In the wake of the Metropolitan Police Department's test cheating scandal, MPD has a new "Integrity Policy." The policy went out via e-mail today to police brass, so they could inform cops under their authority. It appears officers will encounter the policy each time they take an exam. The new rules make explicit that anyone taking an MPD test is supposed to come up with the answers on their own. (Meanwhile, there's no word yet on what will become of Assistant Chief Diane Groomes, who's accused of passing answers to an exam to commanders she supervised.)

The new policy is after the jump:

If this module consists of or contains a test, completion of that test is to be an individual effort. You are to complete the test yourself and you shall not direct nor allow any other person to take the test on your behalf. You shall not provide draft or actual test questions or answers to any other person. You shall not take the test on behalf of any other person, nor shall you solicit nor accept draft or actual test questions or answers from any other person.

Any allegation that a testing rule has been violated will be investigated. Persons who violate any testing rule shall be subject to discipline, up to and including termination. Persons who become aware of an alleged testing rule violation shall follow Departmental procedures for reporting alleged misconduct.

By taking this test you hereby certify and affirm that the completion of this test was an individual effort by you, and that you have followed all applicable testing rules.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

D.C. cops looked pretty intimidating at the funeral of Jamal Coates this afternoon. Out in force, they glared  as crowds of mourners hung out around the King Emmanuel Baptist Church in Adams Morgan, and the nearby Ontario Coin Laundromat. Just last week, the gang violence that left Coates shot dead erupted after a funeral on U Street.

At one point, two cops in flak jackets followed one group of mourners down Ontario Street NW.

As for the funeral that went  on inside, reporters were asked not to attend. ANC Commissioner Bryan Weaver, who did attend, says everything went well: "Considering, I thought it was pretty upbeat." He says the funeral focused on the life of the 21-year-old Coates, and how to help young men like him. Coates was at times affiliated with a gang.

According to a police source, Coates was shot in connection to a longstanding beef between the 1-7 crew (based near 17th and Euclid NW) and the G-Rod crew (from 14th and Girard NW).  And the murder allegedly took place after a member of G-Rod was insulted. (Police have arrested Brandon Miller in connection with the shooting.)

At times, Coates tried to turn his life around, but didn't manage to get far enough away from neighborhood influences to make the change stick. Weaver says the Rev. Daryl F. Bell, who spoke at Coates' funeral, put it best: "If you hang out at the hot dog stand, you're most likely going to eat a hot dog."

According to the court documents, police were able to locate several witnesses and video footage of the scene. This led them two believe two shooters were involved and that they drove a Buick LeSabre. One witness even provided an accurate tag number. The shooting took place mid-day. Detectives found the car in well under an hour. It wasn't long before they found Miller.

According to the court documents, detectives ran the tags off the grey sedan as provided by a witness. The vehicle was a 2001 Buick registered to an address at 1211 Girard Street NW. Detectives found the car at 12:45 p.m. Detectives located video footage that showed two males get out of the car shortly after the shooting. Police go on to state:

“While Detectives were still outside of 1211 Girard Streets NW, Mr. Brandon Miller came to the scene and said the Buick was his vehicle. Detectives asked Mr. Miller if he would accompany them to the Homicide Branch and he agreed to do so.”

As Miller was being interrogated in police custody, other detectives conducted a search warrant of Miller’s home. They found: “two handguns (9mm and .40 cal) inside a backpack,” “an assault rifle (AK-47), and Tech (machine gun)” in a bedroom, and a shotgun in another bedroom. A witness in the house stated that Miller slept on the couch and did not have a bedroom.

During the interview, Miller explained just how his car came to be seen at 13^th and U Streets NW:

“He said he was at the gas station at 14^th and Euclid Street NW when he saw the two guys, who he described as wearing blue jeans and white tee shirts. Mr. Miller said the two guys asked him for a ride to Florida Avenue. Mr. Miller agreed and said he then drove the two guys to 13^th and U Streets NW, and made a left into an alley. He said he parked his car in the alley and the two guys exited and went down the street. Mr. Miller heard gunshots and then saw the two guys running back to his car. He said they got into his car and he sped down the alley. Mr. Miller said he dropped them off at his house. He said he didn’t know they were going to do what they did. Mr. Miller said the guns found in his house would not have ballistics matching to the shooting.”

According to the court record, Coates died from multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot in the back right side of his head, his right cheekbone and right bicep. When medical personnel arrived on the scene, it was determined that Coates' death "was apparent."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Closing Arguments In Wone Case," "World Cup Roundup," "Photos: Terry Huff"

Morning All. You better enjoy Metro today and Saturday. Those big fare increases are set to start on Sunday. WaPo's Ann Scott Tyson and Anita Kumar report that Metro approved those complicated fare hikes yesterday: "Metro's board of directors authorized an extensive package of fare increases Thursday as the agency approved a $1.4 billion operating budget and a plan to cover a projected $189 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The new fares include nearly $109 million worth of increases for people who ride rail, bus and MetroAccess, the service for the disabled. Because of the complexity of the fare increases, they will be implemented in three stages: on Sunday, on Aug. 1 and in the fall. One potentially confusing component is a new 20-cent 'peak-of-the-peak' rail surcharge that will start in August and affect riders who travel during the busiest times. The board had indicated in a vote last month that it would approve the changes. Rail fares this weekend will increase about 18 percent, with the peak boarding fare going from $1.65 to $1.95. The bus boarding charge will go up 20 percent, from $1.25 to $1.50 for SmarTrip users and from $1.35 to $1.70 for cash customers. Metro's board also agreed to cut the cost of SmarTrip cards in half, from $5 to $2.50, because the cost of the cards has fallen and because Metro wants to encourage riders to use them, said Peter Benjamin, the board chairman. Board member Jim Graham, who serves on the D.C. council, cast the only dissenting vote. He said he was concerned about the effect of the higher fares on the people least able to afford them."

AFTER THE JUMP—Peter Nickles would stay on if Fenty gains second term, Metro gets into the movie rental business, WaPo columnist stands up for social workers fired in wake of Banita Jacks case, and tragedy hits Ward 8 ANC Commissioner.

