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Last night, Northeast D.C. saw a robbery, a high-speed chase, gun shots directed at police, an injured cyclist, and a barricade situation, all rolled into one. Police cars, flashing lights and emergency vehicles woke up many residents late last night around a normally quiet stretch of Capitol Hill. NBC 4 notes that investigators have said the incident "started around 9:30 p.m. after three suspects robbed a man at gunpoint at 41st and Benning Road Northeast and then fled in a red Jeep." DCist commenter Chris posted MPD's account in the comments section of today's Morning Roundup:
"At approximately 2120 hours a citizen was robbed at gunpoint in the 6th District and assailants fled in red Jeep - this Jeep was then seen in the 5th District where a pursuit ensued - a bailout occurred at 17th and Md and two apprehensions were made but third assailant jumped into black Tahoe and took off thus Falcoln (helicopter unit), 1d and 5d units pursued this fleeing felon throughout 1d and 5d -- this assailant fired rounds at officers when he first crashed into parked car at 6th and F ST NE - an SOD officer returned fire - no rounds took effect and assailant continued to flee North on 6th ST where he struck a bicyclist at 6th and Florida NE -- (who has suffered minor injuries) - the pursuit continued until he crashed at 8th and Mass AVE NE and bailed out and fled into the home that you mentioned below (homeowners were able to run out unharmed) -- a barricade was announced for he ran into the basement and was surrounded by police - we awaited our SWAT team who apprehended this assailant at 0010 hours without incident!"
The most comprehensive blog report comes from Frozen Tropics, who makes sure to mention that the man whose basement the robber decided to hole up in decided to pull the brave, if somewhat cartoonish move, of hitting the perpetrator on the head with a frying pan.
This morning, the area was chock full 'o flares, snarled traffic and diverted metrobuses. Frozen Tropics wonders why this isn't being more heavily reported on by the mainstream local media. Indeed, as it was happening last night, the only station who mentioned it seemed to be WJLA, who was live on the scene. DCist commenter GhettoBurbs goes so far as to state that "Murders, rapes, carjackings, etc only get reported if they're in 2nd or 3rd districts." With this rather large situation having taken place in the 6th District, plus another shooting early this morning on H Street NE that killed one man and injured a woman, is that really the case?
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Sounds like quite a spectacle.
Not to nitpick, but two semi-random thoughts: 1- I don't know that "cartoonish" captures all the nuances of being hit by a frying pan. It's a cliche for a reason: A ten-inch Lodge cast iron pan swung by an 89 year old granny could easily kill a man. 2- Not all areas of 3D get equal press coverage. 302 and 304 don't get near the same play in the press as 306, for example.
Oh goody, I may have started my own personal flamewar!
I believe it. When I was living in Southern PG County in the 90's, you could drop a nuke down there and the local news would ignore it. They only seemed to care about NOVA, Montgomery County, and the more affluent neighborhoods of DC.
And at least on Capitol Hill, that particular corner is still quite an affulent area. With all of the Members of Congress and diplomats who live around that block, I'm really surprised not to have heard more.
It was pretty wild for about an hour last night.
Oh calm down. the event happened halfway through the 11:00 broadcasts, and at least three of the stations carried reports on it through the night. Fox 5 had their report and the latest info inline by 12:04. The post ran a brief in the Metro section, but that went to press and the reporting was done way before the situation was resolved. As it was happening down the street from me, I admit to being frustrated by not knowing anything. But to say it was "ignored" by the "mainstream media" --oooh, scary! conspiracy!--is to ignore the mitigating circumstances that prohibit the reporting of late-developing news.
I will say, sometimes I have to go out of my way to find information on crimes occuring in my area. (I live where N. Capitol Hill merges with the Atlas District)
Props to Frozen Tropics, too. Great blog to read if you live in that area.
There's so much in NE that goes unnoticed every day - we've been questioning the lack of MSM coverage for some time now.
-jaime / www.stopblogandroll.com
I doubt it is the case. I have lived in Shaw for 10 years, and I am always puzzled at shootings, and even a murder on my block, that never make the news or even the paper, while seemingly inconsequential stories sometimes make the news. I used to get annoyed and think that there was some reason for it. But these days I am inclined to believe that the news agencies can't be everywhere at the right time, and like the Police, have priorities or other activities we are not aware of on given days, especially when you take into the account the size of the region their audience covers, and where most of the customers live (outside DC).
