was issued. Dotson turned himself in on Tuesday, according to police.
"It is believed that the shooting resulted from a verbal argument earlier in the night that escalated once the suspect and victim came in contact with each other at the parking lot," according to a police news release.
Assistant State's Attorney Michelle Flores said Wednesday the shooting followed a search for a phone belonging to Trice's girlfriend — who also is the mother of Dotson's girlfriend — and an altercation with Trice.
Trice told them if they could find his car, they could get the woman's phone, Flores said.
Dotson's girlfriend was driving her mother's car in which Dotson was a front-seat passenger, and the girlfriend's younger brother was in the backseat, Flores said. They went looking for Trice's car and Trice showed up and opened the front passenger door and started to hit Dotson, Flores said.
Dotson's response was to allegedly shoot Trice several times, she said.
Dotson was being held at the Washington County Detention Center on Wednesday and appeared via video for the bond hearing held in District Court.
Assistant Public Defender Garrett Byron told Lobley it was a serious matter, but yet they were still allegations. He asked if Dotson could be released on bond or transferred to a juvenile facility.
Flores said the state's attorney's office would oppose transferring Dotson to a juvenile facility because he has a history of problems with staff and other residents and would pose a danger.
Lobley continued the bond hearing to allow for defense motions, which could include a transfer request.
On Thursday, Assistant Public Defender Sean Mukherjee told Thomas that Dotson had declined the public defender's office's representation and Dotson had a private attorney.
Teen's criminal history
Flores said Dotson has a criminal history, including being charged as an adult for attempted first-degree murder and other charges for what she described as "like a set up" at Mulberry Lofts on July 30, 2021. Dotson, then 15, was allegedly walking around Mulberry Lofts with a gun, a car arrived and he started firing, she told the court.
That case resulted in a plea deal in which the attempted murder charge was dropped and a Juvenile Court judge gave Dotson six month's probation for weapons offenses, Flores said.
Dotson also was charged for possession of a firearm by a minor on Oct. 26 last year, and that case was transferred back to juvenile court, Flores said.
Juvenile court is "big" into rehabilitation, Flores said sarcastically.
Flores told the court that rehabilitation has been tried with Dotson and it didn't work, and now there has been a death.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown teen charged in shooting death has violent criminal history