FOUR MORE YEARS OF NICKLES? District AG Peter Nickles, aka Fenty's Troll Doll, tells Jonetta Rose Barras on her WPFW radio show that he's open to remaining as the city's top lawyer for four more years. WaPo reports: "In a DC Politics interview on WPFW 89.3 FM, Rose-Barras told the city's top lawyer that there are some residents who will not vote to re-elect Fenty because of Nickles, his strained relations with the council and the view that he is a 'cantankerous old man,' who is to blame for 'a lot that has happened in this administration is bad.' 'I don't know if I'm cantankerous,' Nickles said, joking about his age, 71. 'I'm ready to take it on as long as the mayor wants me to take it on.' Nickles acknowledged that he has long had a cantankerous relationship with former mayor Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). But Nickles said he has had 'very good relations' with council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), David Catania (I-At Large), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), and at times, Chairman Vincent Gray. But, he said, 'I have found these other council members – particularly Barry, Michael Brown (I-At Large), Kwame Brown (D-At Large) and Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) – completely unwilling to listen. No matter what the issue is, they are instinctively against the mayor.'" What about your biggest critics, Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Mary Cheh? Anyway, Nickles ruled out running for attorney general; voters can decide in Nov. if the position should be an elected office. [Nickles opposes such a move].

Meanwhile, the D.C. Council rebuffed Nickles' attempt to allow indefinite response times for FOIA requests. WaPo's Ann Marimow reports: "Attorney General Peter Nickles' request for more time to respond to public requests for government information is unlikely to gain traction in the Council, where two members — Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) — have introduced legislation to increase access and transparency. Nickles said the District is inundated with complex Freedom of Information Act requests and needs a 'safety valve' of additional time to respond, similar to what federal law allows. But Cheh said Nickles 'is looking for an open-ended excuse not to comply, and he's not going to get it. It's a simple invitation to delay, an invitation to mischief.' Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, who is challenging Mayor Adrian Fenty in the September Democratic primary, also rejected the idea, calling the current response period 'sufficient.'"

CFSA AND BANITA JACKS FALLOUT: WaPo columnist Petula Dvorak takes up the cause of the social workers fired in the wake of the Banita Jacks case. She believes they should get their jobs back: "All of the social workers who had anything to do with the Jacks case were thumped in grand fashion by an angry and decisive Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). For a city reeling from the discovery that Jacks's four children were dead and that Jacks had been living in squalor for weeks with their decaying bodies until she was found in January 2008, it felt righteous to fire everyone having anything to do with her case. A new director of the Child and Family Services Agency was installed, and Jacks was convicted of killing her girls. But [Carl] Miller and two other social workers are still fighting the case every day. And the city is fighting back. The case touched Miller's life in late 2007, when a school social worker called and told Miller that a student at her school had been truant, the mom wouldn't open the door when she came to investigate, and she was worried. On the phone, Miller was matter-of-fact, reminding the social worker that the woman had no legal obligation to let her inside. It seemed like educational neglect, nothing more; the social worker said the kids looked unkempt and were watching TV. That sounds like my own childhood. As satisfying as it may have been to can Miller because he didn't swoop in to save these girls, it's not realistic to end the career of a 34-year-old man who had been a reliable social worker for eight years." Dvorak doesn't say that the CFSA director resigned not over the Jacks case, but over her inability to handle a huge backlog of cases in its aftermath. She also doesn't mention that the court monitor had flagged CFSA's poor investigative skills a few months prior to the Jacks case making headlines—so social workers and their supervisors had ample warning that they needed to be more vigilant. Still this is a must read for anyone that followed the Jacks case, and Dvorak can be convincing especially regarding the one social worker fired after relying on the police to properly visit the Jacks home. The police officer lied to the social worker saying that he had seen the Jacks children and they were fine. He had never seen the kids.

GRAY VS. LEO ALEXANDER: Leo Alexander takes it to Vincent Gray during the latest mayoral forum, WaPo reports: "Alexander, who has been struggling to gain attention in what so far appears to be a two-man race, went on the offensive against Gray, accusing him of being as much to blame as Fenty for the city's problems. 'When you think of everything that has happened in the last three years, you cannot criticize this man, without looking at this man,' Alexander said, pointing at Gray and Fenty. Alexander specifically challenged Gray for not doing more to prevent Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee from laying off 266 teachers last year. 'It wouldn't be fair to talk about the betterment of DCPS, without talking about leadership of our council chairman,' Alexander said. 'When this council had the opportunity to stop those firings, but he did nothing.' A clearly agitated Gray fired back, accusing Alexander of misrepresenting his record, noting he and Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) worked on legislation to try to force Rhee to rehire the fired teachers. 'Let me begin by saying it's easy to sit up here when you've done nothing and pontificate,' Gray said to Alexander. 'If you did the research, you would understand the council wouldn't have the authority to turn this around despite the fact we tried.' Alexander responded: 'The gentleman said I have done nothing, let's talk about his do-nothing leadership on the city council.'"

OUR CONDOLENCES: WaPo is reporting that Ward 8 ANC Commissioner Anthony Muhammad's two sons were killed in a car crash in Silver Spring: "Muhammad family members did not comment. They were planning a vigil at Kennedy High School in Silver Spring on Thursday evening. Commissioners in Ward 8 said they were pulling together to support the family. 'Mr. Muhammad is an active, dedicated person in our community, and we're grieving with him. It's a tragic loss,' said Ward 8 commissioner Lendia Johnson. 'He's devastated, as far as I can say. He adored his children. He was an excellent father.' Barbara Clark, another Ward 8 commissioner, said she contacted Muhammad through a text message after the accident. Johnson said she admired Muhammad's sons for being upstanding and disciplined. 'They weren't the pants-hanging-down-low type,' she said, 'They were neat, clean, straightforward, obedient young men.'"

DROWNING: Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. says he will hold a hearing on this week's drowning death of a child at the Turkey Thicket Rec Center pool. WaPo reports: "Yiana-Michelle Ballard, 6, was found unconscious at the rec center's crowded indoor pool about 2:20 p.m., officials said. She had been swimming with her family. Lifeguards tried to resuscitate her, but she was later pronounced dead at Children's National Medical Center. Police said Thursday that their special-victims unit was still investigating the circumstances of the death. Autopsy results were pending. 'This should have never happened,' said D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5), who chairs the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation. 'We are doing everything that needs to be done to make sure that this doesn't happen again.' Thomas said he plans to hold hearings next week to examine whether the city's pools are safe. He said he is consulting with officials from the American Red Cross to review pool safety procedures and might introduce emergency legislation to address the issue." More coverage via WUSA9.

FOLKLIFE FEST: WUSA9 offers a preview of this year's fest on the Mall.

RHEE: THE MOVIE STAR? Maybe not. But the school's chancellor gets a star turn in front of the cameras for a new education documentary.

METRO MOVIES: Rental kiosks are coming to Metro, reports WBJ. More coverage via the Examiner.

OF COURSE: People are raising pigs in Takoma Park.

FIRST LADIES: Duke Ellington students woo a pair of First Ladies with a little MJ.