What I've been wondering is how the black Tahoe fits in. It seems unlikely that you would have time to break into another vehicle during a high-speed chase, so did the perp already have the keys or was it a car-jacking?
Calm down, conspiracy theorists, not every crime makes the front page. A couple years ago I was living in Adams Morgan (gentrification! nothing but rich people! etc.!) and watched a shootout between some guy and a half-dozen cops from my window overlooking Ontario. The guy ran east on Euclid, firing over his back. Altogether we're talking thirty or more rounds. A cop was injured. The guy was injured and later arrested after a standoff on 17th. The whole thing garnered two grafs deep in the Metro section, and, from what I remember, no self-righteous "outrage" on the local blog.
Kelby might be onto something. Most media consumers in the Washington Metro Area probably don't care much about what goes on (remind me what the name of that neighborhood was?) in NE. It seems to me this same dynamic happens in Columbia Heights and Petworth, too.
Maybe part of the reason 2 and 3- specifically G'Town, Downtown, Dupont, U St and AM- get more play because more people from out of the city go there to play.
No offense or flamewar intended, it's just an idea to explain what to me is an obvious phenomenon.
I'm equally confused about how this chase went down. Reading the blurb above it seems the assailant was almost driving in circles, like he didn't want to leave the vicinity.
Holy shit, that's what that was?!? I was about two blocks north of 8th & Mass heading to the 7-11 when that shit went down last night. Crayyyyyyzeeee.
Until the citizens of the District, who commit these wanton crimes, realize the value of life why should we expect the media to?
Maybe part of the reason 2 and 3- specifically G'Town, Downtown, Dupont, U St and AM- get more play because more people from out of the city go there to play.
I think you hit the nail right on the head. The small, self-selecting sample that DCist represents is probably more familiar with the "Atlas District" than your average viewer of the 11pm news; hence the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments about the lack of coverage.
Until the citizens of the District, who commit these wanton crimes, realize the value of life why should we expect the media to?
Ryan - What about the victims of the crimes? Fuck them for living in the District? I suppose according to your "logic" they're not worthy of news coverage.
Hate to say it, but people *expect* crime in NE, so crime is only noticed when it happens in places where there is usually less crime. The news makes stories based on abnormalities, not the status quo.
At least they didn't throw a bunch of Lite Brites onto a bridge.
Both these events were pretty unusual (particularly the robbery-car chase-hit and run-barricade thing). I posted about the barracade-car chase because the chase was close to my house and I had seen emergency vehicles and a helicopter headed southwest (looked like something big was going on). The actual house the guy entered was barely in NE. It's actually very close to Lincoln Park & definitely in CAPITOL HILL. To have these two things happen at once is pretty crazy for anywhere, and I would expect it to be big news (but I had trouble finding it on the tv news websites, and the Post location puzzles me). I would have updated my post with the news coverage earlier had it not been for some technical glitches).
@ Perspective - This isn't about "self-righteous 'outrage.'" It's outrage at what is happening - frequently unnoticed by those outside a neighborhood's boundaries - in our communities. I'm not asking for front page coverage - I'm asking for knowledge that could help bring down the crime stats where I live. If the public isn't aware of what's happening, the issues will likely not get addressed. And, if it's not a "flashy" crime like the one mentioned in this post, word usually doesn't get out.
Of course, this isn't just a NE problem. But any coverage that addresses the crime in underserved areas (underserved by the media, public resources, etc.) is a step in reclaiming our neighborhoods from the criminals. So, perhaps you don't need or want to know, but a good number of folks do.
-jaime / www.stopblogandroll.com
"The small, self-selecting sample that DCist represents is probably more familiar with the "Atlas District" than your average viewer of the 11pm news"
I'd be so bold as to broaden your observation of the average viewer to include to your average reporter/producer of metro area news coverage. I'm pretty sure this also plays a, perhaps unconscious, part in decisions about what gets emphasis. I mean, Garfield Terrace isn’t exactly like Park Morton anymore, but which name do you think big 3 news producers are more likely to recognize? Are they, as mostly outsiders, in a good position to grasp subtleties or changes over time?
but I had trouble finding it on the tv news websites, and the Post location puzzles me
Again, it happened at midnight. You had trouble finding it in the Post because by midnight the entire section is designed and ready to be set. They keep space open for late-breaking news--in this case it was a brief on page 2--and put in as much info as they had. No, reporters can't be everywhere. Imagine the time it takes to hear the call on a scanner, get in touch with the police, get information, write that information up and get that information to the designer and editor, who then have to rip up a page that has already been finished. Note the last sentence of the brief in today's print edition--the incident was still ongoing--which means all this happened between when the guy stole the car around 10:30 and when he was arrested around midnight. In the grand scheme of things, that's an awful lot of work for the post to have put into an incident that directly affected maybe a few dozen people.
