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Crime Alerts: April 16-17

Between the hours of 8 p.m. on April 16 and 8 a.m. on April 17 there were three crime alerts sent out by the Metropolitan Police Department.

All three of the crime alerts were in relation to robberies that had occurred across the district.

The last alert was dispatched at 4:14 a.m. on April 17 for a robbery that took place on 4300 block of Dubois Place, SE. The lookout is for two black males wearing unknown clothing and ski masks riding in a small black SUV. The make of the vehicle is unknown. The tags are unknown too.

Another alert went out at 2:43 a.m. for a robbery investigation on the 3300 block Warder Street, NW. Police are looking for one black male who is between 5’8-6’0. He was last seen wearing a gray top and black pants. The suspect has a slim build. The suspect was last seen fleeing in a  green Hatchback Mazda heading southbound on Warder Street, NW. Police say the suspect is possibly armed.

At 9:25 p.m. on April 16 an alert went out for a robbery that occurred on the 1600 block of Varnum Street, NW. Police are looking for four suspects, who are all black males between 15-17 years of age. Three suspects were last seen wearing black hoodies. One suspect was wearing a red hoodie. The suspects were heading south on 16th Street, NW.

DC Courts Update

On April 16, a judge at the DC Superior Court denied the release of seven inmates, dismissed zero defendants, delayed cases for two defendants and vacated hearings for two defendants

In total there were 11 defendants that had cases. A majority of the cases were bond review hearings, a most of which were denied

One of the defendant’s, Malik Coles, is scheduled for a felony status conference on June 19. Coles and his co-defendant  Duan Garmany are being charged with first-degree murder while armed  for the murder of Christopher Payne on the 1400 block of W Street, NW on June 30, 2019.

Crime Alerts: April 16

Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on April 16, D.C. Witness was able to track one crime alert sent out from the Metropolitan Police Department. 

At 6:17 p.m. an alert was sent out in relation to a shooting in the seventh district on the 2100 block of Ridgecrest Court, SE. No lookout was released in relation to the shooting. 

Written by Wyatt Mullins

Document: Police Arrest Suspect for Assault with Gun

The Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect on April 14 who they believe is connected to an assault on the 5200 block of Astor Place, SE.

The suspect was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon (gun).

According to a press release, earlier that day the suspect pulled out a gun and started firing shots at a victim. The victim sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment.  

The case is still open.

Anyone who has knowledge of the incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia.

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Judge Denies Releasing Murder Defendant for a Second Time

A DC court judge denied a murder defendant’s motion for release for a second time.

Malik Coles and Duan Garmany are being charged with first-degree murder while armed  for the murder of Christopher Payne on the 1400 block of W Street, NW on June 30.

D.C. Witness previously reported that Judge Anita Josey-Herring denied Coles’ motion to be released due to the COVID-19 outbreak on April 13. However, the case will be recalled on April 14 so Coles’ attorney, Lisbeth Sapirstien, can gather more information about Coles’ condition.

Coles’ hearing on the 14th was moved to the 16th because of a power outtage at DC Jail.

Garmany filed a motion to be released on March 19. The motion was denied on March 26.

Garmany is scheduled for a felony status conference on June 11.

Coles is scheduled for a felony status conference on June 19.

Judge Orders DC Jail to Provide Defendant with Protection Equipment

A DC Superior Court judge ordered April 16 the DC Jail to give a defendant personal protective equipment while he is incarcerated.

Bryant Webster pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse while armed and second-degree sexual abuse in July of 2019.

Judge Anita Josey-Herring put in an order that would mandate DC Jail provide Webster with gloves, a mask, and cleaning supplies.

Judge Josey-Herring also denied Webster’s motion for release.

Webster is scheduled for sentencing on June 26.

Judge Denies Release for Defendant Awaiting Re-Trial

DC Superior Court Judge Anita Josey-Herring denied releasing a man who is currently waiting to be re-tried for a 2013 case.

Victor Coley, 57, is charged with assault with the intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, unlawful possession of a firearm or destructive device and possession of ammunition.

Coley was found guilty on all charges on Feb. 24, 2015. However, after receiving a 40-year sentence, Coley filed a motion to reopen his case due to ineffective counsel. On Dec. 7, 2018, his case was reopened.