THINK YOU GOT IT BAD: Tenants in one building are fighting landlord over broken AC.

HYDRANTS: D.C. officials are encouraging residents to not turn on hydrants as a way of combating this ridiculous heat.

FREE: HIV/AIDS testing.

MUST READ: WaPo's Paul Duggan's story on the murder of Manual Sanchez: "Fleeing poverty in El Salvador, he walked into the United States illegally across miles of desert in 1998. He worked as a bricklayer or as a laborer, depending on the economy, and drank heavily for a time, often squandering his wages. On May 28, behind a vacant tenement in Southeast Washington, where Sanchez, 29, and two of his cousins had been bagging trash and cutting weeds, the men were accosted by a pair of would-be robbers. Now Sanchez is gone, air-freighted back to his rural home town in a coffin, allegedly shot by a suspect six days past his 16th birthday, a ward of the city's youth rehabilitation agency. The accused killer, Javon Hale, and the other suspect, Rafael Douglas, also 16, are due in D.C. Superior Court on Friday for a preliminary hearing, each charged as an adult with murder after two witnesses identified them to police. Some killings rivet the media and the public: An esteemed lawyer mysteriously stabbed in Northwest Washington townhouse; a University of Virginia lacrosse star savagely pummeled in her apartment; a beloved D.C. school principal shot in his Silver Spring home. And some homicides go largely unnoticed beyond the tumbledown blocks where they occur, beyond the families and friends of the slain and the handcuffed and the authorities seeking justice. The shooting of Manuel DeJesus Sanchez was such a crime....The suspects, locked up without bond, have pleaded not guilty. Hale, who has a record of juvenile crime, had been let out of Boys Town, a group home, on a weekend pass just hours before Sanchez died bleeding on a dingy patch of Hillside Road SE in Benning Heights."

KOJO: Today's guests: Virginia congressional candidate Keith Fimian and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

10:45 a.m.
Remarks
Ribbon Cutting for Deanwood Recreation Center and Library
Location: Deanwood Recreation Center and Library
49th and Quarles Streets, NE

D.C. COUNCIL'S SCHEDULE:

10 a.m.
Committee on Human Services (Round Table)
"Status of the District's Low Barrier, Transitional and Permanent Support Housing Programs for Adults, Youth and Families who are Homeless"
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"World Cup Roundup," "Another O.J. Simpson Expert to Appear At Wone Trial," "District Unemployment Rate Drops," "Kojo: 'What's With The Hatred of Adrian Fenty?,'" "Scene, Protests At Georgetown Apple Store Opening," "Shooting Near 4D Police Headquarters"

Good Morning. There's so much news, let's just get to it. The Examiner's Bill Myers reports that the Fenty Administration had raided millions from workers' insurance fund. The fund's mismanagement is now being investigated by the F.B.I. and the city auditor: "The Fenty administration took $10 million from a workers' insurance fund that is now at the center of multiple investigations, sources told The Washington Examiner. Fenty and his attorney general, Peter Nickles, have now acknowledged that hundreds of disabled workers were charged for life insurance but weren't actually given the policies. The administration announced that it was handing the matter over to the city's inspector general last week. The workers' money, which might be worth up to $6 million, went into the city's workers' compensation fund. Sources familiar with the investigations into the scandal told The Examiner that the Fenty administration took some $10 million from the workers' compensation fund to balance the fiscal 2009 budget. Then City Administrator Dan Tangherlini met with finance and Risk Management agency officials in early 2008 and discovered that the workers' comp money had continually "rolled over" from previous years, the sources said. Tangherlini assumed that insurance claims were falling and that the city was safe in raiding the fund, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigations. The fund has since been under 'spending pressure' and some workers have complained that they are being bilked out of both life and health insurance benefits." KEY LINES: "Beside the missing insurance benefits, authorities have also been told that contracts went to friends of Risk Management Director Kelly Valentine. Authorities have not found any evidence of corruption."

FENTY STAFF TROUBLES: WaPo reports that a Fenty canvasser has been arrested for allegedly selling crack: "A canvasser for the campaign of D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) was fired after being arrested Friday in connection with an alleged attempt to sell crack to an undercover police officer in Northwest." A Fenty spokesperson says that the staffer has been fired and was not canvassing at the time of his arrest. More coverage via NBC4. BONUS FENTY STAFFER GOSSIP: From commenter "Rob" from this past Friday's LL Daily on the ongoing Fenty Campaign's Sign Wars:

"A Fenty sign was also placed in my front yard right next to my Gray sign AFTER the Fenty campaign idiot was told (politely)that we were not interested. Enraged, I pulled up the sign and I am now awaiting the opportunity to do the 'appropriate' thing with it. Another thing that I've noticed, there seem to be an unusual number of Fenty campaign volunteer vehicles possessing Maryland, Virginia and even Delaware license plates. I guess Fenty is counting on those votes to get him back in."

And from "No To AMF" :

"Vacant property and homeowners often come home from work to find a Grey sign moved to an out of sight part of the yard and a new Fenty sign placed without permission. What can we do outside of throwing his signs out? There should be a penalty or fine for this. I can't go to his house and place signs in his yard without permission and he shouldn't be able to do it to my home!"

Is this a trend? Or just BS from Gray supporters?

AFTER THE JUMP—New residents could impact election, Metro one year later, Ron Moten vs. Vincent Gray, D.C. Police roll out curfew campaign, and much, much more!

NEW RESIDENTS: Those newly registered to vote in the District could have an impact on this year's big races, reports WaPo's Ann Marimow. Like all the newbies in Mount Vernon Triangle and elsewhere. There are 47,000 new voters. The biggest jump in voter registration has taken place in Ward 1 and Ward 7. Marimow writes: "To Fenty's camp, the fact that newcomers have chosen the District over, say, Bethesda or Ballston is directly related to the mayor's initiatives to improve schools and lower crime, said campaign strategist Tom Lindenfeld. 'We think we have a chance once they are exposed to the contrast in the race,' he said. 'We're going to do everything necessary to make that case.' Gray's campaign is trying to capitalize on his background as a community organizer—something he shares with Obama—and founder of a nonprofit group. Traci Hughes, spokeswoman for the Gray campaign, also stressed his deliberative, inclusive decision-making style and said new voters want a candidate 'who really cares about the people living in the city.' In the hierarchy of sought-after voters, residents with habitual records of participation are especially prized. At the other end are those who typically cast ballots only in presidential elections. Then there are the newbies, who have yet to establish a voting pattern in the District. The get-out-the-vote challenge for both mayoral campaigns heading into the September primary is to persuade the newly registered — without ignoring established voters — that they have a personal stake in who is elected mayor."