Front-page news for you and your blogger friends has to be weighed against what is of interest to the other hundreds of thousands of people who pick up the Post every day.
800 block of Massachusetts is a very ritzy block. They probably hit him with a Le Cruset frying pan.
I agree with inked78; no way this is *expected* for this area. By this area I mean down the road from Eastern Market, Chinatown, Union Station. Areas further NE (Brentwood) frequently see more crime.
Also, spookiness, what does "The news makes stories" mean?
I live in the Atlas District, and my home was the scene of an unprovoked and random shooting that never made ANY local news back in September. (Though it was on Frozen Tropics.) A while back, during the great debate here over that band at DC9, a commenter here said something that I think is right on: DC residents have a totally screwed up idea of what an "acceptable" level of crime is. They think of neighborhoods like mine and assume that violent crime is endemic and chronic and never going to change, so why even bother? The news organizations are just hip to that vibe; if they reported on every shooting in the city and near suburbs there'd be no time for anything else on the 11 o'clock news.
The person who shot my friend was killed himself 4 days later. The police knew who they were looking for, but there's so much crime in our area that they didn't connect the dots until almost two months later. And this isn't a complaint about the police; they did a good job and were responsive. The city is just overwhelmed.
The truth is that if you live in the Atlas District or Petworth or Columbia Heights, you are not safe. If nothing has happened to you it's because the law of averages is on your side.
One thing I have learned through my own experience with this is that people distance themselves from these incidents however they can. It's a survival mechanism; if you really thought about how vulnerable you are, living and working and walking your dog in places like this, you couldn't get through the day. DC residents have apparently decided that this level of crime is an acceptable risk that we incur in exchange for...access to Hill jobs? Lots of Starbucks? It will take a real paradigm shift to change anything here and I dont know that it will ever happen.
Mark - You are correct sir! Although I would think a couple of "I'm gonna save the world with my writing" young journalist types would have caught a few shows at the Red & the Black or the Rock & Roll Hotel by now and be at least somewhat familiar with the area.
Anyone have any ideas on who or what came up with the "Atlas District" moniker for H St? I've also seen houses in the area down past Benning Plaza toward RFK being advertised as the neighborhood "East of Starburst", hilarious!!!
i'm guessing it's because of the Atlas Theatre that resides on said street.
If nothing has happened to you it's because the law of averages is on your side.
But isn't that the case with most of life? Your feelings of "vulnerability" are *yours*. And most people *do* go through the day without getting shot, mugged, or what have you. Life is soooo scary. The fact that you reduce our choice to "Hill jobs" and "lots of Starbucks" is incredibly telling. You're probably one of those people who would never ride a bike in the city because "it's suicidal; drivers are trying to kill you." Go out and live.
What was the original source for the MPD blurb?
ibc, that was kind of rude. Don't know how we got from people getting shot in dangerous neighborhoods to speculation on me being afraid to ride a bike.
Of course "most people *do* go through the day without getting shot, mugged, or what have you." That's what I'm saying. But that doesn't mean that the city they live in is safe, or that the level of crime here is acceptable. My point is that DC citizens are jaded about crime and that the chronic levels of crime here are unacceptable, especially in the neighborhoods we've been talking about. I have a new perspective on this, seeing over and over again how people start rationalizing and distancing themselves when something horrible happens.
Finally, telling me to "go out and live" is condescending and unnecessary.
If the law of averages is on your side, aren't you safe? Seems like you'd be in danger only if the law of averages was against you. The law of averages is on your side in Georgetown, too -- there are violent crimes committed there, they just happen pretty infrequently compared to the number of people who live and work there.
