ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man accused of stabbing another man in downtown Orlando will remain behind bars after a judge granted the state’s request for pretrial detention Tuesday.
Deaveon Brown, 28, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of Kevin Newhard. Brown’s defense team argued he acted in self-defense and was not the aggressor.
Detective John Dalles of the Orlando Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit testified in court that Brown had been at a bar and was waiting for an Uber near Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard when Newhard approached him.
“[Brown] had visited the Stagger Inn and was waiting for an Uber when a male on a bike stopped in front of him on the sidewalk. Later identified as Kevin Newhard,” Dalles testified.
Investigators say the confrontation, which happened just 11 days after the suspect was released from prison on a drug charge, escalated into a verbal argument after Brown took issue with comments Newhard made about women in the area.
“Mr. Brown said in his own words to Mr. Newhard, ‘I’ll beat your a** like no equipment; I’ll beat your a**’ and Mr. Newhard replied to him, ‘alright,’” Dalles said.
The detective testified that Newhard then produced a knife — the same knife Brown allegedly picked up as the two men became physical. During the fight, Newhard reportedly swung a belt at Brown several times before falling on the ground; investigators say Brown used the knife to stab Newhard four times.
Police say surveillance video captured the incident but has not been released, though bystander video of the altercation has circulated on social media. That video was played in court.
Prosecutors argued Brown posed a danger to the community, noting he had a duty to retreat and, as a convicted felon, should not have picked up the knife.
“When he picked up the weapon, thereby neutralizing the threat, Your Honor. He could’ve left, he could’ve ran; in this case, he closed the distance, testified to and on video by, about six to eight feet, and stabbed the victim four times,” prosecutor Steven Peters said.
Brown’s attorney, Christian Mota, pushed back, arguing his client was not the aggressor and that the weapon did not belong to him.
“He was there waiting for an Uber; the victim was the one who brought this to him,” Mota said. “To expect him to make every perfect decision under these circumstances is extremely unfair to the defendant.”
The judge granted the pretrial detention hearing on the attempted murder charge, meaning Brown will remain in custody as the case moves forward. He is also facing charges of aggravated battery with great bodily harm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and use of a firearm/weapon in the commission of a felony.
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