The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out one crime alert between 9:00 p.m. on July 11 and 9:00 a.m. on July 12.
A crime alert was sent out at 9:00 p.m. on July 11 due to a robbery investigation at the 2000 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE. Police identified the suspect as a Black middle-aged male who is short in height and has a slim build.
The infographic shows homicides in DC over a two-year span beginning from June 11, 2019-June 11, 2021. There was about a 16% increase in homicides during that period.
The first graphic includes homicides by DC neighborhood, and how those homicides compare to violence interrupter locations.
The second graphic also indicates the sites of the violence interrupter programs that are run out of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), noting homicides in the city by year.
From June 11 of 2019 to June 11 of 2021, D.C. Witness tracked homicides in DC neighborhoods with and without violence interrupters’ programs. Data shows violence dispersing from designated program areas to other areas in DC.
D.C. Witness received boundaries of the current violence interrupters programs from the DC City Council, and used it to identify areas in the city where there are active violence interrupter sites.
The violence interrupter programs are run out of two government agencies, DC’s Office of the Attorney General and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Safety Engagement. The programs partner with local grassroots organizations such as the Alliance of Concerned Men, Father Factor, Inc. (Murder Free DC) and the National Association of Returning Citizens to interfere in disputes, the top motive for homicides in DC, in the programs’ respective localities.
D.C. Witness recorded 181 homicides between June 11, 2019 and June 11, 2020. Approximately 36 of the murders occurred in ONSE neighborhoods and approximately nine occurred in the Cure the Streets neighborhoods, a violence interrupter program that is funded by the OAG. These homicides were approximately 20 percent of 2019-2020 violent crime murders in the city.
Between June 12, 2020 and June 11, 2021, D.C. Witness recorded approximately 210 homicides, a 16 percent increase from the previous year. Approximately two-thirds of 2020-2021 murders transpired in areas without violence interrupters, Approximately 34 occurred in OAG neighborhoods and 12 in ONSE neighborhoods.
In both periods, most homicides in OAG areas took place in Southeast, while most homicides in ONSE areas took place in Northeast DC.
Cure the Streets reports indicate that OAG’s violence interrupters are concentrated largely in Wards 7 and 8, while data suggests ONSE sites are more present in northeast DC but have locations in SE as well.
D.C. Witness reached out to ONSE and Cure the Streets (CTS) for information regarding violence interrupter data time frames. Neither program responded to D.C. Witness requests for information, but the OAG released an article with homicide and assault with dangerous weapons data on violence interrupter sites on Aug. 3.
According to DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine, a consistent proponent of violence interrupters, these two programs expected to see overlap in their operations early on.
Today, Cure the Streets employs 60 staff members across Wards 5, 7, and 8. According to the OAG website, violence interrupters are hired for their credibility, relationships, and influence in their neighborhoods, engaging the community to identify high-risk individuals, address petty conflict and mitigate retaliation.
From January 2020 to August 2020, the OAG’s violence interrupter program initiated a total of 107 conflict mediations across the District according to OAG data. Forty-four were carried out by the 12 active violence interrupters at the Trinidad-Arboretum site in Ward 5 alone, engaging 788 total residents. The OAG data listed a response to one violent incident during that time period.
According to the OAG, violence interrupters at the Washington Highlands/Congress Heights site in Ward 8 engaged 34 meditations as of June 2021 with 19 participants and eight responses to shootings.
The site at Marshall Heights/Benning Heights employs only six active violence interrupters, and is the smallest staff of all the OAG sites, according to the office’s data. As of June 2021. Marshall Heights/Benning Heights violence interrupters carried out 11 conflict mediations and responded to five total violent incidents. The site has 25 program participants.
*Editor’s note: The story was updated to reflect information from the OAG’s office.
A homicide defendant accepted a plea offer from the prosecution.
Steven Arrington-Rodgers, 28, was originally charged with second-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 25-year-old Martez Jackson on Nov. 9, 2020, on the 1400 block of Howard Road, SE.
During the July 9 hearing, the defendant pleaded down to voluntary manslaughter.
DC Superior Court Judge Milton Lee scheduled Arrington-Rodgers to be sentenced on Oct. 22.
A DC Superior Court judge ruled that there is enough evidence against a homicide defendant to bring his case to trial.
Marwin Thomas, 27, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting 33-year-old John Pollard on Sept. 30, 2020, on the 3200 block of Hiatt Place, NW.
“The video of the actual shooting is quite compelling,” Judge Marisa Demeo said during the July 8 hearing.
The prosecution showed surveillance footage from about 1:14 a.m. on the day of the homicide.
The video shows two men exiting a black BMW, approaching the victim and patting him down before the man who exited the car’s passenger side shoots him.
The prosecution alleges Thomas to be the shooter. They cited a navy blue polo shirt the shooter is seen wearing in the footage, which appears consistent with the shirt Thomas is seen wearing in surveillance footage from the stairwell of an apartment building near the crime scene about an hour before the shooting.