Averages, I think we're splitting hairs here. Or perhaps I'm being unclear. Yes, the law of averages dictates both that most of us will be safe and that some of us won't. My point is--still--that the level of crime in the city that people here think is unremarkable is actually unacceptable. Pretending that the situation is good doesn't protect you, though that reaction does make it psychologically easier for people to live with. And it doesn't receive the coverage it should because people don't want to hear about it.
I watched the 20-cop-car ballet from the Red and the Black, beginning before 10 pm as they canvassed the grid at high speed. Went back inside and saw it on Channel 4 at 11. Not sure what the media problem is with this particular event.
I was happy to hear nobody got shot. Those are the ones that I can never find in the news, like those two in NE a few weeks ago. Thanks to Frozen Tropics for a fantastic blog.
Not sure what the media problem is with this particular event.
My guess is that people were either watching "The Daily Show" or just not watching the news.
CF, Most DC residents do not live in fear because crime is mostly block-by-block, and as you say, the law of averages is in your favor. Heavily.
Sorry for prickly tone, but most of us don't like being told we're living in denial, insufficiently terrified, or in thrall to Starbucks. If you don't know why folks live here, why on earth would *you* live here? Certainly you have some reasons.
For what it's worth, I'd like to see a reduction in crime. I'd also like to see the school system improve. All these things are happening.
One last thing. I'd also like to say that when a guy jacks a Tahoe, fires at pursuing MPD officers, runs over a cyclist, breaks into someone's house and threatens a family while they're cooking dinner, here's what I'd like to have happen: I'd like the police to shoot the guy about 30 times when they finally catch up with him. Cause that guy is beyond rehabilitation.
With all this hostility, no wonder the city is filled with crime. CF did mention that he/she lives in the neighborhood and that a shooting occurred at his residence, I think that gives some credibility to the theory that we may be living in denial, but don't quite realize it until it happens at home. You really cannot deny the validity of that perspective when it is attached to such a relevant experience.
ibc - You're pronouncing a death sentence on nothing but shreds of evidence. You're also in favor of throwing out 5th amendment due process protections. No thanks.
Hm. Could have sworn I saw this reported on channel 4 last night.
Sorry, but if a guy shoots at a cop, the cop is going to shoot back. Due process applies to whatever is left of him.
Polit:
I agree with your sense, but I doubt that such dramatic understatement as "shreds of evidence" is really appropriate in this case, as the entire event seems pretty well documented.
damn... I just disqualified myself from the jury.
Sorry, I didn't realize that police use of deadly force had been ruled a violation of the 5th Amendment. Could you point to a ruling? If you're willing to concede cops have the right to defend themselves, what about the greater community? If a perp is driving down Maryland Ave at 60 mph, firing at police, is he a threat? Sounds like it. In fact, he sounds like enough of a threat that it's just not worth it to risk taking him alive. F him.
There's no slippery slope. This is not Dialou. Some situations *are* unambiguous.
btw, beaten into an unrecognizable and brain-damaged pulp with the resident's frying pan would also be an acceptable outcome in the H St case.
Mark - Specifically, there's nothing that goes to state of mind. Are we ready to pronounce death sentences on the mentally ill?
ibc - "our SWAT team who apprehended this assailant at 0010 hours without incident". Yes, it's a different situation if someone wants to go down fighting and obviously everyone has the right to self defense.
As for your cite, it doesn't take a Supreme Court ruling to make police use of force subject to constitutional protections. See 42 USC (s) 1983, which provides civil relief for violations of civil rights.
There is also Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, which discusses the test for determining a civil rights violation due to excessive force under 42 USC (s) 1983. I'll note that it could be the 4th amendment that would apply in such a situation, not the 5th (or 14th).
Here's the key section: Today we make explicit what was implicit in Garner's analysis, and hold that all claims that law enforcement officers have used excessive force - deadly or not - in the course of an arrest, investigatory stop, or other "seizure" of a free citizen should be analyzed under the Fourth Amendment.
The case referenced is Tennessee v. Garner, where the court "addressed a claim that the use of deadly force to apprehend a fleeing suspect who did not appear to be armed or otherwise dangerous violated the suspect's constitutional rights, notwithstanding the existence of probable cause to arrest."
Obviously this wouldn't fully apply here because the suspect was armed, but that gives you another case to read, since you believe police are somehow above the Constitution.
