Posts Tagged ‘Councilmember Jim Graham’
Graham On Metro Crash: ‘There Are Probably Going To Be Significant Legal Actions’
Councilmember Jim Graham, who is chairman of the Metro Board, just called in to report a few things to City Desk regarding yesterday's Metro crash. Graham mentioned that the board's $250,000 relief fund for the Metro crash victims' families. He emphasized that this is not hush money.
"We wanted to have this immediately," Graham explains. "We know there are probably going to be significant legal actions."
Graham says that one of the inspirations for the relief fund came from the circumstances involving one of the victims---Ana Fernandez, who left behind six children. The Examiner notes that she lived in Hyattsville and had resided in the area for the past 10 years. She worked evenings as a part-time housekeeper. Graham says: "We don't know how many more are like that. Those needs came to my attention today....And now there's emergency relief."
Graham says that reps from El Salvador's embassy have reached out to the Fernandez family as has Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.
Read More "Graham On Metro Crash: ‘There Are Probably Going To Be Significant Legal Actions’" »
Metro Crash Death Count: WTF
So how did the Red Line metro crash death toll jump to nine last night then fall back to seven this morning and then back up to nine? Last night, City Desk reported that three news outlets---WUSA9, WTOP, and WJLA---had confirmed that nine had died in the crash. WTOP cited the D.C. Fire Department as its source. WJLA had cited Metro.
This morning, Fenty stated that the number of confirmed dead was actually seven. That number soon increased back up to nine.
At least one fire department official is trying to figure out how and why there was so much confusion. One reporter City Desk contacted speculates that it may have to do with just the gruesomeness of the scene.
Jim Graham Talks About Young Staffer Turned Alleged Columbia Heights Shooter
Yesterday evening, WJLA broke the story that the alleged Columbia Heights shooter was an intern working in Councilmember Jim Graham's office. Graham had driven the suspect, Devyn Black, 19, to the Third District police station. Black turned himself in without incident.
At some point on Friday, Graham had heard from media sources that Black had been mentioned as a suspect. Graham tells City Desk that he tried to verify this with D.C. Police officials.
"I said 'hey is there any truth to this?' I was assured that there wasn't," Graham says. "He may have been somebody who's name was mentioned, but that was just all talk. Just all talk."
But Graham did confront Black. He called him into his office and questioned him about the shooting incident in which two adults were shot in the leg outside the Columbia Heights metro stop Thursday afternoon. In the shootings immediate aftermath, Graham had been on the scene talking to residents and police. That day Black attended the summer jobs program orientation at the convention center. Graham had told reporters about the incident at the convention center that involved police seizing the revolver and brass knuckles.
Graham says he asked Black about the shooting and whether he was involved. "I had previously asked him if he had done it," he says. "He had an alibi....I didn't know whether to believe him or not believe him. I felt that he knew more about it than what he was saying. He might have been on the scene."
Read More "Jim Graham Talks About Young Staffer Turned Alleged Columbia Heights Shooter" »







