Self-Defense in Washington, DC?

This guy is lucky. A shotgun blast will usually ruin your day, though it seems his day did not go as planned. DC burglary victim fires shotgun during struggle; accused intruder arrested

You can also file this under, "Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0."

Investigators said Smith made his way into the home and was confronted by someone inside.

The two struggled, and the victim fired a shotgun, according to police.

Smith was arrested and taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

On of the news stories on this incident made a point to notify the reader that the shotgun was "registered." But at least the DC reporters seem have gotten the "victim versus criminal" equation right. Small steps.

Assistant A.G. Urges People in DOJ to Carry

I miss living in a civilized society. Assistant A.G.: Everyone Working on Behalf of U.S. to Improve It 'Has a Target on Their Back', I've Urged Them to Carry

This story is actually from a couple of weeks back, but I thought I would publish it instead of just deleting it. I was stuck in drafts for reasons I can't explain.

On Wednesday’s broadcast of Newsmax TV’s “Chris Salcedo Show,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon stated that “everyone who is working on behalf of this country to make it better has a target on their back” and the assassination of Charlie Kirk “has brought it very, very much home to us that such a beloved figure, who did travel with security everywhere he went, was, nonetheless, assassinated because of who he is.” She also said that she has urged people in DOJ to get concealed carry permits.

It feels odd to read a statement from someone in government, and find myself agreeing with it.

No Murders in DC in a Week

Most would call this good news, unless you are inflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome. Federal agents make 77 more arrests in DC as Bondi reports progress | Fox News

"[T]here have been no recorded homicides in the city for the past week," said public information officer Michael Russo via email. "Our last recorded homicide was August 13th."

There is more info on the operations generally if you want to click thru.

Hat tip to Clayton Cramer: Orange Man Bad Interfering With Their Culture, in which he notes that there were roughly 3 homicides a week before this. I'm sure it is just a coincidence.

It really is true. If Trump came up with a cure for cancer, progressives would be whining about oncologists' unemployment rates. These people have no shame or conscience.

He has more to say about how Progressives view the inner city.

DC Police to Share Info with ICE

The Left is brokenhearted. Or CNN is, but I repeat myself. DC police to share information with federal immigration officers | CNN Politics

Washington, DC, Police Chief Pamela Smith signed an executive order Thursday allowing DC police officers to share information about people not in their custody with federal immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE — as President Donald Trump continues his federal takeover of law enforcement in the nation’s capital and crackdown on illegal immigration.

Hat tip to William Teach at Pirate's Cove and his post Heartache: Info On Illegals In D.C. To Be Shared With Los Federales

How crazy is it that the police in the District Of Columbia, the seat of US government, know who the illegal aliens are in their sector and had been actively hiding people who broke federal law. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the average officer liked doing that, they were just forbidden from sharing the information by their crazy superiors

No doubt the Left will see law enforcement providing info to law enforcement about criminals proof that the sky is falling.

What If You Called 911, and It Took 90 Minutes for Cops to Show Up?

What would you do? Lengthy police response time under investigation following Maryland dog attack | FOX 5 DC

What we know: The victim, a woman who asked not to be identified, said she was visiting her new home in District Heights last weekend when the attack occurred. The woman was near her vehicle with her 11-month-old rescue dog when the attack happened.

Authorities confirm that a 911 call reporting the attack was placed at 9:54 a.m., but officers did not arrive until 11:17 a.m. That response time is under review, officials said.

What happened is that a good Samaritan, her neighbor, intervened and took her to a local hospital.

Officials have not yet provided an explanation for the delay, but the incident has raised concerns about emergency response times in the area.

From my knowledge of police it could be several things. Not enough cops to cover the shift. (How do you spell, "Defund the police?") It could be screw up at the 911 center. At least this woman got help and is going to be mostly OK. I mostly because we don't have much information on her condition, or if there will be long term effects.

It Sure Seems Like the DC Police Department Is Hiding Something

From Judicial Watch: Judicial Watch: DC Police Department Wants over $1.5 Million for January 6 Police Bodycam Footage

Judicial Watch announced today the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department wants to charge the non-profit over $1,570,500 for local police bodycam footage of the January 6 protests.

Judicial Watch filed June 2024 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Metropolitan Police Department denied an August 2021 FOIA request

For a short video explaining the situation, see this link.

