Yesterday, the Washington Post published a story about two shoplifting suspects who were shot over the weekend by a Prince George’s County police officer. The suspects were shot after they attempted to drive away with the officer’s arm lodged in the door of their getaway car. But the Post story was not concerned with the facts of this botched escape—the newspaper had already covered the particulars of the incident a day earlier. The follow-up amounted to a lengthy correction of one fact: the gender of the wounded suspects.

In its first story on the suspects, the Post wrote that “an off-duty county officer shot and wounded two women.” In the second story, the Post corrected the record: the suspects “turned out to be men rather than women,” Staff Writer Martin Weil wrote. Weil explains:

It was believed at first that the two who were shot were women. But they “turned out to be males dressed in female clothing,” Officer Henry Tippett, a county police spokesman, said early Sunday.

That finding was apparently made when medical personnel began treating the two for gunshot wounds, Tippett said.

The headline of the story reads “Two Men Shot by Pr. George’s Officer Were Dressed as Women.” A link to the story goes further to label the pair: “Cross-Dressing Men Shot By Police.”

There are two possibilities here:

(a) The suspects were cross-dressing men who had disguised themselves in dresses, wigs, and make-up in order to lift merchandise from a store. Any man can be a cross-dresser—all you gotta do is put on a dress. Or:

(b) The suspects were transgender women who were born with male sex characteristics, but live their lives as women. Transgender women are not guys in dresses—-they’re women whose gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. They should be identified as women, not men.

For the Post, the distinction between “cross-dressing men” and “transgender women” is an important one. According to the Associated Press Stylebook, transgender subjects are to be identified by their gender identity, not their sex at birth. Media outlets are to employ “the pronoun preferred by the individuals who . . . present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth,” the guide reads. “If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.”

Additionally, the GLAA media guide cautions against using the term “cross-dresser” to describe a transgender person. Cross-dressers, the guide notes, are people who “occasionally wear clothes traditionally associated with people of the other sex.” The term should be employed to describe someone who is “comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it,” not “someone who has transitioned to live full-time as the other sex, or who intends to do so in the future.”

It’s not possible, at this point, for the Post to definitively identify the subjects as either “cross-dressers” or “transgender women.” One sure-fire way to confirm a person’s gender identity is simply to ask them, but the names of the suspects, both 23, have not yet been released by police.

Still, a couple of facts in the story suggest that the suspects in question presented consistently as female, and didn’t just dress up “in female clothing” for their little crime spree. Initially, everyone—from the police officer who chased and shot them to the police spokespeople who announced the incident—had no doubt that the suspects were women. The suspects were only identified as biologically male following a medical examination. In short, the Post modified the gender of the suspects solely on the basis of a genital check.

If you’re under the impression that a person’s genitals should determine the gender used to describe them in print, consider this: Under what other circumstances would the Washington Post force its subjects to drop their pants in order to prove their gender? Let’s run that test on some other stories which appeared in yesterday’s Metro section. Was Noah Robbins, a 19-year-old local actor headed for Broadway, forced to display his genitals in order to be referred to throughout the piece as “he” and “him”? How about Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell—did the Post ensure that the candidates have penises before calling them “men”? Was Debra Rowe, former HIV/AIDS housing chief, only granted a “she” following a medical examination?

In every other instance, a Post subject is considered a woman if she presents as a woman and says she’s a woman. A couple of shoplifting suspects, however, appear to have been denied that courtesy. There are several reasons for the Post not to write this story. The suspects’ identities are still unknown. The gender identification in the story is contrary to style guidelines. The Post has reason to believe that the gender terminology employed by the police requires fact-checking. Further information in the case could require yet another gender correction here.

There’s one reason why the Post would go ahead with this story: “cross-dressing” shoplifters make for more sensational crime suspects than do a couple of women. The story has already generated such helpful online comments as “Was dey pretty? Does dey gets to wear the dresses in prison? Big dummies,” and “One can only hope that their shoes matched their dresses.” Perhaps the Post received positive feedback for its previous dubious “cross-dressing shoplifter” work, published back in August. The Post is clearly capitalizing upon a “man in a dress” punchline to this modest little crime story. But obviously, the potential for some sophomoric joking is no reason to sacrifice accuracy in reporting. The true gender identities of the suspects in the case are still unclear. When you’re writing a story that is exclusively centered on the gender of your suspects, shouldn’t you wait until you can get it right?

Illustration by Bonnie Kennedy

On Sept. 4, Georgetown University told its students to stop calling him “The Cuddler.”

Because cuddle is far too soft a description for what the suspect does. In a typical attack, a man enters a student’s residence through an unlocked window or door, lies down next to her, and attempts to sexually assault her. He’s been accused of everything from laying a blanket atop his victim to placing his penis on his victim’s thigh. According to D.C. Police, the episodes span a 20-month period stretching back to January 2008.

Despite the disturbing MO, “Georgetown Cuddler” persists as an on-campus nickname for this criminal. When two assaults were reported days before the start of the fall semester, the university attempted to put an end to the moniker. “Descriptions that refer to some suspects as a ‘cuddler’ can detract from the serious nature of these incidents,” a letter to students read.

Beyond the warning against the popular nickname, Georgetown’s campus alert was conspicuously short on descriptors. “As you may know, our campus and surrounding neighborhoods have experienced incidents over the past year, and several in the past week,” the university hedged. Students who may not know about the history of sexual assaults around campus—including incoming freshmen—were afforded no further elaboration on the nature of the “incidents.”

