Good morning, Washington. We hope you had a safe weekend and were able to enjoy the cooler weather on Sunday thanks to the rain brought in by remnants of Tropical Storm Barry. The respite from the heat, which looks like it may last through Wednesday, is one of the few things we can find to be upbeat about as we go over today’s headlines. As you’ve already heard, Tonya Bell, a 30-year-old woman from Oxon Hill, has been charged with aggravated assault while armed after plowing through an Anacostia street festival on Saturday in a station wagon going 70 mph. At least 40 people, including seven children, were hurt — all are expected to survive. This morning comes confirmation that Bell had been under the influence of crack cocaine at the time of the incident, and has a criminal record dating back to 1995.
Data Shows Violent Crime Up: D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier is doing her best to reassure District residents that crime statistics were not purposefully altered now that the department has revealed that violent crime last year actually increased by 9 percent, despite the radically different statistics released at the end of the year which claimed that violent crime was actually down. An internal review uncovered crimes that were misclassified or not counted, including significant increases in assaults and robberies. Some are questioning whether former Chief Ramsey intentionally misled the public about how safe D.C. had become under his watch. Lanier is set to announce her new summer crime strategy this week.
More Columbia Heights Shootings: A 13-year-old was fatally shot and a man was wounded Saturday night on the 1400 block of Girard Street NW in Columbia Heights, only half a day after a 16-year-old girl was shot and wounded on the same block. Police are investigating three other deadly shootings over the weekend as well: two people were shot and killed in separate incidents in Northeast on Saturday, and police fatally shot a man Sunday after he allegedly pointed a gun at an officer. Columbia Heights residents are particularly alarmed by the recent spate of violence, after another woman was shot at a bus stop at Georgia Ave. and Columbia Rd. on Friday.
Briefly Noted: D.C. Council considers bill that would remove the statute of limitations for bringing sex abuse charges … One year later, questions remain about 2006 D.C. Jail break
Photo by bethanyll22