METRO ONE YEAR LATER: The Examiner's Kytja Weir asks: Is Metro any safer one year after the crash. Weir writes: "The crash did not end the safety problems. Instead, the transit agency saw a spate of other deaths, safety missteps, damning reports and other problems in the past year." Key detail: The transit agency signed an $886 million contract this spring to buy new steel-bodied rail cars to replace the Rohr 1000 series cars that federal investigators have called uncrashworthy for years, but it will take at least six years for the new cars to arrive and all the old ones replaced. The agency has been running trains in manual mode since the crash and has fixed problems in nearly 300 of its some 3,000 track circuits, according to a Metro database. It has not come up with the real-time sensor of failures in the train safety system that the National Transportation Safety Board asked it to create."

WaPo's Ann Scott Tyson produced a riveting feature on the Metro crash victims' families and the impact one year later: "The relatives of those killed in the deadliest accident in Metro's history have spent the past year dealing with practical hardships. They have had to find ways to replace lost incomes, care for orphaned children and shift living arrangements to create new homes. But they live with an aching sense of loss that is as raw today as it was in the days after one train slammed into another near Fort Totten Station in Northeast Washington. Some refuse to ride Metro trains; they're worried about safety and plagued by horrific memories. Lawsuits over the crash, which also injured 80 people, are crawling through the courts, and the National Transportation Safety Board won't announce a formal cause of the accident until late July. As the months have passed, many family members grew bitter over what they see as the indifference of Metro, government officials and the public to their suffering."

WUSA9 interviews Peter Benjamin, Metro's Chairman of the Board, on the system's safety improvements since the crash. KEY QUOTE: "Yes METRO is safe. Now, nothing is perfectly safe. There is always some chance of an accident. But you are safer riding METRO than any mode of transportation. I've got to tell you I take my grandchildren for rides on these trains. I wouldn't take them on these trains if it wasn't safe,"

Meanwhile, a Metro bus driver has been arrested over a fare fight. AP reports: "Metro Transit Police charged Vento Mickens with simple assault on Friday. Mickens was driving a 71 bus to Buzzard Point when the alleged incident took place near Georgia Avenue and Van Buren Street NW. Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato says that Mickens, who had worked for Metro for more than 23 years, is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation."

And NC8 reports that a Metro bus was involved in an accident with four other cars at Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road SE on Sunday: "As many as 10 individuals were evaluated for injuries and four were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Pete Piringer, the spokesperson for DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services."

FENTY FINISHES 16TH: Not in a straw poll. No, he finished a very respectable 16 in this weekend's triathlon.

RON MOTEN VS. VINCENT GRAY: Tim Craig reports on the Peaceoholics Co-Founder's potential impact on the mayoral race: "Frustrated by Gray's attacks on Fenty and concerned that a Gray victory would dry up funding for violence-prevention programs he credits with reducing homicides, Moten said he will use the sales skills he learned on the streets to put the mayor over the top in the September primary. 'I haven't even gotten started yet,' said Moten, 40. 'Adrian has helped a lot of people in the streets. People just don't know about it yet. I'm going to help change that.' In recent weeks, Moten has created a Web site to spread information about Gray's record, fueled newspaper articles on the illegal fence at Gray's home in Hillcrest and helped Fenty reach out to African Americans through radio ads featuring hip-hop artists. Now, Moten is gearing up to mobilize thousands on Fenty's behalf, confident he can drive up African American turnout enough to dilute Gray's expected advantage. Privately, some Fenty advisers said they are nervous that Moten's efforts could backfire, but the mayor said in an interview that he is 'honored' to have the support, calling him a 'friend' and a 'great Washingtonian.'"

CHARTER SCHOOLS: Three schools may close, reports the Examiner's Leah Fabel: "Facing closure are two Ward 1 elementary schools — Children's Studio and Academy for Learning through the Arts (ALTA) – as well as a Ward 4 secondary school, Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers (KIMA). The three threatened revocations constitute a strong signal from the board that it is willing to use its authority to uphold charter quality. About one-third of District students attend charter schools, and the city's charter experiment is being closely watched by education reformers around the country. Each of the three schools posted dismal test scores in 2009. At Children's Studio, fewer than 26 percent of students performed at or above 'proficient' level on the city's standardized math exams, while about 39 percent reached that mark in reading. In a recent board report, the school was criticized for having 'no clear instructional philosophy or model of exemplary teaching.' At ALTA, about 19 percent of students scored proficient or better in math, down from 27 percent in 2008. About half of the students scored proficient in reading. In a 2009 report, the school carried a cumulative deficit of $111,000, among the highest in the city. At KIMA, about 43 percent of high schoolers passed the city's reading test, and about 34 percent passed the math test. A report stressed concern over the school's ability to serve students with special needs, such as English language instruction."

JONETTA ROSE BARRAS: The Examiner columnist thinks Gray's recent victory in the Ward 3 straw poll may be meaningless: "Truth be told, straw polls and endorsement meetings are merely an opportunity for each campaign to take the other's measure: How much effort does it take for Gray to win in Ward 3? Is Fenty mimicking Muhammad Ali's "rope-a-dope," or is his organization in disarray? Neither campaign has hit its stride. 'This is still a very competitive race, and Fenty still has plenty of money,' said another political operative. The mayor has more than $3 million. Insiders told me he soon may release television ads: 'A lot of voters have fixed opinions [about him]. The only way to change that is to come into their living rooms,' said a campaign source."

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: On Friday, District officials reported that the city's unemployment rate fell by .6 percent to 10.4 percent: WaPo's Mike DeBonis tries to gauge the impact of this very tiny news on the mayoral race: "The dip in joblessness probably won't play much on the trail. For one, any effort to take credit for the trend is going to ring hollow in the parts of town where the numbers shoot past 20 percent. For another, what's going on in the nation at large — high unemployment due to fewer jobs — is not what is happening in the District. There are more jobs in the city than there were in 2006, but poorly qualified D.C. residents simply aren't filling them. So the campaign rhetoric tends to center on job training issues, rather than job creation issues. That certainly, is what candidate Vincent Gray is focusing his message on. At a June 3 mayoral forum hosted by Ward 3 neighborhood associations, Gray said: 'The skills that are required for the jobs that we have in the city don't match the talents of the people we have here. The job of the mayor is to be able to create the jobs program that will facilitate that.' He went on to advocate for more training in the areas health care, early childhood education, and financial services — what he sees as growth sectors in the District. He also boasted how he moved to restore a $4 million cut to workforce development programs. The man who proposed that cut, Mayor Adrian Fenty, has chosen to integrate his jobs policy with his No. 1 campaign talking point: education."