What many seem to be forgetting is the nature of news. Drug dealers shooting each other is not news. Breakins and violent crime in bad neighborhoods is not news. That ceased being news decades ago.
That's why it doesn't get much coverage.
And, sadly, innocent people getting caught in the crossfire isn't really news anymore.
That part is regrettable, but I can fully understand why the rest of society is bored with hearing about drug dealers shooting each other. So, no. Not really a conspiracy. It's more about the titillating nature of news.
Mass,
I never said the media was ignoring the stories (and I get why the shootings might not have been on the radar yet). I just figured that a story like the chase would be unique enough to rank a little higher on the morning newscast (since I'd seen it on tv the night before). I was a little puzzled that I had to dig for it. I also understand how newspapers have to have stuff laid out ahead of time (but that shouldn't stop them from updating online editions, which the Post sometimes does). There's no need to be a condescending jerk about it.
And the Atlas District name is related to the theater. It's a marketing thing trumpeted by some people (the Atlas Performing Arts Center and Joe Englert are notable examples).
Polit:
Not knowing state of mind does not correspond saying we only have "shreds of evidence". I'm generally in agreement with you on everything else, including due process. I'm just being picky over what I think is your use of dramatic understatement. Perhaps you chose such to offset the dramatic nature of the crimes.
Hillman: Good points on what is and is not newsworthy.
This happened in the MPD First District, not the Sixth, which is east of the river. You're mixing up DC Council Wards with MPD Districts.
Re: Coverage--check out today's B1 Washington Post article. I think this a situation where the "MSM" nails the story and bloggers, by taking the opportunity to complain and snipe, miss completely.
The case referenced is Tennessee v. Garner, where the court "addressed a claim that the use of deadly force to apprehend a fleeing suspect who did not appear to be armed or otherwise dangerous violated the suspect's constitutional rights, notwithstanding the existence of probable cause to arrest."
Hmm, well since our suspect was armed, and in the process of running down cyclists, breaking into homes, and shooting at police, it sounds like Tennessee v Garner is the thinnest of thin reeds. You sound like you should know your stuff, so could you find something that's actually relevant to the case at hand, not the case you wish was at hand?
Obviously this wouldn't fully apply here because the suspect was armed.
Oh, wait. I see you've already pointed that out to yourself.
...you believe police are somehow above the Constitution.
And clearly you're one of those folks that believe cops, citizens, and pretty much everyone *except* armed punks bent on mayhem have no right to either defense or protection. I don't actually believe that's the totality of your position, but since you're going to caricature mine, I thought I'd return the favor.
As Mark pointed out, you do seem to have a fondness for hyperbole ("shreds of evidence", "police are somehow above the Constitution", etc...).
Let me make an analogy: I don't think the police have a right to shoot my dog, but if my dog is frothing at the mouth, has just finished gnawing on my neighbor's daughter's leg, and is now going after my other neighbor's son, I expect the police to shoot him.
IBC: for someone who's call-sign is also a brand of soft drink (rootbeer), you come off just a tad... hard. It's simply not legal to kill someone (without due process, in DC even with) unless they're a present threat. Hiding in a basement until your grandmother calls you out probably doesn't qualify. Hyperbole all around? On DCist? Nahhh
Mark - Nitpicking.. Have a good weekend.
ibc - Continue to make assumptions. Again, I don't really need case law to back me up. Everyone is subject to Constitutional limitations and protections, but not dogs. Have a good weekend.
personally...i dont like yall wite people movin in2 dc anyway...yall are not the onez who lived through the devestation the city was under in the 80's and 90's...as soon as we(long standing residents) get our act together and get the neighborhood safer...yall want to move in and start complaining and tryin to change the history of our neighborhood...the childrens museum is being changed into a luxury condo...its bullshit
and by the way...is it just me or is the capital hill area growing...the last time i checked my neighborhood was called near northeast/stanton park neighborhood...but i hear yuppies refer to it as capital hill...YALL ARE PARISITES---DONT COME 2 D.C AND IF U ARE ALREADY HERE YOU NEED 2 LEAVE ASAP---YALL COMPLAIN ABOUT DC RESIDENTS BEING MEAN, WELL LET ME TELL YOU THAT WE ARE NOT MEAN WE JUST DONT WANT YALL HEAR----KEEP DC BLACK