Man With Gun Gets Through Capital Police Security Checkpoint

Capital Police protecting the Capital. Or not. U.S. Capitol Police suspend officer who let visitor in with a gun

"After the magnetometers sounded, an officer performed a secondary hand search, and the man was let into the building. The officer is suspended while the USCP’s Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an administrative investigation into the officer’s performance of that search," [the U.S. Capitol Police] statement said.

So the metal detector's alarm went off. They did a secondary search. And let him in the building with a loaded 9mm firearm. Buy hey, it was small, and concealed in his waistband. You know, where most people carry firearms.

He entered the Capital Visitor Center and the Library of Congress.

I've read some stories of cops doing stupid things: Cops executing search warrants on the wrong house, because they can't read a map, or an address sign. Cops threatening to break the law on camera. Cops caught breaking the law on camera. This may not be the most stupid thing I've read, a cop did shoot a man with his own gun the other day, but this has to come close.

The cop in question has been suspended. I assume that is with pay, and I really don't think that they will fire him. He will be suspended until this falls out of the news, then he will be reprimanded and reinstated.

Washington, DC Sees Highest Murder Rate in Decades

If you make something less expensive, you will see more of it. Washington, DC, Ends Brutal 2023 With Highest Murder Rate in Decades

In 2023, Washington, D.C., was deadlier than 55 of the nation’s most populous cities. The four cities with a higher rate of homicide per 100,000 residents were Baltimore, Cleveland, Memphis and New Orleans.

The Left has decided, for reasons that they call "Social Justice," to make crime less expensive for the criminals.

But people may be waking up to the fact that things are not good.

In August, the city recorded 33 homicides, its deadliest month, and the city was forced to respond.

Local lawmakers passed an emergency bill, which made it easier to detain people accused of deadly crimes while awaiting trial.

The mayor hired a new police chief while the U.S. attorney began charging more juveniles as adults.

It won't be enough to stem the tide of lawlessness.

When This Store Closes, The Democrats Will Blame Capitalism

Because their policies are not to blame for anything. Thieves strip shelves bare at CVS outlet in the nation's capital

Startling images from inside the chain pharmacy in DC’s Columbia Heights neighborhood show row after row of empty shelves, thanks to about 45 youngsters who have been targeting the store, Fox affiliate WTTG-TV reported.

“When you walk into this CVS, you’d think the store is closing because there’s barely anything on the shelves,” WTTG reporter Sierra Fox said.

Society can not exist without and law and order. The very things that the people running the Blue Cities seem determined to destroy.

Constant shoplifting and flash mobs of thieves have put a dent in profits of some of the nation’s largest retailers, including CVS, Rite Aid and Target — with the big-box retailer recently announcing it was shutting down an East Harlem outlet and eight other stores due to heavy losses.

And of course, even the Post has to quote someone making excuses for the kids.

I'm going to miss civilization.

D.C. to Pay Gun Owners Millions for Violating Their Rights

D.C. to pay $5.1 million settlement after judge finds Second Amendment violations - The Washington Post

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth gave preliminary approval to the settlement agreement on Monday following years of litigation. Lamberth had previously ruled in September 2021 that D.C. arrested, jailed, prosecuted and seized guns from six people “based on an unconstitutional set of laws” and violated their Second Amendment rights.

The laws — a ban on carrying handguns outside the home and others that effectively banned nonresidents from carrying guns at all in D.C. — have since been struck down in federal court. They were part of a “gun control regime that completely banned carrying handguns in public,” Lamberth wrote in the 2021 ruling.

Hat tip to Clayton Cramer: It Hurts to Ignore the Second Amendment

Yes, taxpayers will get the bill but if they elect fascists, there are costs.

Just an Average Weekend in Our Nation's Capital

I'm really going to miss living in a civilized society. We have a couple of stories about last weekend in Washington DC that I tripped over when looking for something completely unrelated.

First up we have the fact that future generations have absolutely no respect for the law. DC police arrest boy, 12, following armed carjacking in broad daylight: 'It's gotten so bad' | Fox News

What were you doing at 12 years of age? I'm guessing it wasn't stealing cars.

The incident took place at about 1 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Avenue and U Street in Southeast D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.

A woman reported that a suspect approached her and demanded her keys, according to Metro police. She also said he had an object in his waistband that looked like a firearm.

It must not have been too convincing, because when she refused to hand over the keys he ran away. My guess is that he will have a firearm within a month or 3.