Molly Redden, who has covered the beat for campus publication the Georgetown Voice, recognized the university’s decision to invoke the nickname even as it denounced its use. “Referring to the suspect as ‘The Cuddler’ does detract from how serious the incidents are,” says Redden. “At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if the university used the nickname as an indicator of which specific crimes they’re actually referring to.”

While administrators view “Georgetown Cuddler” as an inaccurate and inappropriate nickname, it provides students a helpful—even necessary—shorthand for covering an ongoing campus safety risk. Georgetown’s letter denouncing the nickname was the school’s most transparent response to the string of attacks to date. But the Georgetown Voice has been publishing the nickname for nearly a year—and alerting students to the school’s sexual assault problem each time the “Cuddler” is invoked.

“When I write something that’s ‘Cuddler’ related, it gets more attention on campus,” says Voice projects editor Will Sommer. “I would never make it seem as though something is a ‘Cuddler’ attack when it isn’t. But when you associate the ‘Cuddler’ thing, it lends a narrative to it.” That narrative, Sommer says, has been missing from Georgetown University’s previous response to the assaults—a series of “Public Safety Alerts” (PSAs) which fail to address the incidents as a campus trend.

Sommer says he was likely responsible for debuting “The Cuddler” in campus media last fall, in a post on Voice blog Vox Populi. Looking back on the coverage, Sommer says, “I thought, Oh my God—did I come up with the Cuddler? What a disaster. But if you look at the post, you can see that I’m not making clear what ‘Cuddler’ even means. By that point, it looks like it requires no explanation.” By the time the term migrated from the student body to the student press, it had already inspired editorial backlash. In his inaugural post referencing the “Cuddler,” Sommer suggested that Georgetown stop referencing the “Cuddler.” “Given the seriousness/scariness of the Cuddler’s attacks, we need to get this guy a new nickname,” he wrote. “‘The Cuddler’ just sounds way too sweet, like he’s a child scared of the dark and in need of affection.”

Over the next year, Voice staffers continued to rally against the nickname’s use—while marking off suspected assault locations on its Google map, “Suspected ‘Georgetown Cuddler’ Incidents.” In November 2008, the Voice published a piece debating the appropriateness of Cuddler-based jokes which included an interview with a student who dressed as the “Cuddler” for Halloween. In February, Redden lamented the term’s stickiness, writing, “I can’t keep using quotes around ‘Cuddler’ to try to mollify my discomfort in using the term forever!”

Possible alternatives to the “Cuddler” have been discussed. “We talk about it a lot. Everyone wants a different name, but we can’t find something good,” says Sommer. “The ‘Cuddler’ is a very catchy thing.” So far, Voice staffers have failed to alight on a viable substitute for the “Cuddler.” “We came up with ‘Cuddle-Rapist,’” says Sommer. “Doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it?” Even “The Cuddler” has proven more sensitive than some alternatives. “We’ve tried ‘crapist,’ but it sounds too much like the people who make pastries,” says Juliana Brint, the editor of Vox Populi. “There really are no good nicknames.”

Even bad nicknames can produce good PR. “The discussion about the ‘Cuddler’ nickname has made people more aware,” says Sommer. “When someone dresses as the ‘Cuddler’ for Halloween, it makes people think about the fact that there are Cuddler victims out there who could see that costume. So it’s really given a lot of attention to the issue.” Despite the potential positives, other campus outlets have declined to devote much ink to the nickname. The Hoya, Georgetown’s student newspaper, first mentioned the name “Cuddler” in its 2009 April Fools issue, and again in an April 24 investigative report. In an e-mail, Hoya editor Kevin Barber said that Hoya staffers “always limit our use of the term to reference…the campus community’s widespread use of the phrase to describe these sorts of incidents.”

Despite its liberal use of the “Cuddler,” the Voice takes care to clarify the seriousness of each sexual assault incident it reports. It’s also criticized Georgetown University for employing other euphemisms in its reports on the attacks. Georgetown’s PSA alerting students to two similar incidents in April 2008 classified the offenses as “burglaries” instead of sexual assaults, even though one victim “awakened to find an unknown male in her bed.” In the most recent incident, the university PSA described a sexual assault against a student but failed to provide additional details. “I was a little irritated that, instead of giving details about the digital penetration, the university said that the suspect ‘began sexually assaulting her,’” says Brint. “That’s kind of a meaningless phrase. It didn’t indicate at all how serious the incident actually was. I do think that’s problematic.”

Georgetown says its PSAs announcing the sexual assaults were “based on information that is reported to the Department of Public Safety,” and that the assault reports were supplemented by the Sept. 4 letter “underscoring the need for students to remain vigilant.”

Brint says that she was “happy” to see the university finally address the incidents directly and to discourage the use of the nickname on campus. That doesn’t mean that she’s going to stop using it. “My guess is that it’s going to persist,” she says. “It’s hard to get these things out of the vernacular.” In lieu of a less offensive moniker, Brint says the Voice has adjusted how it will refer to the offender. “We’ve been trying to minimize as much as possible our use of that term,” she says. “But we will include it once, for clarification’s sake.”

