Cardinal's Nest Closed After Saturday's Shooting - UPDATED

I just heard on NBC4 that the Cardinal's Nest has been closed after yesterday's shooting/homicide (though the shooting did not actually happen at the club/restaurant). I can't find a link, but will hopefully post one tomorrow.

**UPDATE** Robert Vinson Brannum has just announced that the Summary Suspension against the Cardinal's Nest has been lifted and the ABC Board will not be review the matter at its hearing tomorrow as initially planned. The incident will be on the agenda for the Thursday 5D-CAC meeting.

Triple Shooting on 10th Street NE; 1 Dead

From MPD-5D, with my edits:

Detectives assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide and Sexual Offenses Branch are investigating a triple shooting which resulted in one fatality that occurred on 10th Street, NE.

On Saturday, May 17, 2008, at approximately 2:25 am, Fifth District officers on patrol in the area responded to 10th and Perry Streets, NE to investigate the sound of gunfire. Several minutes later, three shooting victims from that location arrived at a local hospital via a private vehicle.

One of the victims, who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body, was pronounced dead. He has been identified as 26-year-old Clifton Nate Chaney, of the 1400 block of Florida Avenue, NW. The other two victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Their identities are being withheld because they are witnesses in the case.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victims had just left the Cardinal's Nest, located in the 3500 block of 10th St., NE, and while they were inside of a motor vehicle, a lone gunman approached the vehicle and opened fire. Subsequently, the suspect fled the scene on foot and the operator of the vehicle that was fired upon drove to an area hospital.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 202-727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIM[E]. Anonymous information can also be sent to the department’s text tip line by text messaging 50411.

The department currently offers a reward of up to TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS 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.

Arrest made in Ward 5 shooting

On Saturday, May 3rd, 5th Police District made an arrest in the slaying of a local youth. On Sunday, April 20, 2008, George Douglas, 18, of 35th Street NE as found slain at the 2700 block of 26th Street, NE.

MPD report online.
WaPo article online.

The arrest happened on the year's first All Hands On Deck initiative. Thank you to MPD 5th District! The 5D Citizens Advisory Council/CAC Monthly Meeting meets 4th Thursday of every month at 7pm, Fifth District Police Station, 1805 Bladensburg Road, NE.

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.

Brookland's Tropicana Co-Owner Charged in Illegal License Scheme

From The Examiner:

A local restaurant owner was part of a scheme to provide illegal immigrants with fraudulent driver’s licenses, authorities said Thursday as new details about a raid on the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles center in Georgetown emerged.

Inside the courtroom, defendants Gloria Gonzalez-Paz, 34, of Prince George’s County, and Dora Romero Morales, 29, of Vienna, appeared in separate hearings. Both women, who are in the U.S. on temporary work permits, wore headphones to listen to an interpreter.

Gonzalez-Paz, who owns a Tropicana Eatery franchise on 12th Street Northeast in D.C. with her husband, wiped tears from her cheeks.

Quick Links - 2 Good, 2 Bad

» "At 108, 'It's a Beautiful Life'" - WaPo, Saturday, January 5. Believed to be the District's oldest resident, Eddye L. Williams lives in NE.

» "KDNY brings Joan of Arc to D.C.'s Dance Place" - DCist, Friday, January 11. The performances will be Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. A neighbor on the Brookland listserv reminds us:

Dance Place sets aside free tickets to each Sunday performance held at Dance Place for Brookland residents! All you have to do is call 202-269-1600 to see if tickets are still available. You must have either a 20017 or 20018 zip code to be able to receive free tickets. Each caller can reserve up to two tickets.

» A drive-by shooting near Langdon Park injures one Friday afternoon; the suspect has been taken into custody - WUSA9, Friday, January 11.

» MPD-5D officer arrested for inappropriately touching a 19-year-old woman on November 16, 2007, while on duty in the area of the 1300 block of Okie Street, NE - MPD, Friday, January 11.

17-Year-Old Arrested for Rhode Island Avenue Homicide

From MPD:

On Thursday, January 10, 2008, at approximately 11:30 am, a homicide was closed with the arrest of a 17-year-old District youth. His name is being withheld at this time because of his age. He has been charged with Murder Two while Armed. This case remains under active investigation and more arrests are possible.

On Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at approximately 9:25 pm, police were called to a D.C. Fire Department Engine Company located in the 1300 block of Brentwood Road, NE to investigate the report of three male shooting victims. Upon arrival, officers determined that three teenage victims reportedly had been shot a short time earlier while in the vicinity of the 1300 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NE and made their way to the firehouse for help. The victims were transported to area hospitals for treatment.