In the stairwell footage, Thomas is seen wearing a Hugo Boss satchel that looks the same as the one Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers found at the crime scene. But during defense attorney Russell Hairston‘s cross-examination, the detective said there were no identifying characteristics linking that specific satchel to the one Thomas is seen wearing. Rather, they simply appear to be the same product.
The car driver seen in the footage of the shooting is alleged to be Thomas’ 29-year-old co-defendant, Randle Price. Price is also charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with Pollard’s death. He had his preliminary hearing back in January.
An MPD detective on the case testified that a witness heard nine gunshots and saw a car consistent with the one seen leaving the crime scene. The detective said seven nine-millimeter shell casings were found on the scene.
Judge Demeo decided to hold Thomas, citing the strength of the evidence and Thomas’ arrest history.
Both Thomas and Price are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 1.
The prosecution called four witnesses to testify at a murder trial on July 8.
Nyekemia Everett, 35, and Malik Hewitt, 41, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on April 27, 2017, on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE. The prosecution alleges that the two defendants plotted to rob and kill Heard, who was selling the drug PCP to make money after having recently been released from jail. They allege that Everett shot Heard, while Hewitt acted as the getaway driver.
Among the prosecution’s witnesses was a forensic crime scene specialist with the Department of Forensic Services (DFS). But before she took the stand, Judge Neal Kravitz informed the jury that the Office of the Inspector General has an ongoing criminal investigation into the DFS. Judge Kravitz said the competency of the DFS firearms examination unit is being questioned after ballistic evidence in a different murder case was mishandled. The DFS lost its accreditation in April and remains unaccredited today.
The prosecution showed surveillance footage of two men, who they believe to be the defendants, driving a black BMW after the shooting. The prosecution went on to show photos taken by the DFS witness, including one that showed a firearm inside the car’s glove compartment.
An FBI agent who specializes in cell phone technology testified that both defendants’ phones utilized cell towers near a 7-Eleven convenience store on the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Avenue, SW, at around 5:30 a.m., less than two hours after gunfire detection technology alerted police of shots fired, according to court documents.
The prosecution presented surveillance footage of a 7-Eleven parking lot, which shows two men believed to be the defendants pulling up in a black car at that time. A witness who works as a regional assistant supervisor for 7-Eleven stores in the DMV area confirmed that this was the same 7-Eleven.
The FBI witness also testified that both defendants’ cell phones utilized cell towers close to the crime scene around the time of the shooting.
The jury trial is set to resume on July 9.
Hewitt is also charged with possession of a firearm during an act of violence, felony murder while armed and conspiracy in this case.
Everett is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, fleeing a law enforcement officer, attempt to commit robbery while armed, conspiracy and obstructing justice.
A DC Superior Court judge held two domestic violence defendants and one sexual abuse defendant during presentments on July 8.
A total of 27 defendants were presented.
One defendant is charged with simple assault in a domestic violence case. Citing his four other pending cases, some of which involve the same victim, Judge Renee Raymond found that it would not be safe to release him.
The other domestic violence defendant is charged with threats to do bodily harm, attempted second-degree theft and simple assault. Judge Raymond decided to hold the defendant due to his lack of compliance in his other pending cases. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim.
Both domestic violence defendants are scheduled to return to court on July 27.
Another defendant was charged with first-degree child sex abuse. According to the judge, a witness in the case said she saw a video of the defendant sexually abusing the victim. Judge Raymond decided to hold him and order him to stay away from two witnesses. His next hearing is scheduled for July 28.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out seven crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on July 8 and 9:00 a.m. on July 9.
A crime alert was sent out at 9:24 p.m. due to a shooting investigation at the 1200 block of 13th Street, NW. Two suspects were stopped.
A crime alert was sent out at 9:40 p.m. due to a shooting investigation at the 100 block of 49th Street, NE. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
A third crime alert was sent out at 11:35 p.m. due to a robbery investigation at the 4240 block of South Capitol Street, SE. Police identified the suspects as two Black males in a small silver sedan.
A fourth crime alert was sent out at 11:36 p.m. due to a shooting investigation at the 600 block of Mellon Street, SE. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
A fifth crime alert was sent out at 12:45 a.m. due to a shooting investigation at the 2200 block of Town Center Drive. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
A crime alert was sent out at 3:07 a.m. due to a shooting at the 5600 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
A final crime alert was sent out at 3:17 a.m. due to a shooting at the 3400 block of Southern Avenue, SE. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has arrested a suspect in connection with a May 10 homicide.
At about 2:08 p.m. police responded to the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, due to reports of an unconscious person. The victim, 46-year-old Georgette Banks, was pronounced dead on scene from stab wounds.
On July 8, police arrested 53-year-old David Maurice Rhodes and charged him with first-degree murder.