RELATED: A “Georgetown Cuddler” Timeline: How the sexual assault nickname became a Georgetown institution.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

Two transgender women were stabbed in the abdomen today in the 200 block of Q Street NW, FOX 5 is reporting. The stabbing occurred around 3 p.m. When police arrived, the victims were found lying outside of a building. Both women were taken to the hospital, where one died. The condition of the other victim is unknown. Further information—the victims’ identities, potential suspects, and the circumstances of the crime—have not been released.

UPDATE: “Sources” told News4’s Jackie Benson “the two may have been fighting.”

UPDATE: According to the Washington Blade’s Lou Chibbaro, the two victims of today’s stabbing were transgender women, not transgender men as was previously reported on NBC Washington, WUSA9, FOX 5, and this blog (it’s since been corrected). Here’s Chibbaro’s reporting:

Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who spoke at the scene, told reporters that investigators were looking for nearby residents who might have witnessed the stabbings. She referred to the victims as “persons” and declined to disclose their gender.

A police spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny that the victims were transgender.

Lanier said investigators did not immediately know the motive behind the stabbings.

A law enforcement source described the victims as male-to-female transgender people, with one believed to be 18 years old and the other believed to be 27.

NBC Washington, WUSA9, and FOX5 are still reporting the two stabbing victims as “transgender men” or “transgender males.” I’m not sure if the confusion stemmed from the anonymous police sources or from the reporters themselves, but I’ll try to find out more tomorrow.

UPDATE: The stabbing was covered in today’s Washington Post. According to reporter Paul Duggan, the description of the victims as “transgender males” came from police sources. Duggan also named the victim who died in the stabbing:

Police said the victims, whom they described as “transgender males,” were stabbed about 2:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Q Street NW. Each was taken from the scene by ambulance, and one was pronounced dead at Howard University Hospital, police said.

The man who died was identified Wednesday night as Joshua Mack, 21, of the 7300 block of Clinton Vista Lane in Clinton. The other victim’s name was not released.

A police spokesman said it was not clear whether the men were attacked or were in a fight with each other.

UPDATE: Here is the MPD’s official press release on the stabbing:

Detectives assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are currently investigating a homicide which occurred this afternoon on Q Street, NW .

On Wednesday, August 26, 2009, at approximately 2:33 pm, officers assigned to the Fifth District and DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department personnel responded the 200 block of Q Street, NW for the report of an aggravated assault. Upon arrival, they located two adults suffering from apparent stab wounds in front of 209 Q Street .

One of the victims was transported to Howard University Hospital and pronounced dead at 3:02 pm.

The identity of the victim is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of-kin.

The second victim was transported to an area hospital and admitted in stable condition for treatment of apparently non-life-threatening injuries. The identity of this victim is being withheld due to witness status.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIM[E] (1-888-919-2746) .

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

Anonymous information may also be forwarded to DC Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS and to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by a caller to Crime Solvers leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

UPDATE: A vigil has been planned for Friday evening for the victim, Joshua Mack.

The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. Last week in police activity related to the GLBT community—including a juvie assault in a fast food restaurant—below.

TWEETING TOM. Thursday, April 9. 11:30 p.m. “Members of the Second District responded to a complaint of a suspicious person in the 3000 block of M Street, N.W. According to the callers, they observed a black male taking photographs of strangers with his cell phone. The male was located and identified.”

UNHAPPY MEAL. Saturday, April 11. 11:50 p.m. “Members of the Second District responded to the area of the 1600 block of 17th Street, N.W. for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, officers located the adult male victim suffering from minor injuries to his head. According to the victim, he was inside a nearby fast food restaurant, when he became involved in a verbal altercation with an adult female and her small child. At some point, the adult female directed her child to strike the victim with a bottle. The child broke the bottle and struck the victim in the head, causing the injuries. According to the victim, the altercation began when the victim heard the child yelling racist and homophobic slurs and confronted the child. The suspects are described as a black female, heavy set, approximately 50 years old, with red or orange hair and a black male, approximately 7-9 years old, slim and about 5′5″ tall.”

GANG BANG. Saturday, April 18. 7:30 p.m. “Members of the First District responded to the area of 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. for the report of an assault. Upon arriving on the scene, officers located the victim, an adult male, suffering from minor injuries to his face, neck and wrist. According to the victim, he was attacked by his boyfriend and a group of males accompanying his boyfriend. The victim was treated and released at a local hospital and was provided a safe shelter until the suspect can be apprehended.”

PIN-UP PIN. Sunday, April 19. 3:30 a.m. “Members of the Sixth District responded to a residence in the 4500 block of Douglas Street NE for a family dispute. Upon arrival, officers interviewed the mother and daughter engaged in the dispute. It was learned the daughter, who is 17 years old, was displaying photographs on her bedroom wall, which were unwanted by her mother. The daughter refused to remove the photographs. The dispute was resolved and the family was referred to local organizations for further support and assistance.”

THIS ONE IS JUST :( Sunday, April 19. 4:30 a.m. the on-call member of the GLLU was paged by an employee of a business in the area of Logan Circle. According to the employee, while cleaning the business, be discovered a hypodermic needle. While attempting to dispose of the needle, he accidentally stuck himself with the needle. The victim was advised to respond to a local hospital emergency room immediately, for the purpose of evaluation and treatment of any potential communicable diseases. Furthermore, the victim was advised to bring the needle to the hospital, so it could be analyzed and disposed of according to the health and occupation standards.