RAY VS. MENDO: Clark Ray has beat At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson in a Ward 8 straw poll. From the Ray press release: "Challenger Clark Ray, showing growing momentum, handily won the Ward 8 Democratic Straw Poll over longtime incumbent Phil Mendelson with the vote of 46 to 28." Ray can take heart that he beat Mendo in a straw poll. Mendo can take heart that less than a hundred residents participated.

CURFEW: D.C. Police are launching a campaign to spread the word that the District's youth have a curfew. Lame slogan included in the message! More coverage via WUSA9.

TAKOMA AQUATICS CENTER: The awesome facility was scheduled to close for most of the summer for repairs. But residents protested. District officials have now decided that the pool will remain open, reports WaPo's Nikita Stewart. The pool will close right after the primary vote in September.

APPLE STORE MANIA: NC8 reports from the Apple Store's grand opening in Georgetown.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

11 a.m. Remarks
Groundbreaking for Fort Stanton Recreation Center
Location: Fort Stanton Recreation Center
1812 Erie St SE

D.C. COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

10 a.m.
Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary (Hearing)
Bill 18-692, Health and Safety 911 Abuse Prevention Act of 2010
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 412

Committee of the Whole (Round Table)
PR 18-927, " Compensation and working conditions collective bargaining agreement between the district of Columbia and the Washington Teachers' union, American Federation of Teachers Local No. 6, AFL CIO Emergency Approval Resolution of 2010"
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

1 p.m.
Postponed – Committee on Economic Development and Government Operations and the Environment (Round Table)
The Proposed Surplus and Disposition of the following District -owned properties: 4800 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave., N.E.; 335 8th St. S.E.; 1101 24th Street, N.W.; 2301 L ST, N.W.;2225 M St., N.W.; 3050 R St., N.W.; 27 O Street, N.W.
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 123

Yet, as Johnny Barnes of the American Civil Liberties Union points out, "the only homicide in Trinidad last year was at the hands of the police."

It's a year and one day since Trey Joyner, 25, was mowed down by police bullets, and family members of the slain Trinidad resident are still waiting for an update on the investigation. Relatives, along with some fuming local activists, gathered in front of the John A. Wilson building on Wednesday to point out as much.

Dressed in the coveralls of his workplace, Travis Joyner wanted to know why authorities had yet to reveal what they'd discovered about the circumstances surrounding his brother's death. The family only knows that on June 8, 2009, Trey Joyner was killed by plainclothes park police, allegedly after he pulled a gun.

Eyewitnesses have contradicted an assertion made by cops that after a struggle in an alley, Joyner turned a gun on a group of U.S. Park Police officers who were in Trinidad as part of an inter-agency task force led by the FBI. Witnesses' claim that Joyner was shot in the back would also seem to contradict the cops' account.

"I'm to the point that I'm very frustrated, that our family hasn't gotten any answers," Joyner tells City Desk. "To me it's very sad, because I feel as though if it had happened in another area of Washington, D.C. like Dupont Circle of Upper Northwest, I believe that the investigation would have been over."

Joyner says the local U.S. Attorney's office, which was investigating the tragedy, contacted the family a week after the shooting, but not one time after. The investigation has now been taken over by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia.

Joyner says his family has tried to contact Mayor Adrian Fenty to see if he could help get answers, but the mayor wasn't interested. Cousin Patrice Lancaster hounded the Mayor's office about her deceased relative, and says she was hung up on three times. Eventually, someone who identified herself as "an administrative assistant"  to the mayor told her "that Mayor Fenty didn't want to have anything to do with my cousin's case," she says. 

"Not true," mayoral spokesperson Mafara Hobson says of Lancaster's story via email.

Trey Joyner's father, Walter Joyner, his voice wavering, called for an end to the violence: "I would just like to say, put yourself in my place and all of our brothers and sisters need to ban together and stop this police brutality that is happening on our streets killing our youth. That's all I have to say right now."

Staff photo by Rend Smith

"At a time when the District government is $500 million in the hole, allow me to suggest a quick way to slash $.2.6 million: 86 the OPC.

Born in the day when police were often accused of roughing up citizens, OPC is now redundant in an age of excessive scrutiny of cops."

Jaffe's column, written on May 12, essentially parrots the complaints forwarded from Kristopher Baumann, the D.C. Police union chief. It's Baumann's job to advocate for the rank and file; he does great work on behalf of his fellow officers. But Jaffe's job is to actually report accurately the facts, and formulate an independent opinion based on those facts. In this case,  Jaffe didn't even bother to interview anyone at the OPC.  Instead, he actually writes that the police do a good job of investigating their own.

Fortunately, the OPC's budget had zero chance of being eliminated. While Mayor Adrian Fenty had proposed cuts to the OPC, Councilmember Phil Mendelson restored the funds.

The OPC's standing was such that it didn't matter that the Examiner's columnist got his facts wrong.

In a letter-to-the-editor, OPC Executive Director Phil Eure writes in the May 26 Examiner:

"The next time that Harry Jaffe wants to propose that the D.C. Office of Police Complaints be eliminated, he should get his facts straight. Mr. Jaffe claims that the office issued only 'zero decisions' so far this year. The correct number is 172. He claims that last year, the office issued six decisions. The correct number is 338.

He further claims that the office is 'redundant' because it only gets a case after the Metropolitan Police Department has investigated and federal prosecutors have declined to prosecute. Actually, the police department does not investigate citizen complaints filed with our agency, and federal prosecutors only review complaints involving excessive force allegations — a very small fraction of the total number we receive.

Mr. Jaffe credits the Fraternal Order of Police's 'well-argued' letter to judiciary committee Chairman Phil Mendelson for making the case to 'ax' the office. Assuming that he is relying on the union's letter for the wrong statistics he cites, neither he nor the FOP has made a very good case to do away with independent police review in Washington, D.C."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Is There Still Room For Seniors At The New 15th and U?," "Peaceoholics Took Betts Suspects On Retreat," "Disc Jockeys Irk Desk Jockeys In Dupont Circle"

Mornin' all. Tons of news so lets get to it:

THE WORKOUT LOBBY LEAPS INTO ACTION: Yesterday, D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham received 2,689 e-mails from constituents. And Councilmember Mary Cheh says her office received about 2,000 e-mails. Did these legislators rail against the Tea Party? Did they make fun of Arizona's draconian anti-immigration law? Did they say they wanted to cut funding to after-school programs or health clinics? No. They were besieged by District residents who are perspiring profusely over the possibility that they may get taxed for their gym memberships and yoga classes. WaPo's Nikita Steward and Tim Craig chronicle the stuffed in-boxes down at the Wilson Building. Graham offers the key quote about the controversy: "Things have gotten a little uncorked here." LL Daily wonders where were these people when D.C. General was so overcrowded? Where where these people yesterday protesting the layoffs at CFSA? Is this what District residents really care about—yoga? Yes! Hundreds, thousands even spammed the D.C. Council to make sure they knew that they wanted their $18 hot yoga class to stay $18 and not $19.06 with a 6 percent DC sales tax of which $1.06 would go to pay for teachers and trash pickup and child care etc. [LL had help with that last sentence as he is is terrible with numbers]. The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute responds with a blog post defending the idea of a yoga tax. This all makes the great Susie Cambria sad.

