Phillip Bealle, 39, and James “Stacey” Williams, 54, have been convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed. The charges stem from an incident outside a liquor store in Southwest Washington, D.C., where the two men attacked another man following a verbal dispute inside the store.
The verdicts were delivered on September 5, 2025, after a three-day jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2025, before Judge Andrea Hertzfeld.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on June 25, 2024, Bealle confronted the victim outside the liquor store as he attempted to leave. Bealle used a wooden plank from a nearby construction site to strike the victim. Williams joined in by hitting the victim with his metal walking cane. Surveillance footage from the store captured much of the attack. Metropolitan Police Department officers apprehended both defendants near the scene on the same day. The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital where head injuries required staples.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the convictions and was joined by Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
“In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.”
They also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikéla Cuffy and Katherine Ballou for prosecuting the case.