GIRLS ON GIRLS VIOLENCE. Monday, April 20, 2009. 3:30 a.m., members of the First District responded to a call for an assault in the area of 8th and G Streets, S.E. Upon arrival, officers located the three adult female victims. All three were suffering from the effects of pepper spray and had to be treated by D.C. Fire/EMS on the scene. According to the victims, they were leaving a nearby club, when they noticed a white SUV occupied by two black females. One of the vehicle’s occupants began to yell homophobic epithets towards the victims. The SUV circled the block and returned. The passenger of the SUV exited the vehicle and deployed pepper spray, striking all three victims. The suspects fled in the vehicle.

HAPPY ENDING. Monday, April 20, 2009. 3:30 p.m. members of the Third District responded to a residence in the area of 5th Street and Florida Avenue, N.W. for the report of a theft. Upon arrival, the officers were advised by the adult male victim he had met the suspect on an adult oriented internet site and invited the suspect to his home for the purpose of engaging in consensual sexual activity. After the departure of the suspect, the victim realized personal property was missing from inside his residence and suspected it had been stolen by the suspect. Officers were able to contact the suspect, who returned the property to the victim.

GET NAKED GUN. Monday, April 20. 4 a.m., members of the First District were flagged down by a male-to-female Transgender individual in the area of the Bus Terminal located near 1st and K Streets, N.E. According to the victim, she was walking in the area, when she was approached by a vehicle occupied by multiple males. At some point, one of the males pointed a firearm at the victim and sped off. Officers were able to stop the vehicle within blocks of the location and conducted a full search of the vehicle and its occupants. No weapon was recovered.

LAME. Saturday, April 25, 2009. 1 a.m. “Members of the First District were dispatched to an apartment in the 1300 block of Delaware Avenue, S.E. for the report of loud music. Once on the scene, the resident was advised to turn the music down, so as to not disturb his neighbors.”

GETTING SOME “NO ACTION.” Saturday, April 25. 3:30 a.m. “Members of the First District were dispatched to the area of the Bus Station, located at 1st and K Streets, N.E. for the complaint of prostitution. Upon arrival, officers observed several members of the Transgender community walking around the area of the bus stop. No action was taken.”

Photo by ebruli

It’s feast or famine over at the Gay Crime Log. The Sexist isn’t sure what she did to anger the Gay Crime Gods, but for the past two weeks, her D.C. police crime report e-mails have been barren. Today, her inbox was blessed with a mammoth three weeks of anti-trans hate crimes, costly club hook-ups, and anti-Fred Phelps action.

DOUBLE MOTIVE. “On Sunday, March 15, 2009, at approximately 2 a.m., two adult male victims reported they were robbed at gunpoint by three suspects. During the robbery, one of the suspects referred to one of the victims using a homophobic epithet. The victims received minor injuries. The suspects were described as black males, in their early 20’s. Two of the suspects wore their hair in plaits.”

YOU HAVE TO GO HOME, AND YOU CAN’T STAY HERE. “On Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at approximately 5 p.m., members of the Second District were dispatched to the area of Dupont Circle for a possible assault. Upon arrival, officers located an elderly male at the nearby bus stop. He was disoriented and possibly intoxicated. He was accompanied by another male, who advised he was attempting to get his friend home from the local bar. The two began to argue. The elderly male was transported home.”

JAIL CELL PHONE. “On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at approximately 11 p.m., members of the Fourth District were dispatched to the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue, N.W. for the call of an assault. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, a male-to-female Transgender individual, suffering minor injuries to her face and lip. According to the victim, she was in an argument with her former boyfriend, when he punched her a stole her cell phone.”

THE COUPLE DETAINED TOGETHER … “On Saturday, March 21, 2009 at approximately 10:30 p.m., members of the GLLU and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit (DHHU) responded to Gallaudet University for the report of a domestic assault. Investigation was unable to determine which individual was the initiator and/or aggressor and both males were arrested. Both received minor injuries.”

HEAD CASE. On Sunday, March 22, 2009, at approximately 2:30 a.m., members of the Third District responded to Howard University Hospital for the report of a victim of a domestic assault. Upon arrival, offices located the adult male victim, who was suffering from a serious laceration to his head and possible concussion. According to the victim, he was assaulted by his boyfriend inside their shared residence near 4th and V Street, N.W.

CLUB CLUSTERFUCK. “On Sunday, March 22, 2009, at approximately 3 a.m., members of the First District were monitoring the closing of a club in the 1100 block of 8th Street, S.E., when they observed a large fight outside the club. Three adult males were arrested and all were treated for minor injuries.”

IDLE THREAT. “On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, an attorney representing a local GLBT Rights organization contacted the GLLU to report possible hate/bias threats via the internet on an internet blog. A member of the GLLU and the Federal Bureau of Investigations responded to the organization and reviewed the postings with the attorney. It was determined no threats were made and the organization did not want to pursue any further action against the individual who posted the comments. Also at that meeting, the attorney made the GLLU aware of an employee at the organization being harassed via email by a known individual. Members of the GLLU will be investigating this complaint.”

HOW ARE THREATS NOT “CRIMINAL ACTIVITY”? “On Thursday, March 26, 2009, at approximately 3 p.m., members of the Third District were dispatched to the Metro Station at 7th and S Streets, N.W. Upon arrival, the adult male caller advised officers he was threatened by several juveniles inside a nearby business and the caller believed he was going to be robbed. The caller also heard the juveniles using homophobic language outside the business. Although the juveniles were stopped and identified, it was determined no criminal activity occurred, so the incident was documented as a hate/bias related incident.”

