Clearing up the Confusion - Man Who Shot MPD Officer is Killed

A number of news outlets are reporting that the man who shot an MPD officer on Friday also shot a PG County sheriff's deputy before he was shot and killed. While Dorian Ray was the intended recipient of the initial paternity warrant, he was not the shooter. The Washington Post clarifies the situation best:

A Prince George's County sheriff's deputy was shot and seriously wounded early yesterday in a motel room in the Laurel area by a man who had shot a D.C. police officer in the face Friday, authorities said.

Other law enforcement officers in the motel room opened fire and killed the suspect, police said. He was identified last night by Howard County police as Aaron M. Lowry, 31, of Washington.

....

The Prince George's deputy and several other members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force had gone to an EconoLodge in the 9700 block of Route 1 near Laurel about 3:30 p.m. in search of the man who shot the D.C. officer. The man was also wanted on charges of attempted murder and robbery, police said.

They found Lowry in a room at the motel, Howard police said. When he shot at them, they returned fire and killed him, police said.

....

Lowry apparently came into contact with D.C. police about 1:15 p.m. Friday in the 700 block of Irving Street NE, where members of the task force had gone to serve a paternity support warrant on another man, according to a police account.

The task force members saw someone who appeared to match the description of the man they were seeking, police said. As officers approached, Lowry pulled out a gun and fired three times, grazing Duncan in the face, authorities said. They said the officers did not fire back.

....

The gunman ran and was last seen heading south on Eighth Street NE, Lanier said. Police officers and marshals swarmed the area, which includes Catholic University, and helicopters hovered. Lanier said she extended the shifts of some officers who would have finished their days at 3 p.m.

During the search, police said they found the man wanted in the paternity warrant and took him into custody. He was identified as Dorian M. Ray, 36, of the 600 block of Hamlin Street NE. Ray was not charged in the D.C. officer's shooting.

MPD Officer Shot in NE; Police Searching Near Brookland and Brentwood Metro Stations

**UPDATE** The suspect, 36-year-old Dorian Maurice Ray, has been taken into custody. Ray was being served a paternity warrant when he allegedly shot 37-year-old detective Antonio Duncan, a 14-year-veteran of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, a U.S. marshal-led task force.

Both Fox5 and NBC4 are reporting the incident:

D.C. police said they are investigating a shooting involving an officer.

Sources told News4 the officer suffered a graze wound to his face in the 700 block of Irving Street in Northeast. There was no word on what the officer was doing when the shooting occurred.

A priest told News4 that he heard three shots and saw the officer on the ground when he went outside. The priest said he was surprised the wound wasn't more serious because it was a close-range shooting.

Police said the gunman was a black man standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds, wearing blue jeans and carrying a black backpack.

The man fled down Eighth Street and was last seen running toward the Brookland Metro Station, police said. Trains were stopped as officers from D.C. police and Metro Transit Police searched the station and tracks for the shooter.

The officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

More from WTOP:

An intensive manhunt is underway after a D.C. Police detective was shot in a neighborhood near Catholic University, D.C. Police say.
D.C. Police say the detective was grazed on the side of his face by a bullet after a man opened fire around 1:20 p.m. Friday.

The shooting occurred in the 3100 block of 7th Street in Northeast, near Catholic and Trinity universities.

The detective is a member of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, a U.S. marshal-led task force.

The task force was in the area serving arrest warrants, but it's not clear whether the shooter was wanted by police or just opened fire when he saw the officers.

The suspect is still on the loose and considered armed and dangerous.

He is described as a light complexioned black man, about 36 years old with light facial hair. He is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and weighs about 160 pounds and was carrying a black backpack.

Police say the detective is expected to be released from the hospital later Friday.

The suspect was last seen fleeing on the railroad tracks east of Catholic University, according to a message on Catholic University's Web site.

Earlier, Catholic University students in the Spellman and Conaty residence halls - the buildings closest to the shooting - were informed to stay in their buildings, but the alert has been lifted.

The university is not on lockdown and there is no evidence to suggest the gunman is anywhere near campus.

