Photo by BWKP.

The role of the media when it comes to quote-unquote assisting with criminal matters is regularly categorized as not-so-helpful: the vicious pursuit of a bloody headline either leading to temptation to misconstrue the facts of an investigation during the mad rush to be first to report, or, even worse, casting wide stereotypical nets across large groups of people. But the media can play a helpful role; say, for instance, someone opens fire on a group of people and absconds with a vehicle in an attempt to flee.

On Friday, 39-year-old Robert Carter allegedly came to the 500 block of Madison Street NW and opened fire, killing a thirteen-year-old girl and seriously wounding two of the girl’s relatives. Police say that Carter then carjacked a vehicle — which still had a woman inside — and fled the scene. The call went out far and wide (for example, we posted the tag numbers). But an apprehension wasn’t made until Chief Cathy Lanier went live on WTOP radio with the information. An off-duty U.S. Park Police officer heard the report, and spotted the car, making the apprehension.

WTOP’s Vice President of News and Programming Jim Farley emailed DCist this morning and said that Lanier personally called WTOP reporter Mark Seagraves to tell him the radio station “just helped us catch a murder suspect.”

So, hats off to WTOP. Of course, this incident comes on the heels of an Examiner report which led to the arrest of a fugitive in Woodbridge, who had been wanted on cocaine charges. Man, D.C. media is cleaning up of late! Maybe they should start some sort of a media vigilante group. DCist would join, but we all ate too much Halloween candy last night.