FUCKED AND ROBBED. “On Friday, March 27, 2009, at approximately 5:30 a.m., members of the Third District responded to a residence in the 600 block of Irving Street for a report of an armed burglary. According to the victim, an adult male, he met the suspect at a business located in the 3500 block of Georgia Avenue, N.W. and agreed to allow the suspect to return to his home to engage is sexual activity. When the two arrived at the victim’s residence, a dispute arose over payment and the victim demanded the suspect depart. The suspect returned to the residence, kicked in the door, and while armed with a knife, robbed the victim of U.S. currency. The suspect fled the scene prior to officer’s arrival. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a black male in his 30’s wearing all black clothing.”

M I.S.O T. “On Friday, March 27, 2009, at approximately 4:30 p.m., a female caller paged the on-call member of the GLLU to complain about officers harassing a member of the Transgender community. According to the caller, officers had visited the Transgender individual’s home, which is located in the 5200 block of 3rd Street, N.W. on four occasions, in the attempt to locate the Transgender individual. According to the caller, the Transgender individual no longer resides at that address. This information was passed along to the Warrant Squad, as they were attempting to locate the individual pursuant to an arrest warrant.”

SEX-NEGATIVE “On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at approximately 3:30 a.m., an adult male contacted the GLLU to report his ex-boyfriend was advertising as a male prostitute in Baltimore, MD, but not disclosing he is HIV positive. The information was forwarded to the Baltimore City Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer for their investigation and follow-up.”

GETTING SPECIFIC. “On Sunday, March 29, 2009, at about 8 p.m., an adult male victim responded to the Third District to report he had been the victim of a sexual assault. According to the victim, he met the suspect, an adult male, inside a bar in the 1500 block of 17th Street, N.W. After engaging in conversation, the victim and suspect walked to the victim’s apartment, which is located in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Once at the victim’s apartment, the two men engaged in consensual sexual activity, up to the point the victim refused to engage in specific sexual acts. The suspect then forced the victim to engage in the unwanted sex act. The victim was examined at a local hospital, but did not have serious injuries. This case is being investigated by members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit.”

DISAPPEARING GUN. “On Monday, March 30, 2009, at approximately 2:30 a.m., members of the Sixth District responded to the call for a man with a gun in the area of 900 Division Ave, NE. Upon arriving on the scene, officers located the 9-1-1 caller, a male-to-female Transgender individual, who stated she was robbed by the suspect. No weapon was mentioned and the victim was not injured. The suspect, an adult male, was located and arrested. The case is being considered a potential hate/bias crime based upon the victim’s actual or perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity, based upon comments made by the suspect at the time of the robbery.”

BAD CONNECTION. “On Monday, March 30, 2009, at approximately 3 a.m., members of the Sixth District responded to an apartment in the 1700 block of Minnesota Avenue, N.E. for the report of threats. Upon arrival, the victim, a male-to-female Transgender individual, advised her boyfriend had threatened to kill her and pull the phone cord out of the wall when she attempted to call 9-1-1. The suspect was arrested later that day.”

FUCK FRED PHELPS. “On Monday, March 30, 2009, members of the GLLU, working with members of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division, United States Park Police and Metropolitan Police Department’s Intelligence Division, monitored a counter-protest of the Westboro Baptist Church. The demonstrators moved about the city, culminating their demonstration in the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. There were no incidents or arrests.”

UNWANTED ADVERTISEMENT. “On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at approximately 3 p.m., a citizen found a brochure on the windshield of her vehicle, which was parked in the 1800 block of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Handwritten on the brochure were homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic remarks.”

DEEP LOVE. “On Thursday, April 2, 2009, at approximately 2:30 a.m., members of the Fourth District responded to the call for a stabbing inside a residence in the 5300 block of 8th Street, N.W. Upon arrival, the officers located the adult female victim suffering from a stab wound to her hands and arms. The victim was uncooperative and refused to provide officers with any information regarding who attacked her. A witness advised officers the victim was stabbed by her former girlfriend, but the witness did not know the suspect’s identity. The victim refused medical attention.”

POLICE ASSISTED BREAK-IN REQUESTED. “On Friday, April 3, 2009, at approximately 4:30 a.m., members of the Third District responded to a call for assistance at an apartment in the 1500 block of Ogden Street, N.W. Upon arrival, the officers were met by the caller, a male-to-female Transgender individual, who desired assistance getting back into her apartment. Further investigation revealed the caller did not live at that address and was heavily intoxicated. She was escorted from the building.”

GUNS AND GROCERIES. “On Friday, April 3, 2009, at approximately 3 a.m., members of the Seventh District responded to a call for threats in the area of Good Hope Road, S.E. Once on the scene, officer located the victim, a juvenile male, who advised he was walking home from a nearby grocery store, when a male suspect began to call him homophobic names and threaten to shoot him. No weapon was displayed. Although the suspect had fled the scene prior to the officer’s arrival, he was located later that night and arrested.”

UNDERCOVER PROSTITUTE. “On Saturday, April 4, 2009, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a male contacted the GLLU’s on-call member to report he had been the victim of a theft. According to the victim, who was visiting from New England and staying at a hotel in the 1500 block of New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., he met a black male online and invited him to his hotel room. Upon the departure of the guest, the victim realized he was missing a significant amount of U.S. currency from his wallet. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 40 years old, 6′2″ tall, 225 pounds, wearing blue jeans and a white sweatshirt.”

