Last modified Tuesday, August 4, 2009 8:08 PM PDT
OCEANSIDE: Marine pleads not guilty to assault, other charges

By North County Times wire services

A Camp Pendleton Marine who allegedly tried to run down two other Marines and a 17-year-old boy following an argument last week pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of assault, drunken driving and evading.

The early-morning violence on July 26 in the 2300 block of Greenbrier Drive in Oceanside stemmed from a prior argument among the four, said Oceanside police Sgt. Kelan Poorman.

Dennis Lawshea, 26, was driving through the area when he spotted the trio walking along the road and allegedly tried to run them down with his Ford Focus shortly before 2:30 a.m., Poorman said.

The car struck Michael Harrison Washington, 21, knocking the Marine to the ground. Washington and one of his companions, Brady Sanford Brown, also 21, allegedly responded by pulling guns and opening fire on the departing vehicle.

Washington, who's being held on $135,000 bail, and Brown, held on $125,000 bail, were arraigned last week on assault with a deadly weapon charges.

The 17-year-old was booked into Juvenile Hall on weapons charges.

Ellie