Meanwhile, CFSA LAYS OFF MORE THAN 100 WORKERS: WaPo's Henri Cauvin reports on the scene at CFSA: "Social service assistants, who shuttle foster children to school, bring them to doctors appointments and do any number of things that social workers don't have time to do, were among the hardest hit, with all 57 of them losing their jobs. The mayor's proposed budget, released last month, projected CFSA job cuts, but it wasn't until Thursday that employees found out where the ax would fall. After learning of the layoffs at a 9 a.m. meeting at the CFSA's Southwest Washington headquarters, the social service assistants were told to clean out their desks. Throughout the morning, workers emerged on Sixth Street carrying boxes of belongings....'This is like a hospital, and they just cut all the nurses,' said Kina Cypress, a social worker in child protective services, which investigates abuse and neglect." The total number of employees laid off: 115. Along with social-service assistants, junior social workers and facility monitors were also axed. The silver lining: "A new position has been created to replace the social service assistants, a CFSA spokeswoman said. The new job, called a family support worker, will require a college degree, and the agency expects to begin hiring soon."

AFTER THE JUMP—WaPo gets tough on DYRS, Ron Moten Vs. SS, and Free Street Car rides might be in your future!

WAPO ED. BOARD VS. DYRS: WaPo's editorial board shocks all by finally addressing DYRS' problems. The board calls for an independent study in the wake of the Betts murders in which all three suspects where under some kind of DYRS supervision: "Community outcry about the competency of this agency in ensuring public safety is understandable. We share the concerns, and we believe it is time for an independent commission to review how the District and the court system handle juvenile offenders. Such a study could examine the untold successes of the city along with both the hidden and the very public failures. It could consider whether the secrecy that shrouds juvenile justice in the city serves more to protect children or shield the system. And it could recognize the progress we believe has been made in the past five years while considering, without defensiveness, further reforms that may be needed."

The board takes aim at the ridiculous confidentiality issues surrounding juvenile offenders: "UNFORTUNATELY, the District's strict confidentiality laws surrounding virtually every aspect of a juvenile case obscure many facts. We understand the importance of privacy for a child putting his or her life together after a youthful infraction, but what purpose is served by barring dissemination of information when, as in the case of these three men, there are adult charges of heinous wrongdoing? The absurdity of the city's law is reflected in the ability of Montgomery County to release the youths' arrest records even as Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and his attorney general were criticized for merely disclosing the trio's connection to DYRS. Relaxing confidentiality rules should top the list of fixes to the system, but other areas bear examination. It has been a decade since the blue-ribbon commission that led to the reforms at the heart of today's system, so it is time for review and possible course correction." Amen. The Examiner's Harry Jaffe gets AG Peter Nickles to say on the record that juvenile confidentiality is problem that needs addressing.

THE INEVITABLE PEACEOHOLICS CONNECTION: WaPo had reported that all three suspects attended a Peaceoholics retreat in Southern Maryland just days before Betts' murder: "Ronald Moten, the group's cofounder, said that all three arrived April 10 and participated in group discussions about violence. Moten said that they seemed nice and that he was particularly impressed with Lancaster. 'He voluntarily cleaned the whole compound,' Moten said. The three left that night. After the retreat, two of them attended a follow-up session. 'We haven't seen them since,' Moten said. Five days after the retreat, Betts was dead. Moten went into more detail with City Desk's Rend Smith yesterday: "Though he won't say which one, Moten suggests the nonprofit had extensive experience with one of the murder suspects for at least six months prior to the retreat and phone call. 'We stayed on top of him,' Moten says. The youth eventually left the program, he adds, but maintained a relationship with his former case worker."

Police Union Chief Kristopher Baumann e-mailed LL to say that Moten's group is actually being paid by the District to find absconders and bring them back to DYRS. Moten testified on the subject at a hearing last year. Baumann writes:

"On June 10, 2009, Well’s committee held a hearing on DYRS. It was unbelievable. (I know watching old hearings can be a drag, but it is worth it.) Testifying in support of Schiraldi and DYRS were several non-profit groups (Peaceaholics, Concerned Men, etc) that testified that they were receiving “grants” from DYRS to go track down absconders and talk them in to returning to DYRS. Of course, they had no statistics (e.g., number of absconders returned, etc.) but that was what DYRS was paying them to do (they also apparently have office space at DYRS). These are essentially earmarks, but are being done by the Executive so they are called grants, with no oversight, no reports required. Worse they are giving money to groups to do the work the police should be doing (the word on the street is that DYRS did not want the MPD knowing how many absconders existed because it might be leaked and would not match the numbers they have been reporting)."

None of this latest controversy will help Moten vs. Sandra Seegars. This week Moten took Seegars to court, slapping the political activist/gadfly with a libel suit. Seegars is taking her message to the streets (!) with a press conference today at 11 a.m. in front of 1300 Congress Street SE. SS spammed LL too many times to just ignore and delete her press release. Here it is:

"ANC Commissioner Seegars and the opponents of the Peaceoholics’ are holding this conference regarding the Peaceoholics attempt to ignore the law and open some sort of group home/youth facility/community residential facility/independent living facility/condominium at 1300 Congress St., SE DC 20032 will be speaking out against it.

The government, Mayor, Ward 8 Councilmember and Department of Housing and Community Development are ignoring the complaints by the ANC Commissioners and the community. In light of the recent incident, whereas, Ronald Moten, Peaceoholics, admitted that he allowed fugitives to participate in his program, under his direct supervision, without first getting a clearance on the alleged murderers of a school teacher. The immediate neighbors to 1300 Congress St., have grown more frighten of the mystery facility that is underway to open there by the negligent, untrained, hotheaded maverick.