Quick Links

I'm on my way out of town for a week, so posting will be light-to-nil. I don't have the time to create posts for each of the links below, but I wanted to share them in case you missed them in the news this week (and I think this may be a good way for me to get info out quickly and more frequently):

» "1300 Rhode Island Avenue - New Name, New Birthday" - DCmud, Friday, October 19th - The "1300 Rhode Island Avenue" development is now dubbed "Brookland Square"
» "Academy Expands Facility, and Hope" - WaPo, Thursday, October 18th - Inspirational news from the Academy of Hope, now located in Edgewood Terrace
» "4 Catholic schools to fight charter conversion" - The Examiner, October 18th - St. Francis de Sales in Woodridge is one of the schools trying to escape charter conversion; St. Anthony's in Brookland will remain under the Archdiocese of Washington's umbrella
» "Owner's letter OKs crackdown" - The Washington Times, October 18th - The company managing the Rhode Island Place shopping center has authorized the MPD to crack down on crimes being committed by day laborers who go there seeking work

Brookland Crime Solutions Meeting - Saturday, September 8th

What: In response to the summer rash of crime in Brookland - frequently near the Metro, and most recently a mugging/shooting Saturday night on 10th Street NE in the alley between Perry Place and Quincy - Councilmember Harry "Tommy" Thomas, Jr. and MPD are hosting "Brookland Crime Solutions Meeting: Real Concerns; Real Talk; Real Solutions"

When: Saturday, September 8th, 2007, 2:30-4:00 p.m.

Where: Brooks Mansion, 901 Newton Street NE

Etc.: For more information or to reserve a seat contact 202.724.8028

Armed Man Dies After Shootout with Police

Police aren't sure if 23-year-old Gregory Thomas was fatally wounded before or during the gun battle with police. From WUSA9:

MPD is investigating a shooting involving two of their officers that left one man dead.

Police tell 9NEWS NOW it all began around 12:30am, when an off duty officer was on his way home and noticed a man firing shots into a courtyard at 17th Street & Benning Road NE.

The off duty officer approached the suspect announced that he was a police officer, and exchanged gunfire.

The suspect then jumped into a green and white vehicle and fled the scene toward a laundromat near 1342 Florida Ave NE.

An on duty officer encountered the suspects as they got back on Benning Road and exchanged gunfire with the suspect while he was trying to flee the scene.

A vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle showed up at a firehouse in the 1100 block of Morse Street NE and left a man suffering from gunshots in the driveway then fled. [Frozen Tropics notes that there isn't a fire station on that block, so it must have been the station on Florida Avenue. There's also some confusion over whether the initial intersection was 17th and Benning or 17th and Bladensburg.]

The man was taken to a local hospital were he was pronounced dead a short time later.

D.C. Police chief Cathy Lanier says the two officers involved were not injured.

The man has not been identified and police are looking for the driver of the car who left the man at the firehouse.

If you have any information about this case, please call MPD at 202-727-9099.

More:
» WaPo
» ABC7
» NBC4

MPD Youth Investigations Branch Open House - Saturday, April 21st

In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Youth Investigation Branch (YIB) will hold an Open House on Saturday, April 21st, 2007, 11am–5pm. The event is free and open to the public. For additional information contact:

Youth Investigations Branch
1700 Rhode Island Avenue, NE
(202) 576-6768 (phone)
(202) 576-6561 (fax)

The Metropolitan Police Department, Youth Investigations Branch (YIB), is responsible for the following:
· Investigating Child Abuse and Neglect
· Investigating Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation (including child pornography and child prostitution)
· Investigating Juvenile Missing Persons (under the age of 18 years) & Parental Kidnapping
· Investigating Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS)
· Juvenile Processing Center (process juvenile arrestees)
· Absconder Unit (locate youth in abscondence)
· Investigating Internet Crimes against Children Unit

For more information on YIB sevices and resources, visit this page of the MPD site.

MPD Community Survey Deadline - Wednesday, March 14th

Purpose
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of the District of Columbia, under the new leadership of Acting Chief of Police Cathy Lanier, is committed to reducing crime and the fear of crime by establishing "customized community policing" strategies to address individual neighborhood problems. As part of this, the Department is conducting a citywide survey to identify ways to improve services to all community members.

Who Can Participate?
District residents and business owners, commuters and visitors are welcome to participate in the survey.

How do I Participate?
Your participation is voluntary, but is very important to the success of the survey. To complete the survey, click on the link below, which will take you to a companion website hosted by SurveyMonkey:

· MPD Community Survey 2007
· MPD Community Survey 2007 (en Español)

Alternatively, you can download a PDF of the printed Community Survey, fill it out, and send to us via US Mail by March 14, 2007, to:

Annie Russell, Director
Policing for Prevention Division
300 Indiana Avenue, NW
Room 5140
Washington, DC 20001

When Does the Survey Close?
Survey respondents are asked to complete the survey by March 14, 2007, whether they do so electronically or via a printed form.

How Do I Learn More?
Call Annie Russell at 202.727.1585 or annie.russell@dc.gov

Is the Survey Confidential?
Your answers are confidential and will be used only to help the Department understand community issues. MPD plans to track its progress over time through additional surveys just like this.

MPD Releases Photo of Shawn Burrell, Escaped NE Robbery Suspect

Previous posts here and here.

