Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Dorothy Brizill, the Executive Director of DCWatch, the ubiquitous local government watchdog group, was arrested and charged with assault yesterday after Tara Bridgett, an aide to deputy mayor for education Victor Reinoso, said Brizill grabbed her shirt and yanked the ID badge hanging from a lanyard around her neck.
Brizill, who has been a local legend in D.C. politics for twenty years for her hardcharging questioning of municipal goings on, had been meeting with Reinoso earlier to inquire about the criteria used in the selection of school chancellor nominee Michelle Rhee. The Post reports that Brizill and Bridgett have differing accounts of what happened later, when the alleged assault ocurred.
Brizill said that she asked Bridgett for her name and title and that Bridgett did not respond. Brizill said she leaned in to get a better look at Bridgett's identification badge, which was hanging from her neck. Brizill said Bridgett jerked back and told her to leave.
(Spokesperson for Mayor Fenty Mafara) Hobson said Bridgett told police that Brizill grabbed the aide's badge and grasped her shirt. Bridgett was not available for comment. Hobson said Bridgett had gone to the doctor after feeling neck pain.
Brizill told the Post she denies pulling at Bridgett's clothing or grabbing at her badge. She was arrested about an hour later after testifying at a hearing about the May 1 special election.
No one would deny that Brizill has ruffled a lot of feathers over the years in her role as D.C.'s most outspoken watchdog, but she's also been behind exposing a laundry list of corruption and inefficiency in a local government that's been notably plagued by such problems. We certainly wish both women the best of luck in resolving this dispute quickly, so they can both get back to their important, respective work as soon as possible.
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That is assault?
Neck pain? Puh-leese.
Aside from the particulars of this case, it is common for lower-level DC employees to conceal their names and titles when communicating with the public. It is bad enough when corporate gatekeepers evade responsibility for their actions through this ploy, but it is completely unacceptable for public employees to do so.
In her own words from her email newsletter today.
www.dcwatch.com/themail/2007/07-06-13.htm
Dorothy Brizill needs to get a job and stop living off her husband's inheritance.
I believe in part Ms. Brizill's account here. I'm sure after Ms. Bridgett declined to give her name & title, Ms. Brizill most likely reached out and "grabbed" the badge to obtain her name. I'm sure at that point Ms. Bridgett jerked away adding to the situation. Assault? Give me a break!
Assault is putting someone in imminent fear of a battery (General Def, Not DC Specific), and yes, grabbign her shirt constitutes a battery.
This made me think of the Post special on DC schools, which listed the 'crimes' that occured in each, such as the following in a local school:
V-1 [Female/Student] stated that while at lunch, she reached for some bread. V-1 stated that S-1 [Female/Cafeteria Worker] struck her on her lower right arm. V-1 sustained a bruise on the lower right arm. Medical Services not notified.
This is what passes for assault these days? yet the police come up with every excuse as to why they don't have the power to arrest the drug dealers and gangbangers who are shooting up the neighborhood every night with impunity.
The neck pain is definitely suspicious. But I have to say that I haven't really had a bad experience dealing with DC bureaucracy; the occasional interminable wait at the DMV aside, I've actually been pretty pleased with my dealings with DC City gov't.
If I were Tara Bridgett, I would sue Brizill for $54,000,000 in damages.
She could argue that she is doing this on behalf of all DC Government employees who now live in fear of violent citizens holding them accountable.
Ditto JB - it is worth reading Ms. Brizill's rather digressive account at
www.dcwatch.com/themail/2007/07-06-13.htm
To clarify, her arrest was by members of the Protective Services Division of the Office of Property Management, not MPD.
"Bridgett had gone to the doctor after feeling neck pain"...
riight..methinks Ms. Bridgett is trying too hard to appear the victim :(
Shelley, the police have to respond when called to incidents such as this. Their relative insignificance compared with other crimes is exactly the problem as the police are distracted from these more important efforts. Blame the citizens who can't solve their own minor shuffles without police intervention on the lack of resources and priorities.
Isn't this the same woman that hit a security guard at the capitol last year? If it is then perhaps this will teach her not to grab/hit other people...
It is assualt ANYTIME someone puts there hands on you and you didnt want them to. As stated above, in DC, for it to be assault you dont even have to lay a hand on the person (Colin Finnerty case). I cant believe people are even defending Brizill. As to the neck pain..def a set up for future lawsuit and shameful. The arrest should have been enough.
It is assualt ANYTIME someone puts there hands on you and you didnt want them to. As stated above, in DC, for it to be assault you dont even have to lay a hand on the person (Colin Finnerty case). I cant believe people are even defending Brizill. As to the neck pain..def a set up for future lawsuit and shameful. The arrest should have been enough.
Logan Resident..It was former US Rep Cynthia Mckinnie who was involved in the Capitol struggle. She has since lost her seat. She learned the hard way.
(Lawrence)Thanks ...
Is this where they Dorothy Brizill Fan Club meets on Wednesdays? I was wondering.