One of the victims died as the result of his injuries. He is identified as 17-year-old Julian Agurs, of the 4900 block of North Capitol Street, NE. He suffered apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. The other two victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment of apparent non-life-threatening injuries. Their identities are being withheld because they are witnesses in the case.

The case is under investigation by members of the department’s Violent Crimes Branch. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 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.

3 Boys Found Shot Outside of Engine 26 on RI Avenue - 1 Dead

**UPDATE: The shots were heard at 1300 Brentwood Road NE at about 9:30 p.m....the 17-year-old boy boy shot in the chest has died [NBC4, WUSA9]. Police are on the lookout for a white car, possibly a Kia, that fled the scene.

» "Youth Had Just Turned 17 When He Was Fatally Shot" - WaPo, Thursday, January 10

Just in from Fox5:

Three boys were found shot outside the Engine 26 firehouse [1340 Rhode Island Avenue NE] in Northeast DC Tuesday night.

Firemen inside the station say they heard several gunshots and a car speed away before finding the injured boys outside

A 16-year-old was shot multiple times in the back, a 13-year-old was shot once in the foot, and another boy was shot several times in the chest.

Woodridge Dunkin' Donuts on Rhode Island Ave. Closes

The latest blow for Woodridge's Rhode Island Avenue commercial corridor: our Dunkin' Donuts has closed its doors. While a PSA 502 officer reported yesterday on the MPD-5D listserv that the store was temporarily boarded up due to a fire a few back, it looks like the close is permanent....From Central Baking Company partner Chris Mellgren:

We were forced to close the store due to poor business demand and security issues at the location. We were saddened to have to close the site but the store had been losing significant amounts of money last year and to add to that it was robbed 6 times in 2007 [emphasis mine].

We are looking for another location in the neighborhood but somewhere that is more secure and will generate more guest visits. In the meantime we have a location at 400 Rhode island NW at the corner of Rhode Island and New Jersey Avenue [1739 New Jersey Avenue NW].

Perry Place NE "Take Back Our Block" Event - Thursday, December 20

From a neighbor on Perry Place:

With the recent spike in crime on our block, it is time to show that we are concerned and attentive to what has been happening. Please join us this Thursday, December 20 for a “Take Back Our Block” night. We will be attending the PSA 502 Meeting at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center across the block at 7PM to discuss crime-fighting strategies. We will then meet at the corners of 10th and Perry Place, with police and community leadership at 8PM, to march around the block and alleyways. We hope to see you there!

Quick Links - Catching Up

» "Beacon House Falcons Win Super Bowl" - WaPo, Monday, December 10 - see background here.

» "8 Fired From System; 30 Choose to Retire" - WaPo, Sunday, December 9 (6 days after I announced it - this should have been bigger news)

Almost 40 employees of the D.C. Public Library system -- about 10 percent of the workforce -- will be leaving their jobs in early January as part of what officials describe as a plan to "transform" the beleaguered system and rejuvenate its personnel.
The group leaving includes the head librarians of seven of the District's 27 libraries.
The head librarians at the Mount Pleasant, Petworth and Woodridge branches were fired, along with five subject specialists at the central Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The eight were let go "without cause" on Nov. 29 or 30, officials said. They were placed on paid administrative leave through Dec. 31, then accompanied to their desks to retrieve their belongings and escorted out the door.

» Vincent Orange elected to Capital Riverfront BID board - Washington Biz Journal, Wednesday, December 5

» From a neighbor: daytime break-ins have increased around Evarts, 28th, and 30th since construction has started on the South Dakota bridge.

» New Brookland Listservs! Do you want announcements without some of the usual list drama? Sign up for the Brookland Announcements List. Also check out the new Brookland Yoga Listserv.

» NoMa BID has updated their website.

PG & DC Police Chase 14-Year-Old Carjacker Through 4th and 5th Districts

No injuries were reported from the 4-car accident caused by the chase...from NBC4:

Prince George's County Police initiated a chase of a carjacked Jeep Cherokee driven by a 14-year-old boy Monday afternoon.

Police on patrol spotted the Jeep, which they said was carjacked at gunpoint on Nov. 15, and tried to pull it over in the area of Eastern Avenue near Riggs Road.

Police pursued the Jeep after it fled.

The chase went for several miles at varying speeds through neighborhoods in the district.