And you know things are bad in DC when people from Iraq are calling it a war zone. Uber driver from Iraq survives SUV sprayed with bullets in DC, says city is like a war zone: 'God saved me'

An Uber driver caught in gunfire in Washington D.C. during a drive-by shooting over the weekend said the city feels like a war zone, similar to his native Iraq, which he fled.

The driver, who didn't give his name to FOX DC, said he was near the Cathedral of St. Matthew on Saturday when his Toyota Highlander SUV was hit with a barrage of gunfire.

There is apparently video from inside the Uber SUV, but Fox News provided neither a copy nor a link to where it is. There are photos of nearby vehicles. At least one person, not in the SUV, was injured.

There is more at both links.

As these stories often do, these two stories have reminded me of the poem "The Second Coming," by William Butler Yeats. The entire text of the poem, it isn't long, can be found below (after the break). The part I always think of is...

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

What kind of life does a 12-year-old have to lead, that he thinks it is a good idea to embark on carjacking as a way of life? How can you live when someone might open-fire on you at any minute, for apparently no reason? Think on those questions and weep for the future of our country.

Civilization was nice while it lasted.

Putting the "Criminal" in Criminal Justice System

Cops don't need to follow the rules. Or the law. Do they? Nineteen D.C. Police Officers Are Under Criminal Investigation for Questionable Gun Seizures, According to Court Records.

Prosecutors are dropping dozens of criminal cases, and courts are reversing guilty judgments due to alleged police misconduct.

Maybe they do, and they just don't think that they do.

In a story familiar to Chicago residents, we have a specialized unit focused on violent crime. This being the Seventh District crime suppression team, from Washington D.C.

At least 19 sworn MPD officers are under criminal investigation, the USAO says in court records, after MPD forwarded a pair of reports to federal prosecutors to consider criminal charges. (MPD denied City Paper’s Freedom of Information Act request for the reports.) A 20th officer was also implicated in the investigation, but resigned before the probe began. The USAO’s search for criminal wrongdoing follows MPD’s internal investigation that now-former Chief Robert Contee announced in October 2022.

At the time, Contee said the investigation was limited to just seven cops—five officers and two sergeants—who had been suspended or put on desk duty. Supervisors initially noticed that officers’ body camera footage did not match what they wrote in their reports and that officers had confiscated illegal firearms but let the suspects walk free

It seems that the officers on this "special team" would turn off their body-worn cameras during "crucial moments" of many gun arrests. They also seem to have had the idea that police reports were supposed to be fictional, because what they were writing wasn't true.

There is more click thru.

Chicago PD has had a Special Operations Section; it was shut down in 2007 amid allegations of kidnapping and murder-for-hire. Then there was the Gang Unit, in which some of the members were accused of getting bogus search warrants in order to steal from drug dealers. (I don't know how the trials turned out.) "Get it done at all costs" is not the way to get good policing.

Still I expect that no one will learn that lesson. (Hat tip to The Gun Blog Black List: 19 DC Cops Investigated For Questionable Firearms Seizures - John Crump News .)

Our Revolving Door Justice System - Washington, DC Edition

Because it is unfair to keep people in jail, or something... As Congress debates DC's new criminal code, activists urge everyone to get to work - ABC News

At a press conference Monday, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee stressed what he called the need for long sentences for those guilty of homicide. He said the average homicide suspect has been arrested 11 times prior.

They haven't been arrested for homicide 11 times. "Lesser" crimes like assault. (They also haven't been arrested 11 times for petty crimes is my guess, but that figure will include some number of felonies.) But it is unfair to keep bad guys in jail, so they turn them loose, and the behavior gets worse. Do you expect behavior to get better in the absence of consequences?

The number of D.C. homicides so far this year is up 31% compared to this point in 2022, according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department. There were 203 homicides last year -- a slight reduction from 2021, which followed several years of steady increases in homicides going back to 2017.

Total reports of violent crime in the district, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, are down slightly so far this year while overall reported crime is up 25%, according to MPD.

The key phrase is "reported crime."

Of course it is not only Washington, DC that is having this problem.

Portland, Oregon (from 2022): Average homicide suspect had been arrested 6 times prior, report says.

On average, homicide suspects had been arrested about 6 times prior to killing their victims, a large amount of whom also had documented criminal records, the report said.

Suspects in the shootings had, on average, been arrested 8 times previously.