A DC Superior Court judge ruled that a domestic violence case has enough evidence to go to trial.
The defendant is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for allegedly stealing money from the victim in her home after threatening her with a gun. He then allegedly pushed another female witness down the stairs before escaping through the back door.
During the July 8 hearing, Judge Sherry Trafford found probable cause, citing the physical evidence left at the scene. She did, however, say she was “left with some questions” about the details and sequence of the alleged events.
Defense attorney Kevin O’Sullivan noted inconsistencies between the two women’s accounts of the incident, as well as inconsistencies within the different accounts given by one of them.
O’Sullivan said these inconsistencies included details about the amount of money stolen and whether or not a neighbor saw the defendant enter the house with a gun. He also said both victims have a history of making false statements to the police.
The prosecution, however, argued that the two’s accounts differ because each of them witnessed different parts of the incident.
Judge Trafford agreed to release the defendant in this case; however, he is being held on other charges. When he picked up the domestic violence case, the defendant was on probation for assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm in a prior conviction. Shortly after his initial hearing in the domestic violence case, he was put on a probation revocation hold.
The defendant’s next hearing in his domestic violence case is scheduled for Sept. 14.
DC Superior Court Judge Renee Raymond held three domestic violence defendants during presentments on July 7.
In total, ten defendants presented before the court. Three of them were charged in domestic violence cases. Judge Raymond held all of them.
One domestic violence defendant was charged with simple assault, contempt and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon. He was held without bond and scheduled to return to court on July 27.
A second domestic violence defendant was held due to his failure to appear for a probation hearing. The defendant is on probation for attempted threats to do bodily harm.
The last domestic violence defendant is also on probation for attempted threats to do bodily harm. He was held for a probation violation.
Both of the domestic violence defendants on probation are scheduled to return to court on July 13.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out two crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on July 7 and 9:00 a.m. on July 8.
A crime alert was sent out at 12:55 a.m. due to a stabbing in the 1700 block of West Virginia Avenue, NE. Police do not have information on the suspect(s).
A second crime alert was sent out at 2:28 a.m. due to a robbery investigation in the 1200 block of Mississippi Avenue, SE. Police identified the suspects as two juveniles wearing all black clothes and white shoes.
On July 7, DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz adjourned proceedings in a murder trial after a fire alarm in the courthouse interrupted witness testimony.
Nyekemia Everett, 35, and Malik Hewitt, 41, are charged with first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 37-year-old Christopher Heard on the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE, on April 27, 2017.
Parties delivered opening arguments the previous day. The prosecution alleges that the two defendants plotted to rob and kill Heard, who was selling the drug PCP to make money after having recently been released from jail.
The prosecution called two members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to the witness stand.
The first witness, who was working as a patrol officer in 2017 but now has a different position in the department, said he responded to a request for assistance from officers who were at the crime scene on the night of the homicide. The prosecution admitted evidence including surveillance footage of the officer arriving in his patrol car as well as his Body Worn Camera (BWC) footage. The BWC footage shows Heard on the ground next to a vehicle with a cell phone near his left hand.
The second witness, a patrol officer, recounted arriving at the crime scene shortly after three other officers. There, he said he was instructed to grab the victim’s phone from the ground. He then put the phone back on the ground to avoid tampering with evidence. His testimony was then interrupted by the fire alarm.
Everyone present in the court was instructed to evacuate immediately. The trial is set to pick back up on July 8.
Hewitt is also charged with possession of a firearm during an act of violence, felony murder while armed and conspiracy in this case.
Everett is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, fleeing a law enforcement officer, attempt to commit robbery while armed, conspiracy and obstructing justice.
A defendant initially charged with manslaughter pleaded guilty to simple assault on July 6.
In November 2020, James Williams was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death 64-year-old Saul Hernandez. At around 12:55 a.m. on Oct. 18, 2020, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers responded to the 1400 block of Perry Place, NW, for the report of a man down, according to a press release. There, they found Hernandez suffering from blunt force trauma. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
According to the proffer of facts, at around 12:50 a.m. that day, the 20-year-old defendant fought with another man who was with Hernandez and threw a cup of bleach into his face, temporarily blinding him.
In exchange for Williams pleading guilty to simple assault in connection with this incident, the prosecution agreed not to seek an indictment on any greater or remaining charges arising from the facts of this case, according to court documents.
Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled Williams to be sentenced on Sept. 7.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) sent out three crime alerts between 9:00 p.m. on July 6 and 9:00 a.m. on July 7.
A crime alert was sent out at 10:44 p.m. due to a robbery in the 1500 block of 1th, Street, NW. Police identified the suspects as two Black men.
A second alert was sent out at 12:21 a.m. due to a robbery in the 1200 block of R Street, NW. The suspects were identified as four to five men wearing blue face masks.
A final alert was sent out at 2:41 a.m. due to a stabbing in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. The suspect was identified as A black male carrying a knife.