The Jeep went down Missouri Avenue, past the Fourth District Station, down 16th Street, down North Capitol Street, and out Rhode Island Avenue before ending up in the 3800 block of Harewood Road, NE, where the driver fled onto the campus of Catholic University, according to officials.

The driver was arrested a short time later. D.C. Police from the fourth and fifth districts, along with the D.C. Police Helicopter and Prince George's County Police assisted in the chase.

Police said the chase contributed to a four-car accident, but no injuries were reported.

Homicide in University Heights/Brookland

From MPD-5D Commander Lamar Greene:

On Friday, November 2, 2007, at 2135 hours, members of the Fifth District responded to the 2900 block of 10th Street NE (10th and Franklin Street NE) for the sounds of gunshots.

While the responding officer was canvassing at this location, another call for service was dispatched to the front of 4015 9th Street NE for a shooting. Upon arrival to this location, the members located an unconscious male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The DCFD responded and all life saving efforts were attempted and proved futile. The decedent was transported to the OCME.

The decedent was identified as: Rick Kearney, B/M, 24 years of age, (residing in SE Wash DC)

It should be noted that the driver of the vehicle that the decedent was traveling in has been arrested and charge with two weapons charges. The investigation is ongoing, and making excellent progress at this time!!

On Saturday, Commander Greene noted that while no charges had been made, a possible suspect was in custody.

While I Was Out....Homicides in Ward 5

In Carver-Langston on Sunday, from MPD:

At approximately 3:30 am, Sunday, October 21, 2007, officers of the Fifth District responded to the 900 block of 21st Street, NE, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found 20-year-old Ashley M. Black, of the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to the Washington Hospital Center’s MedStar Unit where she was pronounced dead.

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

The department 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, a man found shot inside his car on Rhode Island Avenue in Woodridge on Monday has died:

A 44-year-old Temple Hills man who was found shot inside a vehicle on Monday in the 3100 block of Rhode Island Ave. NE has died. The Metropolitan Police Department’s preliminary investigation revealed that Clive Valentine of the 2700 block of Bell Brook Street in Temple Hills, Md. may have been shot when another vehicle pulled up alongside and fired shots into his vehicle.

Police responded to the report of a shooting on Rhode Island Avenue at approximately 11:36 pm on Monday, October 22, 2007. Valentine was transported to the Washington Hospital Center’s MedStar Unit and admitted in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at 11:15 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2007.

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

The department 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.

MPD-5D has reported that the driver of a silver Honda or Volkswagon is the suspected shooter. The suspect was last seen turning right (south) on Eastern Avenue.

Ward 5 Meeting on Crime & Safety - TONIGHT

What: Ward 5 Constituent Meeting - Share your thoughts on crime and safety concerns in Ward 5 with the new Commander of the 5th District, Lamar Greene.

When: Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 6-8:30 p.m.; reception will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Noyes Elementary School, 2725 10th Street, NE

For additional information contact the Ward 5 Council Office at 202.724.8028

Homicide in Kenilworth Monday

From MPD:

At approximately 9:07 pm on Monday, September 24, 2007, officers from the Sixth District responded to 45th and Quarles Streets, NE for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival they located 30-year-old George Hill, of the 1300 block of Cougar Lane in Capitol Heights, Maryland, suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was transported to the Washington Hospital Center’s MedStar Unit and pronounced dead.

The case is under investigation by members of the department’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.

Fatal Shooting on New York Avenue NE

Haven't seen the press release from MPD - though they've been spotty at best lately....From NBC4:

Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Northeast D.C.

Authorities said that at about 3 a.m. on Monday, officers were called to the intersection of First Street and New York Avenue for the report of a shooting.

When they arrived at the scene, police found a male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

Police said they do not yet have a suspect or motive in the shooting.

As always, if you have information regarding this case call MPD at 202.727.9099.

Two Teens Shoot in Brentwood Overnight

From NBC4:

D.C. police are investigating a double shooting in Northeast.

Authorities said the shooting happened in the 1200 block of Brentwood Road at about 10 p.m.

Many people were hanging out in the courtyard, including two male teens, a 14-year-old and a 19-year-old, who were playing with boxing gloves, when three people in hoods walked up and opened fire, hitting the teens, News4's Pat Collins reported.

Police said the victims were struck in their stomachs.

Both were taken to a hospital in serious condition. Both are expected to survive.

There's been no word on a suspect or possible motive in the case.

People who live at the complex said violence is not unusual there.

» Video here - Councilmember Thomas makes an appearance

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