Moreover, it will be a violation of Title 11, whereas, facilities shall not be within 500 feet of each other, and there are already 4 next to 1300 Congress St., SE. DHCD has already violated the ANC law, whereas, they are supposed to notify the commission, commissioner of the affected area and the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commission by first class mail before actions are taken to dispense funds for a project in such district.

They will be asking for investigations on the Peaceoholics involvement with the alleged murderers, the loan from the Department of Housing and Community Development, their non profit status, and they will be asking the DC City Council to stop funding them without a competitive bid process – in an effort to get the most qualified entity to provide services for troubled youth and young adults."

Meanwhile, Moten made some shocking comments yesterday on NC8's NewsTalk.

AGENT ZERO ALMOST OUT OF THE CLINK: Arenas is nearing the end of his halfway house stint. I wonder if he pranked any of his housemates. Apparently, he played cards and basketball.

NICKLES VS. BARRY: The Examiner's Bill Myers has more on the battle between two of our most stubborn politicos.

FREE STREETCARS? WTOP's Adam Tuss reports that streetcar rides may be free in some parts of the District: Once the streetcars get rolling, some riders may actually be able to get on and off at their leisure, knowing that they will not have to pay a dime, WTOP has learned. 'It is certainly possible that in certain areas of the city it would be free,' DDOT Director Gabe Klein tells WTOP. 'And we like that, because the point of this is to stimulate growth and move people between neighborhoods. So we are going to look at a structure where people feel comfortable hopping on and off, maybe many times in an hour.'"

WE NEED MORE YOGA: NC8/WJLA reports on a study showing that 20 percent of District residents are obese: "Women make up 25.1 percent of the city's obese population, while men were at 18.9 percent. The report found women were more likely to be obese than men. The wards with the most grocery stores, organic food and farmers markets, Wards 2 and 3, had the lowest rates of obesity. Ward 8 had the fewest healthy food options and had the highest rate of obesity. To combat the problem, city officials put together the Action Plan, an effort to engage the wards where obesity rates were the highest." Meanwhile, a Top Chef judge promotes creating more food jobs (NBC4)

A D.C. Police Officer was found dead in his apartment Thursday morning, WTOP reports.

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

10:45 a.m., Remarks South Dakota Avenue Bridge Ribbon Cutting
Location: 2700 South Dakota Avenue, NE

4:00 p.m. Remarks All Hands on Deck
Location: 600 block of 46th Place, SE

D.C. COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

10 a.m. Budget Request and Support Act hearings.

KOJO: "The Politics Hour gang sits down with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and D.C. Council Member Tommy Wells."

In a recent public filing, plaintiffs lawyers in the last remaining Pershing Park case provide additional evidence showing that then-Chief Charles Ramsey issued the order to mass arrest the 400 individuals on Sept. 27, 2002. All those arrests were promptly thrown out by city lawyers. More than seven years later, the arrests remain a huge controversy.

In recent depositions, two police officials testified that they heard Ramsey give the arrest order. Ramsey has repeatedly denied that he gave the command to make the mass arrests.

Captain Ralph McLean, who had previously given a similiar account, stated in his deposition: "It is my sincerest belief that Chief Ramsey said, 'lock those motherfuckers up.'"

Last week, Det. Paul Hustler backed up his affidavit with his own deposition testimony. He stated that he heard Ramsey order Assistant Chief Peter Newsham to "teach them a lesson" and "lock the motherfuckers up."

Plaintiffs lawyers go on to write:

"Hustler further testified that he was expressly told by Assistant Chief Jordan that no one was to be allowed out of the park and that even journalists would be arrested."

*file photo by Darrow Montgomery.

But the DOC still had to comply with At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson's request for data leading up to last week's oversight hearing on DOC matters.

Mendelson had asked for an accounting of assaults at the D.C. Jail in a letter to DOC Director Devon Brown sent last fall. Brown finally responded on Feb. 22. Talk about accountability and transparency!

Brown sent along a spreadsheet listing assaults and the dates for assaults. The spreadsheet appears to have been hastily made. The assaults are not listed in chronological order nor are they very detailed. In some cases, it is difficult to tell whether an inmate was stabbed or not.

Here's what we do know from the DOC's stats:

*On August 2, 2009: an inmate was stabbed by another inmate in Southwest One.

*On August 15, 2009: An inmate was on his way back to his cell when another inmate passed by and began stabbing the other inmate multiple times until he fell and then began stomping him. The inmate who was being attacked pulled out a "hand-fashioned" knife in an attempt to defend himself.

*On Sept. 1, 2009: Two inmates chased down another inmate and stabbed him after leaving the visitor's area.

*On Sept. 12, 2009: An inmate was stabbed in the chest, thigh, and calf.

*On Sept. 21, 2009: An inmate was stabbed in his cell "with a metal object." The inmate's stab wounds "were found to his right side, right chin area, right inner thumb, and right forearm."

*On Oct. 10, 2009: It appears that four inmates were stabbed by one inmate in Southwest One.

The data ends in October. The DOC did not provide statistics for November, December, January, and February.

D.C. Police Assistant Chief Peter Newsham tells City Desk that detectives are investigating five stabbings.

"Vincent Gray and the constituents of ward 8 enabled Barry for decades. I doubt anything has changed. Barry stole from the people that needed him most. But the people still love him..."

Super-commenter Rick Mangus offered up some of his typical poetry: "Vincent Gray is a PUSSY!" Friend of the Friends wrote us yesterday with this bit of knowledge: "First, let me say that I know Skinner. I was in those marathon study sessions...that he never came to. Sinclaire is full of shit. He will tell anyone that listens that they should pay him to help you get with Fenty."

Maybe we just have conspiracy nuts for readers. Or maybe there's something going on here—a sense that people that do wrong never get truly punished. Today, the Examiner's Michael Neibauer has a sweet story that may only deepen your distrust in the District government's ability to properly adjudicate bad behavior.

Neibauer reports that the District was ordered to pay $3.4 million in 2009 to more than three dozen city employees who had successfully appealed their terminations. Among the employees receiving a fat payout is a cop who had been busted and jailed for drunk driving. The cop lost his license, but not his job. So why did these appeals cost so much? The District appeal process took so long that when the employees won their jobs back they were entitled to back pay and benefits.

"The Office of Employee Appeals has a backlog of 533 cases, only four administrative judges on staff and finances so depleted that it can't even hire court reporters, agency leaders say. Cases stemming from basic budget-related layoffs to terminations for cause often drag on for years, and those workers who successfully appeal are ultimately paid 'to take a long vacation,' said Ward 3 D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh, government operations committee chairwoman."

