This story, originally published on April 5, 2024 at 5:51 p.m., was updated on April 8, 2024 at 9:45 a.m. to add a comment from Michael Boyd Jr.’s attorney.
An Olney man was convicted Thursday for his involvement in a fight that escalated to include a shooting outside the Sole D’Italia Restaurant in Silver Spring in July, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a Friday statement.
Michael Boyd Jr., 40, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in Montgomery County Circuit Court, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. He faces up to 90 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced June 20.
According to charging documents, a verbal altercation began around 12:11 a.m. July 13 between multiple restaurant patrons behind the restaurant building at 14324 Layhill Road that quickly escalated to a physical fight. Surveillance video footage showed Boyd arriving at the scene around 12:14 a.m., charging documents indicated.
Boyd approached the group and pointed a gun at several people before getting into the middle of the fight, charging documents stated. Shortly after, shots were fired and the crowd quickly dispersed. Boyd then ran between cars, jumped over a fence and ran around a dumpster at the scene, according to charging documents.
Around 12:17 a.m., officers responded to the scene for a report of a shooting and found Boyd with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to charging documents. In addition to Boyd, four people were shot and another victim was injured by bullet fragments, the State’s Attorney’s Office said in its statement.
“The jury found Boyd intended to cause fear of physical bodily harm and used a firearm to do so,” the office said.
Boyd’s attorney, Andre Mahasa, said that he will be appealing this case.
“We believe that there was enough reasonable doubt in his case for a complete acquittal,” Mahasa told MoCo360.
Boyd was indicted on Oct. 8 and has been held without bond at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds since Oct. 16.