Tyjuan Bazemore, 35, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of his former girlfriend Nyesha Tranae Walden-Hatcher, according to a March 10 announcement by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about domestic violence and the enforcement of protective orders. Authorities said that at the time of the killing, Bazemore had an open domestic violence assault case involving Walden-Hatcher and had been ordered to stay away from her as a condition of his release.
Court documents state that Bazemore shot Walden-Hatcher once in the head while they were in his apartment on February 2, resulting in her death. After the incident, Bazemore fled to Connecticut where he was located by members of the Connecticut Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and extradited back to Washington, D.C.
Bazemore made his initial court appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond on March 10. Judge Raymond found probable cause for the offense and ordered Bazemore held without bond pending trial. His next court date is set for a preliminary hearing before Judge Park on March 20.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Dinan. Officials emphasized that “these charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