What the city's employee appeals office should have known is that the lawyers handling these cases aren't dumb. The lawyer who handled the drunk cop's appeal was Robert Deso, an accomplished veteran with a long track record as one of the police union's main advocates. The union's president, Kristopher Baumann is no slouch either. These are guys that don't back down from any fight.

It's troubling that the city can't even fire people correctly.

The D.C. Police Department have announced that detectives have made an arrest in the Calvin Woodland murder case. A press conference has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at police headquarters' third-floor line-up room. The 18-year-old was shot and killed in a parking lot on the 800 block of  Barnaby Street SE in late January. He was shot seven times.

The murder received a lot of attention. Woodland is the brother of Councilmember Jim Graham's chief of staff Calvin Woodland Jr. His father is the late activist Calvin Woodland Sr.

"We're very relieved here," Graham says of the arrest news. "Of course it's an allegation, not a conviction."

Reginald Rogers, 18, has been charged with the murder, according to Graham. "What I am understanding from our own sources here, they had a fight some weeks earlier and that seemed the justification. That's what we're hearing," Graham says. "I don't know what the justification was. That's one thing that had been suggested. They had been beefing in other words."

"It's been very challenging for everyone here," Graham adds. "[Calvin's] managing as best he can."

Fox 5 reported at the time of the murder:

"D.C. Police say 18-year-old Calvin Woodland was standing in the parking lot of the apartment building where he lived when at least two people approached and announced a robbery.

The teen is the son of community activist Calvin Woodland, Sr., who passed away in 2000.

D.C. Police say the younger Calvin Woodland was shot multiple times as he stood in the parking lot. He was known as 'Pouda,' a nickname his father gave him, and he had just landed a job at a Southwest recreation center, where he was due to start work Thursday.

His family and the people who knew him best say they are devastated."

*file photo by Darrow Montgomery.

"Senior Judge A. Raymond Randolph, writing for the panel, held that the officers did not “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial,” and that the department’s conduct did not violate any contractual obligation between the officers and the city."

In other words, Judge Randolph is saying that it's ok for a police supervisor to be an alleged asshole. Washington City Paper reported on Atcheson's conduct after he got promoted to captain in Feb. 2008. The police department had originally fired Atcheson for his conduct. But then-Chief Charles Ramsey reinstated the official, giving him a 30-day suspension.

Here's some of what Atcheson allegedly told the six cops:

*“You aren’t shit.…You don’t want me to be on your ass every day, you stupid fuck."

*he referred to a female captain as a "cunt."

*he referred to another officer as a "piece of shit."

*he referred to another cop as "a piece of shit motherfucker."

The case appears to be over. Another officer had already won a judgement against Atcheson in a separate case. That officer was awarded $225,000, according to Legal Times.

We hear that Atcheson has not changed his ways.

The police filed their own narrative of events in D.C. Superior Court. It does not portray Lewis as a victim of circumstances, an innocent swept up by events. It portrays Lewis as armed, dangerous, drunk, and sneaky.

Just after 2 a.m., officers received a call for disorderly conduct—the snowball fight—in progress along 11th Street outside Wonderland. An officer, possibly Pittmon's partner, writes of the event in court papers:

"Upon arrive to the scene I, along with [Pittmon] were struck repeatedly with snow and ice filled missile's while still seated inside of a marked police vehicle by multiple assailants."

After exiting their cruiser, Lewis struck Pittmon "in the chest with a snow and ice filled missile with intent and audacity, and in apparent drunk and disorderly state."

The officer goes on to state that Lewis "then attempted to elude the police by hiding in the crowd and swiftly walking northbound on 11th St. I pursued [Lewis] on foot and as I attempted to apprehend and place [Lewis] under arrest, [Lewis] repeatedly resisted arrest."

Lewis was eventually handcuffed, placed under arrest, and transported to the Third District. She then gave her name and date of birth. She refused to tell the police her social security number. She was then transferred to Central Cellblock for processing.

The next hearing in the case is in early March.

Loves Me Not: On Valentine's Day, there was some clerk-on-clerk action at the 7-Eleven at 1401 Columbia Road NW: A man tried to clock his coworker with a baseball bat. City Paper's Ted Scheinman was on the scene and reports the melee ended at about 11:42 p.m., when cops cuffed the bat-wielder: "One cop lifted the man by his armpits, another by his legs. The employee—swearing, cursing, kicking—was carried out of the store and into the back of a cruiser idling on 14th street."

Another interesting detail to add: how the whole thing got started. Convenience store heresy, it turns out: "Incoming employee was late and employee at work wasn't too happy," emails  Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) 3rd District Commander Jacob Kishter, "so he attacked the incoming with a BB bat." The tardy employee ran, but the bat-swinger—identified as P. Ashish in an arrest report—allegedly pursued, managing to club him in the back. The victim kept running until police arrived. The suspect was collared on an assault with a dangerous weapon charge.

Snow Job: A  resident whose email address identifies her him as Tracy Leigh was incensed to see the Exxon gas station at 3540 14th St. NW hadn't shoveled its walks in the wake of the recent snowstorms. She He was incensed again to see a sign there announcing the place was an "auxiliary police station." The woman man hopped on an MPD listserv to complain, asking: "Since there is a sign in the gas station window saying that it is an auxiliary police station, does that make MPD secondarily responsible for snow removal, like a co-signer on a loan?"

Her His answer? MPD quickly removed the sign—which, as it turns out, was about 10 years old. D.C. police don't use auxiliary stations anymore. Assistant Chief Diane Groomes explains that the stations, set up at businesses across the city, were once places for cops to stop and use a phone, or write a report, or both. Because of cell phones and laptops, they've outlived their usefulness. "We will ensure signs are removed," says Groomes.

Pay It Backward: A  woman told police she was getting cash out of an ATM at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Dumbarton Street NW around 7:22 p.m. on Feb. 13 when a voice behind her announced a choice: your money or your life. Police say the alleged mugger said "he wanted her money or she would be shot." The victim handed over the currency and the suspect fled.

Chew Done?: There was a domestic violence incident in the 3400 block of Dent Place NW around 11:45 p.m. on Feb. 10. A victim told police he was bitten. While having a dispute with a family member, he was gnarled on the forearm by the relative, he explained.

Error: Technology! On Feb. 11 at 12:39 a.m. in the 1500 block of 17th Street NW, a guy got fed up. A witness told police the man became irritated with a piece of "computer equipment" and struck it with his fist. The defenseless technology fell to the ground, broken. The man was arrested for destruction of property. No word yet on whether this took place at the CVS located on that block, in which case the offending machine might have been one of those finicky credit-card swipers.

Source: MPD's District listservs, public releases