The report did not detail exactly which crimes had led to each suspect’s arrest, but said most were for property, drug, disorder and unarmed violent offenses.

And a smaller percent of murders are being solved nationally. As Murders Spiked, Police Solved About Half in 2020

For homicide detectives, 2020 brought good news and bad news. On the one hand, police across the nation solved more murders — in absolute numbers — than in any year since 1997, according to data reported to the FBI. On the other hand, because new homicides increased sharply, the reported rate at which killings were solved, known as the “clearance rate,” declined to a little below 50%.

Civilization is built on law and order, on being mostly sure that you can keep the fruits of your labor. For whatever reason the folks running the Blue Cities are determined to destroy law and order.

The Breakdown of Order in Our Nation's Capital

First up, a shooting outside of Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Three Shot Outside Nationals Park During Game Against Padres

In 2021 I think it would be hard to say that Baseball is still America's Pastime. Street violence seems to be more popular these days.

Three people were shot and wounded outside Nationals Park during a game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, sending fans scrambling for safety in the dugouts and prompting the suspension of the game.

People were told to stay in the stadium until cops were sure things were under control, but when asked to leave, some people couldn't get to their cars because of the investigation.

In a separate incident... Police offering $60K reward after 6-year-old girl killed in Washington, DC, shooting

Police heard gunfire at the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue, Southeast, and rushed to the scene to find six victims injured: three male adults, two female adults and one child. [SNIP]

The victims had been standing on the sidewalk when a shooter went by in a car, according to MPD Chief Robert Contee.

The Other McCain get's a hat tip for the 2nd article.

Crime has been on the rise in DC since at least 2017, according to the article. Click thru for more on that, and a link to the offical crime data for Washington.

Some Measure of Justice for Mohammad Anwar

Not enough. 13-Year-Old Girl Pleads Guilty for DC Carjacking That Killed Uber Eats Driver.

Mohammad Anwar, 66, was working as an Uber Eats driver near Nationals Park when a 13-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl carjacked him

This was the story that was all over the news, in March, mostly because of the security camera footage of the incident.

The girl pleaded guilty in juvenile court to second-degree murder. Other charges will be dropped. Under the maximum sentence, she would be released once she turns 21.

The 15-year-old pleaded guilty last month, and should be sentenced this week. The 13-year-old should be sentenced in July.

Crime in DC Is Also Out of Control

Are we shocked and dismayed? At least 11 people shot during a violent weekend in the District - The Washington Post

The weekend violence brings the number of homicides in the District to 66 this year, a 38 percent increase from this time in 2020. That year ended with a 16-year high in killings.

Law and Order, and a peaceful civilization were nice while they lasted.

Noah Green: Capital Attacker

The Left's Narrative took another hit. New York Post: Suspect who smashed into barrier at US Capitol identified as Noah Green. (The photo is from their website, though it may have originated on the subject's F*c*book page - since removed.)

The driver who killed a US Capitol cop before he was gunned down by police is a Nation of Islam devotee from Indiana, according to reports and his social media.

Noah Green, 25, who may have been living in Virginia, described himself as a “Follower of Farrakhan” on his Facebook page, in reference to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

I think this means that The New York Post is one of the few media outlets in America still practicing journalism.

Newsweek, on the other hand, asked the following question: Who Is Noah Green? 25-Year-Old Is Suspect in Capitol Attack That Killed Officer. Though aside from stating his age, and the fact that he is an Indiana native, they give absolutely no information about him. They certainly don't show a photograph. How would that support the narrative? Spin, spin, spin.

I also saw one report that either CNN or MSNBC had already stopped talking about today and gone back to talking about January 6th, because reasons that's why! There is a narrative to support.

"Das narrative uber alles"

Because it can't be a failure of progressive policies, or civilization as built by progressives. Washington DC is a sh*thole run by a garbage person.

A 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl tried to carjack an Uber Eats driver. They used a Taser on him and caused him to crash. He died.

Notice how one of the girls’ biggest concern wasn’t that she tazed a man, crashed his car, and killed him, but that she left her phone in the car she murdered a man while trying to steal.

And because 2 black girls killing a hard-working Palestinian-immigrant doesn't forward anyone's narrative, the mayor of the sh*thole DC has to make it about being safe in the face of auto theft. Which, strictly speaking, is NOT carjacking.

There are thoughts on the non-actions of national guard troops, video of the incident, and more. Click thru.