Photo by k763

The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. Last week in police activity related to the GLBT community—including a domestic violence victim who takes refuge in a bus, and a man who clubs his boyfriend while in da club—below.

SURPRISE VISIT. MONDAY, MARCH 9 AT 11:40 PM. Members of the Fifth District responded to a hotel located in the 600 block of New York Avenue, N.E. for a destruction of property complaint. Upon arrival, the officers discovered a large window had been shattered and identified the individual who did the damage. He was arrested. Further investigation revealed the incident was motivated by a domestic dispute between the arrest subject and two other men staying at the hotel.

SLOW GETAWAY. MONDAY, MARCH 9 AT at 11:30 PM. Members of the Third District responded to the area of the 1500 block of 9th Street, N.W. for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, they located the victim on a Metro bus. According to the victim, he was inside a residence in that area, when he became involved in a verbal altercation with his boyfriend. At some point, his boyfriend punched him in the face, causing a minor injury. The victim fled outside to the bus, where MPDC was summoned. The suspect was located and arrested.

HOT NIGHT. TUESDAY, MARCH 10 AT 12:30 PM. A member of the GLLU was on routine patrol when he observed an unconscious individual in the area of 18th and T Streets NW. DC Fire/EMS responded and transported the adult male to a local hospital, where he was treated and released for intoxication.

LOVERS’ BRAWL. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 AT 6 PM. Members of the Sixth District responded to the area of the 4100 block of Gault Place NE. for the call for a large fight. Upon arrival, officers saw several juvenile females fleeing from the area. A victim advised officers the fight began at a nearby school and the juvenile females were fighting over their ex-girlfriends. There were no injuries and members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s School Resource Unit are following up. One hour later, officers were summoned back to the location for another assault. At that time, they located a female victim suffering from minor injuries to her head and face. A female suspect was arrested.

GET OUT. THURSDAY, MARCH 12 AT 2:15 AM. Members of the Seventh District responded to a residence in the 200 block of Savannah Street SE for the call for an assault. Once on the scene, officers were advised by the adult female victim that she was attempting to get her ex-girlfriend out of the house, but she was refusing. Officers were unable to determine if an assault actually occurred and documented the complaint without further action being taken.

CANE JOB. SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 2:30 AM. Members of the Second District were dispatched to Massachusetts Avenue and 21st Street NW for the report of a robbery. Upon arriving on the scene, the officers located an elderly male victim, who advised he had just been robbed by a male he met at a nearby club. The suspect was described as a black male in his 30’s, wearing all black and using a cane. The victim was not injured.

TALK TURNS PHYSICAL. SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 3 AM. Members of the Sixth District responded to an apartment in the 2300 block of Good Hope Road SE for a shooting. Upon arrival, the officers discovered the victim was not injured, but was the victim of an attempted robbery. According to the victim, he met the suspect on a telephone chat line and invited him to his apartment. Once there, the suspect attempted to rob the victim with a handgun. During the struggle, the gun discharged and the suspect fled the scene. The suspect is described as a black male, about 24 years old, 5′7” tall, 200 lbs., with a medium skin complexion. He was wearing a black shirt and black pants.

FOUR-ON-ONE. SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 2:50 PM. Members of the Second District responded to the 2000 block of K Street, N.W. for the call for an unconscious individual. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, a male-to-female Transgender individual, suffering from injuries to the head and face. A witness advised that four suspects punch the victim repeatedly, eventually knocking the victim to the ground. The victim was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition. The suspects were only described by the witness as being black males, with no further information.

CLUB CLUBBING. SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 2:15 AM. Members of the Third District responded to 11th and V Street NW for the report of an assault. Upon arrival, they located a male victim, who was suffering from a cut to his head. The suspect, his boyfriend, was also on the scene. The investigation revealed the two men were inside a club located in the 2000 block of 8th Street, N.W. when they began to argue. At some point, the suspect struck the victim in the back of the head with an unknown object. The victim refused medical attention and the suspect was arrested.

GRAND STAB. SATURDAY, MARCH 14 AT 2:30 AM. Members of the Second District responded to the outside of a club located in the 2100 block of P Street NW. for a large fight. Upon arrival, officers located several victims who had been stabbed. None of the injuries was life threatening. No arrests were made and the victims were too intoxicated to provide any usable lookout for the suspect(s).

NO-CALL LIST. SUNDAY, MARCH 15 AT 10 AM. A homeless male contacted the on-call member of the GLLU to report a violation of a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) that he had obtained against his former boyfriend and his former boyfriend’s current boyfriend. According to the victim, despite being ordered by a judge not to contact the victim, the suspects left a voicemail message on the victim’s cell phone. An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant will be presented to the United States Attorney’s Office seeking the arrests of both suspects.

FIRE HIM! MONDAY, MARCH 16 AT 3 PM. A male contacted the GLLU’s on-call member to report that he was being threatened by one of his employees. While on the phone with the on-call member, the victim reported the suspect was at the front door of his residence, which is located in the 1000 block of Massachusetts Avenue NE. Members of the First District and the GLLU responded and located apprehended and arrested the suspect, who was charged with stalking and felonious threats to do bodily harm.