To Wonkette readers - thanks for stopping in....I'm guessing this isn't as exciting as you may have hoped, but, by all means, give the DC police a ring at 202.727.9099 or 1.800.673.2777 if you've seen Shawn.

Homicide in the 3100 Block of 10th Street NE

Just a few hours after MPD Chief Ramsey led a march for peace, 28-year-old Eddie Watkins was shot and killed in front of 3124 10th Street, NE. From MPD:

At approximately 11:30 pm, on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, Metropolitan Police were called to the front of a building located in the 3100 block of 10th Street, NE, to investigate the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located 28-year-old Eddie Watkins, of the 3100 block of 10th Street, NE, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the scene, but found no signs consistent with life. He was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia and pronounced dead.

The case is under investigation by members of the MPDC's Violent Crimes Branch. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099.

The department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

- - -

Another senseless teenage death in NE on Tuesday, this time due to reckless driving:

On Tuesday, October 10, 2006, at approximately 4:25 pm, at the intersection of 8th Street and South Dakota Avenue, NE, 20-year-old Jonas Lee Underwood, of the 4900 block of 7th Street, NE, was the driver of a 1997 Chevy Monte Carlo making a left turn from westbound South Dakota Avenue NE, onto southbound 8th Street. As Mr. Underwood was making his turn, his vehicle was struck by a 2004 Chevy Avalanche being driven by 35-year-old Brian Omar Johnson, of the 1200 block of Delafield Place NE.

The impact caused massive intrusion into the right passenger’s side of the Monte Carlo. Consequently, the right rear passenger of the Monte Carlo, identified as 16-year-old David Duarte, of the 5000 block of 54th Place in Hyattsville, Maryland, was transported to the Washington Hospital Center’s MedSTAR Unit, where he was pronounced dead 5:10 pm.

Jonas Underwood was treated at the Washington Hospital Center for facial lacerations. The front seat passenger was treated at Howard University Hospital for head pain and facial cuts, and then released. The third passenger of the Monte Carlo was not physically injured.

Brian Johnson and his two passengers in the Chevy Avalanche did not sustain any physical injuries.

The case is under investigation by members of the MPDC's Major Crash Investigations Unit. Investigators have established that the intersection where the crash occurred is controlled by a stop sign for both northbound and southbound traffic. Therefore, the contributing factor in the crash is the failure to yield the right of way on the part of the operator of the Chevy Monte Carlo.

While the accident may certainly have been caused by Jonas Lee Underwood's failure to yield, I've no doubt that the oncoming traffic was travelling much faster than the posted speed limit. My guess is that may have contributed to the intensity of the crash.

- - -

Finally, my apologies for not keeping up with all the happenings in the community lately. I've been under some serious time constraints that don't appear to be ending any time soon. While I'd like to go back and touch upon everything I've missed, I know that will only put me even further behind. So forward we go - with a few bumps in the road ahead....

Escaped Prisoner Apprehended Near Scene of Original Crime

James Bell was captured around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday near 17th and L Streets, NE. Good to know that if you're an arsonist with no fixed address, you'll just duck from the cops a block away from the original crime scene. I hope someone is taking notes.

Prisoner Escapes in NE During Transport

***UPDATED***

I just put two-and-two together: this is the man who torched Kathy Henderson's car just over two weeks ago! I wonder if this qualifies her for a police escort home?



From MPD:

The Metropolitan Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in helping to locate an escaped prisoner.

At approximately 3:30 am, on Friday, June 30, 2006, a 1991 Mercury Capri was set ablaze at 1807 L Street, NE. A second vehicle, a 1999 Suzuki Vitary, was also damaged as a result of the fire.

A subsequent investigation by members of the department's Fifth District led to the arrest of 34-year-old James D. Bell, of no fixed address. He was arrested, without incident, at 19th Street and Maryland Avenue, NE, at approximately 4:24 pm, on Saturday, July 15, 2006, and charged with Destruction of Property. At approximately 10 am, on Monday, July 17, 2006, Mr. Bell was being transported from the Fifth District station, located at 1805 Bladensburg Road, NE, to the department's Central Cell Block, located at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW. While in the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue, NE, Mr. Bell apparently managed to force or kick open the back door of the transport wagon and make good his escape.

James D. Bell is described as a 34-year-old black male, 6'1" tall, approximately 150 pounds with braided type hair. He has a tombstone-shaped tattoo with the letters "RIP" on his upper right arm and a heart-shaped tattoo with the word "TANYA" on his upper left arm. He was last seen wearing a black jump suit.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of James D. Bell, or who sees him, should take no direct action but should call police at (202) 727-9099 or 911.

From WTOP:

D.C. police are looking for a prisoner who escaped from a transport vehicle Monday morning.

