A suspect has turned himself in and faces a charge of second-degree murder in a fatal stabbing over the weekend in downtown Burlington.
Hassan O. Haji, 24, of Winooski, surrendered at the Burlington police headquarters Tuesday morning. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to the murder charge in Chittenden Superior criminal court in Burlington, according to Burlington police.
Police allege that during a fight early Saturday also involving a third person, Haji stabbed 24-year-old Deng Dau once in the groin, killing him.
Judge Robert Katims granted a prosecution request Tuesday to hold Haji without bail.
“There are several witnesses to the fight, and the stabbing was caught on video, as was Mr. Haji’s movements after the event,” Chittenden County Deputy State’s Attorney Ryan Richards wrote in a court filing Tuesday.
“They provide clear, identifiable images of him and show that he went to his brother’s apartment, where blood was found on the door and on shoes in the garbage consistent with the shoes Mr. Haji was wearing in the video,” the filing added. “Also, when Mr. Haji was arrested three days later his hand had an injury consistent with a slip-up wielding a knife.”
Margaret Jansch, Haji’s attorney, asked that the court set a hearing as soon as possible to further consider the hold-without-bail order. Katims then set that hearing for Aug. 27.
Police said that around 4 a.m. Saturday several Burlington officers were in the area of Church and Main streets when they came upon a disturbance behind the Courthouse Plaza building.
Officers found that a man, later identified as Dau, had suffered a stab wound in a parking area behind that building, according to police. Dau was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, police said.
An affidavit filed in support of the charge stated that a video taken from a nearby property showed Haji and Dau shoving each other at one point.
“Haji is observed taking a step back from Dau and then lunging forward with the right side of his upper body swinging his right arm toward Dau’s right hip,” the affidavit stated. “Dau immediately puts his right hand to his right hip and says something to the effect of, ‘Yo, he stabbed me.’”
The fatal stabbing occurred during a weekend when the city also reported another stabbing that left one person injured, and two instances of gunfire where no one was injured.
An online post in Dau’s memory says that he “was known for his incredible sense of humor and kind heart.”
“He had a way of bringing laughter and joy to the people around him. He was supportive, caring, and always willing to be there for the people he loved,” continues the post, which is on a GoFundMe page that says it will help pay for Dau’s funeral expenses and support his family.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that she was grateful for the quick work of the Burlington Police Department in investigating the case.
“Our office met with Mr. Dau’s family and will work diligently to connect them with the essential services available to help them cope with this tragedy and provide them with everything they need to navigate the legal system and the daunting process that lies ahead,” George added.
If convicted of the second-degree murder charge, Haji faces up to life in prison.
Clarification: The stabbing occurred behind the Courthouse Plaza building. A previous version of this story was unclear about the location of the incident.