WITHIN FEET. MONDAY, MARCH 16 AT 4 PM. Members of the Fifth District responded to a hotel located in the 600 block of New York Avenue NE for the report of a suspect violating a protection order. Upon arrival, officers discovered the suspects had departed the scene prior to their arrival. According to the victim, the suspects were under order of a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) to stay at least 100 feet away from the victim. An investigation revealed the suspects were not within 100 feet, however the incident was documented, so the victim can make representation in court during future court proceedings.

NO FUNNY BUSINESS. TUESDAY, MARCH 17. A male contacted the GLLU by email to request assistance regarding an allegation of sexual activity in a public restroom. According to the individual, he is being accused by his employer of engaging in “inappropriate activity” in the public restroom at his place of employment. The individual was referred to an attorney for legal advice.

Photo by Coradia1000

The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. Last week in police activity related to the GLBT community—including an assaulter who assault, and assaults, and assaults—below.

MAKING IT WORSE. FRIDAY, MARCH 6 at MIDNIGHT. The GLLU responded to a club at 1800 Half Street SW when they caught wind of “a disorderly customer,” who “was inside the business and assaulted several employees.” The man was arrested after refusing to leave, but he wasn’t finished—when he was transported to the First District, “during processing, he assaulted two civilian cell block technicians, causing minor injuries.”

BAD BREAKUP. SATURDAY, MARCH 7 at 2:15 A.M. Police responded to a  report of “a roommate dispute” in an apartment on the 2400 block of 16th Street NW. No “criminal act was committed” by either roomie, but they did commit a big relationship faux pas: “The men previously were involved in a romantic relationship, but continued to reside together despite the termination of the relationship.”

DO NOT DISTURB. SUNDAY, MARCH 8 at 3:30 a.m. Police responded to the 1100 block of New Hampshire Ave. NW for an assault. There, they located “a male victim, who was not injured.” He had met the suspect on P Street, then invited him back to his New Hampshire Ave. hotel room. “Once there, the suspect demanded money from the victim, who refused. A struggle ensued and the suspect made good his escape with the victim’s driver’s license and credit cards.” The suspect’s deets: “a black male in his thirties, approximately 6’3” tall, 200 pounds, with a dark complexion.”

Photo by cali4niadreamn23

* NO REFUNDS. THURSDAY, FEB. 19 at 2 a.m. Police responded to a call for robbery in the 4100 block of 14th Street NW. A man had “visited a known house of prostitution.” There, “he engaged in consensual sex acts with a member of the transgender community.” Here comes the good part: “Upon realizing he had been involved sexually with a biological male, the caller demanded his money be returned. When the service provider refused, he called police.” No report was taken, but MPD promises “a follow-up investigation.”

* CRIED STAB FRIDAY, FEB. 20 at 4 p.m. Police arrived at an apartment at the 1300 block of Euclid Street NW for an aggravated assault call. They found several people inside “who identified themselves as members of the transgender community.” One of them “claimed another attempted to stab her with a knife and stole money from her.” The others “disputed the victim’s claim.”

* EPITHET ENDURANCE. SATURDAY, FEB. 21 at 12 a.m. Officers responded to the 1700 block of 17th Street NW for a property destruction call. They stopped the suspect, a “27-year-old black male.” “Highly intoxicated.” Witnesses reported that he had “entered a bar” and “threatened customers, while using racist and homophobic epithets.” When he was thrown out, he entered the bar next door. Did the same thing. Was removed again. Then, he tried something different—”Once outside, he picked up a metal pole and a brick and was trying to damage parked vehicles and signs.” The man “was arrested and charged with Felonious Threats with a Hate/Bias (Sexual Orientation and Race) overtone.”

* DRINKING TO FORGET. SATURDAY, FEB. 21 at 1:30 a.m. Police responded to the 2100 block of P Street NW for an injury. There, they “located a male suffering from a serious laceration to his head and heavily intoxicated.” Ut-oh: “Neither the victim nor witnesses could advise how the injuries resulted.” He was taken to a hospital.

* TRANS-FER OF FUNDS. SATURDAY, FEB 21 at 11:30 p.m. A transgender woman contacted policy on a robbery charge. She told officers that “she was propositioned by a male suspect, but refused his advances.” The suspect then “grabbed her and stole an undetermined amount of money from her.” He was arrested.

* BRICK OUST. SUNDAY, FEB. 22 at 12:45 a.m. Police responded to a bar in the 1100 block of 8th Street SE. Two male suspects had been asked to leave. They hadn’t. So “bar staff had to physically remove the suspects from the bar,” prompting both men to “assault the bar employees by punching them and throwing a brick at them.” The men were arrested.

* OSCAR BASH. SUNDAY, FEB. 22. at 9:30 P.M. Officers responded to a bar at the 2100 block of P Street NW for an assault call. Employees told officers they’d been forced to remove a man from a bar who “was yelling at other customers and using racist and homophobic language.” The 86-ed patron also contacted cops: He told them “he was assaulted by bar employees.” Hmm. “There were no witnesses or evidence to support the victim’s claim.”

* CRUISE MISSES. MONDAY, FEB. 23. The mother of a teenage boy contacted the GLLU. She’s recovering from a killer snooping session, in which she found that “her son is engaging in on-line sexual cruising with men much older then he and meeting these men for sexual liaisons.” One of the older men is insatiable: She says he “is contacting the son inappropriately and will not stop.”