Coley’s new trial began on Nov. 12, 2019. Due to motions issues, the trial was paused until January 2020. However, the trial was vacated after Coley submitted a motion to obtain a new attorney on Dec. 20, 2019. He was finally granted new counsel on Feb. 7, 2020.

The bond review hearing was originally supposed to take place on April 14 but was rescheduled to April 16 when the DC Jail experienced a phone and power outage.

Coley is scheduled for a status hearing on June 12.

Judge Denies Release While Inmate is Quarantined in Jail

A DC Superior Court judge denied an inmate’s release April 16 because he is under quarantine in at the DC Jail.

Ja’Amonte Jeter is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon-gun for shooting a man on the 4500 block of B Street, SE on Nov. 18, 2019.

Jeter’s presence was waived because he was currently under quarantine in the jail.

Judge Anita Josey-Herring denied his request to be released in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DC Jail Reports 6 New Positive Cases

Six additional residents have tested positive for the coronavirus as of April 16.

Of the six new confirmed cases, three are in their 20s, two are in their 40s and one is in his 50s. The six include five males and one female.

Three of the inmates were in quarantine at the DC Department of Corrections’ (DC DOC) Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF) when they tested positive. The inmates had been in close proximity to another inmate who tested positive. The other three inmates were housed in the Central Detention Facility (CDF).

According to a press release form the DC DOC, 21 inmates who tested positive are in isolation.

Forty inmates have recovered from their illnesses and returned to general population. For an inmate to be released into general population that inmate cannot have a fever for 72 hours without fever-reducing medication. The inmate must not have shortness of breath or coughing for at least seven days, the release said.

The District’s site on the virus notes that 19 DC DOC personnel tested positive for the virus. As of April 16, 168 staff members are not working in the jail facilities because they either tested positive for the virus or are in quarantine.

Court-Appointed Inspectors ID Several Areas of Improvement at DC Jail

Two court-appointed inspectors have told a federal judge of significant issues that they found during inspections of two jail facilities at the DC Department of Corrections (DC DOC).  Most of those issues, however, appeared to be more of mismanagement than intentional actions.

The details were delivered during an April 15, teleconference. The hearing was part of a lawsuit that has been brought against the DC DOC by four inmates, charging inadequate health and safety precautions at the DC Jail in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hearing was presided over by DC District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly who is hearing the suit. 

During the call, inspectors Grace M Lopes and Mark Jordan, told Judge Kollar-Kotelly that when they visited the DC DOC’s Central Detention Facility (CDF) and Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF) they found  inadequate numbers of personnel and supervisors to make sure Center for Disease Control (CDC) policies, such as social distancing, were being enforced. 

Among the specific finding, Lopes said that even though there was enough space to sufficiently comply with social distancing, it was not being enforced. That issue was compounded by the facilities’ design, which prevented the limited number of staff members from sufficiently supervising the inmates. 

The inspectors noted specifically that despite the DC DOC guidance for no more than five inmates out of their cells at a time, between 10-15 inmates, in multiple units, were observed out together.  

The lack of supervision also impacted cleaning in the facilities. According to Lopes, even though there were regular deliveries of cleaning and sanitizing products, jail staff and inmates did not have sufficient cleaning equipment, training or supervision to clean appropriately. 

The inspectors mentioned how inmates in several housing units were supposed to clean every two hours, but that they did not have the rags they needed and were ripping apart their own T-shirts to use. 

Even where there were cleaning supplies, the inspectors found staff were untrained on how to use the cleaning chemicals correctly. The DC DOC is supplied with four cleaning chemicals that are used differently. But, in one case, a staff member told an inspector that rough estimates were made when mixing chemicals. 

The inspectors found that taken together, these issues made cleanliness an issue throughout the DC DOC facilities,  especially in common areas. They also noted that cleanliness varied from unit to unit with trash on the floor in some areas and a common bathroom having mildew and  broken sinks and toilets. 

Cleanliness was particularly and issue in  the facilities’ isolation units. Here, no cleaning seemed to have happened, and inspectors called the conditions in the isolation unit “too punitive.” Among the issues, isolation inmates did not get a change of clothing nor were they allowed to shower. 

The two inspectors will get more data on staffing issues on April 16. 

Housing 

Beyond cleanliness, inspectors found issues with how DC DOC housed inmates.