Police say 34-year-old James Bell managed to kick open the door of the vehicle in the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue, Northeast around 10:30 a.m. Bell was being moved from the Fifth Police District to police headquarters.

Bell also goes by the first name Marcell. He was arrested on Saturday on charges of setting fire to a vehicle on L Street, Northeast.

Police say Bell is a black man, about six-foot-one and 150 pounds. He has braided hair, a tombstone "RIP" tattoo on his upper right arm and a heart with the name "Tanya" in it on his upper left arm.

Bell was last seen wearing a black prison jumpsuit and may still have the plastic handcuffs he was wearing when he escaped.

I have a hard time believing the plastic 'cuffs are still on....

Weekend Ward 5 / NE Murder Roundup

Unfortunately there was enough activity over the holiday weekend thus far to call this a "roundup" - and it doesn't include the bulk of the regional weekend violence - (all info below from MPD):

• At approximately 10:15 on the night of Friday, June 30, 2006, police were called to the A & L Market, located at 2007 First Street, NW, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival they located the owner of the store, 35-year-old Maurice Darnaby of the 11000 block of Old York Road in Mitchellville, Maryland, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. DC Fire Department emergency medical personnel responded to the scene but found no signs consistent with life. Local news coverage from WaPo, ABC7, WUSA9, and NBC4.
• At approximately 12:15 on the morning of Saturday, July 1, 2006, police were called to the front of 2012 Maryland Avenue, NE, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival they located 25-year-old Ronald Anderson, of the 2000 block of Maryland Avenue, NE, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was taken to the Washington Hospital Center's MedSTAR Unit and pronounced dead.
• At approximately 1:44 on the morning of Saturday, July 1, 2006, police were called to the front of 4119 Gault Place, NE, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival they located 23-year-old Francis E. Watkins, of the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was taken to the Howard University Hospital and pronounced dead.
• At approximately 1:35 am, on Tuesday, July 4, 2006, 27-year-old Robert W. Allen, of the 400 block of Mellon Street, SE, was driven by a private vehicle to the Greater Southeast Community Hospital and admitted in critical condition with apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was later pronounced dead at 2:14 am. The preliminary investigation indicates that Mr. Allen was shot while standing in front of 380 Eastern Avenue, NE.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099.

The department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

And they do solve homicides with our help.

This Time, Word Got Out

And this time, thank god, it looks like the victim will survive. This afternoon, 16 year old Montell Womack was hit by a stray bullet while riding home from school on the 86 bus. Right now the news reports are vague and somewhat innacurate (the robbery and shooting actually occured at 18th and Rhode Island Avenue, NE, starting at Rhode Island Liquors), but they are out there. I hope to get a Washington Post link soon. According to Womack's father, Montell had his arm up - perhaps propping his head up - and that made all the difference. The bullet went into Montell's forearm, shattering arteries and bone.

UPDATE: Here's the WaPo link - a bit more detailed than the others.

I had every intention of writing a post about the Listening Session I attended last night at the Woodridge Library; instead I am writing about another senseless crime in my neighborhood...directly across the street from the public library. While I'm aware of the apparent idealism inherent in my belief that we should be able to move about our communities safely, I am certain of my realistic incredulousness at the fact that I may now feel safer in Adams Morgan than in my own neighborhood.

Sure, I spend time in Adams Morgan, and I'd prefer to do so in relative safety, but I spend far more time at home. According to the WaPo article linked above:

A spate of crimes outside Adams Morgan clubs and bars, including two assaults in which victims were left in critical condition, has prompted police to plan greater deployment in the area of 18th Street NW, they said yesterday.

Larry McCoy, commander of the 3rd Police District, said the number of officers will grow to as many as 23, up from five to 10 on a typical Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.

McCoy said that the officers will be moved from other shifts in the 3rd District and that they will be on foot, in cars and on scooters. The officers will patrol the main strip and side streets, he said.

"We're going to get this under control and make sure people can come into Adams Morgan and not have any fear," McCoy said at a news conference organized by D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1).

Questions:

• Can anyone tell me the last time a "spate of crimes" in Districts 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 prompted an increased police deployment? This is not rhetorical or snarky, I truly want to know....Sursum Corda comes to mind. But that "crackdown" has transformed into a buyout as of late.
• How do residents in other parts of Ward 3 feel, losing as many as 18 officers on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays?
• What does it feel like to have 10 cops patrolling your neighborhood? Hell, what does it feel like when they arrive after a 311 call? I've yet to find out.
• When will the violence be under control in my neck of the woods - or yours?
• When will we, our family, our friends, and passersby "not have any fear?"

My warmest thoughts and prayers are with Montell Womack and his family.