More than half of the inmates at the CDF shared a cell with another inmate when there are enough vacant cells to make that unnecessary. Only five percent of the inmates at the CTF shared a cell. The reason for why inmates received specific housing assignments was not known at the time of the call. 

Inmates do not share cells in isolation. 

The inspectors will provide a full report on April 17. Judge Kollar-Kotelly asked the inspectors to also  provide recommendations to the DC DOC for medical attention for inmates. 

Legal Calls

A second part of the hearing addressed defendants’ access to private calls with legal counsel. 

Judge Kollar-Kotelly said the current system for inmates and their counsel to communicate is unacceptable because there is no access to privacy and they are having trouble arranging calls with the DC DOC’s current rules. 

On March 27, according to the DC DOC website on its response to the coronavirus, the DC DOC said that all inmates needed to be authorized for legal visits or phone calls. The calls could be no more than 30 minutes.

Judge Kollar-Kotelly tasked the defendants with updating the system by April 20, with new procedures for lawyers and defendants to be able to communicate. 

US Attorney

Several other issues were addressed on the call, including detention for parole violators, whether inmates who test positive for the coronavirus should be released, downsizing the jail population and whether the US Attorney’s Office will join the lawsuit which is currently only involving DC authorities. 

Steven Marcus, counsel for the plaintiffs, argued that the US Attorney’s Office should not be included in the case. He argued the issues are “squarely” a DC responsibility, even if some prisoners are being held for federal infractions. 

However, counsel for DC DOC said they believe that since all felonies in the city are ultimately under federal control, the US Attorney’s Office should be allowed to join the lawsuit. 

The judge ordered that the plaintiffs and the defendants file their positions by April 20 and April 21, respectively. The US Attorney’s Office is expected to file its brief on joining by April 17. 

LaTrina Antoine wrote this story

Document: Woman Killed on North Capitol Street, NW

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating a fatal shooting on the 1200 Block of North Capitol Street, NW.

According to a press release, 28 year-old Shantal Hill. was located April 15 suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The department is offering up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this homicide or any other homicide in Washington, DC. Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE — 50411.

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Crime Alerts April 15-16

Between the hours of 8 p.m. on April 15 and 8 a.m. on April 16 there were a total of six crime alerts sent out by the Metropolitan Police Department.

At 1:55 a.m. on April 16 a robbery occurred on the 3600 block of 16th Street, NW. Police are looking for two suspects. One suspect is a black male, around 130 pounds with a slim build, dark complexion wearing a grey sweat shirt. The second suspect is a black male, with a flat top haircut, dark complexion wearing a black sweat shirt with hood and a Gucci belt. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction.

There was an alert for a shooting at 11:16 p.m. According to the alert there was a shooting on the unit block of M Street, NW. Police have advised to lookout for a black female as being a person of interest.

Two more alerts were for the same incident. The first alert was at 10:19 p.m. on April 15 in reference to a robbery on the Unit block of Taylor Street, NE. At 10:44 MPD released another alert saying that there actually was not a robbery.

Another alert was sent out at 10:12 p.m. that occurred on the 400 block of Chesapeake Street, SE. The lookout is for a black male weighing around 140 pounds, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, and armed with a semi-automatic gun. The suspect was last seen fleeing in a stolen white 2007 Chevy Trailblazer along with a black Nissan Altima. However, at 1:12 a.m. police released and update saying this crime’s classification had been changed to an armed carjacking.

Document: Arrest Made in Burglary

On April 14, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect they believe is connected to a burglary offense on the 2300 block of Good Hope Road, SE.

According to a press release, suspects forcibly entered an establishment at the listed location on April 8. Once inside, the suspects took property then fled the scene.

The 41-year-old suspect is being charged with burglary two.

This case remains under investigation. Anyone who has knowledge of the incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. A reward of up to $1000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible.

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Document: Arrest Made for Suspected Burglary

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrested April 14 a suspect who is believed to be involved in a burglary offense.

According to a press release, a 28-year-old man is being charged with burglary one for allegedly entering a residence, assaulting a victim and taking property. The incidence occurred on the 2800 block of Jasper Street, SE during the 1 p.m.-hour earlier that day. The release indicates that there was more than one suspect. No one else has been arrested.

This case remains under investigation. Anyone who has knowledge of the incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. A reward of up to $1000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible.

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