Photo by otisarchives1

* Investigators detect suspicious overtones. 9 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28, the GLLU was contacted by the victim of a “burglary and attempted sexual assault,” with “hate/bias overtones.” Two suspects pushed him into his apartment. They robbed him and attempted sexual assault. Investigators say they were “unable to verify the victim’s account of the events.”

* Whose bathrooms lock from the outside? 11:30 a.m., Fri., Jan. 30. A Petworth resident contacted the GLLU “to report the abscondence of his adult ward.” (This isn’t the first time this has happened). The caller, “the guardian of an adult male,” called after being notified of a problem by the man’s home health care professional.  Here’s what happened: “While at work, the caller was notified by a home health care professional that the ward had locked the home health care professional in the bathroom and fled the home.” Within “hours,” the man was located “in good condition.”

* Alert Jason Cherkis. 5p.m., Friday, Jan. 30. The Amtrak Police Department contacted the GLLU for assistance with “sexual activity inside Union Station”—specifically, “on-going prostitution involving members of the Transgender community inside bathroom stalls and stairwells. ” The GLLU is “coordinating a meeting.”

* You’ve got on-going harrassing mail! 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31. A male contacted the GLLU for assistance with “on-going harassing mail being sent to his home in Virginia,” which he suspects is “related to his job in D.C.” (this, too, has happened before).

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. As the inauguration neared, police activity ramped up. A round-up of inauguration week crime reports—including some unsupervised homeless house guests—below.

* At 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2009, police responded to Adams Morgan for a neighborly dispute. The callers asserted that they were being “harassed by other building residents because of their sexual orientation.” The other building residents had a different perspective—they said the callers were “creating an undesirable living environment in the building by having large, loud parties late at night, inviting homeless people to stay in their apartment without supervision, and also allowing their guests to verbally abuse building residents and owners.” MPD referred the case to Landlord-Tenant Court and the D.C. Office of Human Rights.

* At 11 a.m. on Jan. 14, 2009, a man called the police to report his former partner “acting violently and threatening the kill him.” The partner, who “is now mentally disabled and in the victim’s care,” was taken into custody and referred to the Comprehensive Psychological Emergency Program.

* At 10 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2009, police responded to a Southeast apartment after a report of arson. There, they found their suspect—a woman who had “intentionally set fire to her girlfriend’s clothing.” No one was hurt. The woman was arrested.

* On Jan. 14, 2009, a female Virginian contacted the GLLU ro report the “vicitmization” of an elderly Southeast woman. The woman had “allowed a much younger male acquaintance to stay with her in her apartment,” but then fell ill, was admitted to the hospital, and recuperated while the male proceeded to use “her check book and credit cards without her authorization.”

* At 8 p.m. on Jan. 15, 2009, police responded to 4400 Connecticut Ave. NW for a deceased person. There, they found an “adult male” who had “committed suicide by ingesting an undetermined quantity of prescription medications. ”

* At 7 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2009, the GLLU, the Financial Crimes Unit, and the United States Postal Inspector teamed up to search a Southeast residence “related to an investigation into credit card and prescription fraud.” One suspect—identified as “a male-to-female Transgender adult”—was arrested.

* At 7:15 p.m. on Jam. 16, 2009, police located “an adult female,” in the alley near the 1300 block of 10th St. NW. The woman was in serious condition, “suffering from serious injuries to her head and face,” after an apparent mugging. The suspect is described as a 20-something “black male, wearing a black coat and black pants.”

* At 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2009, the GLLU responded to a call for an assault in Dupont Circle. When they arrived, they were directed to two married individuals by an uninvolved witnesses who had observed the man push the woman “into a plate glass window, causing her to fall to the ground.” The woman was uninjured; the man was arrested.

* At 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2009, police responded to the call of a “disorderly customer” inside a business at the 1600 block of 17th St. NW. Employees advised police that the man “was acting in a bizarre manner and was asked to leave.” He left—then broke the front window “with his bare hands.” The man was admitted for psychological review.

* At 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2009, police responded to a New Hampshire Ave. apartment for the report of an assault. There, they found “a group of men disputing over the ownership of a laptop computer.” The dispute centered around two ex-boyfriends “who had recently broken up and were arguing over shared property.” No assault had actually occurred.

* In the evening of Jan. 21, 2009, the GLLU was contacted to help with “an allegation of a robbery and sexual assault” near 1st St. and New York Ave. NW. The victim, “a male-to-female Transgender individual,” said that around 1 a.m. that morning, “she was kidnapped, robbed and sexually assaulted by three suspects.” She couldn’t provide a detailed description of the suspects, but offered that one of the attackers was “a black male-to-female Transgender individual, approximately 6’ tall with a dark skin complexion . . . a brown wig and had a light mustache.”

photo by sneakerdog

The GLLU, MPD’s Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit, serves the District’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. Last week in police activity related to the GLBT community—including some very intoxicated calls to the police—below.

* Spit take. Sun., Jan. 11. A man contacted the GLLU to report an assault that occured a week earlier—as he was walking his dog, a man “approached him and called him a homophobic name.” The man then “spat at the victim, but did not strike him.”

* Federal offense. Tue., Jan. 6. A male employee of the Federal Government contacted the GLLU to report verbal assault from a female Fed. The employee alleged “homophobic taunts, language and threats” from the woman in a government meeting. The incident was also reported to the Federal Protective Service (FPS).

* Because, why not. Wed., Jan. 7. at noon. “A Moroccan male walked into the Gay and Lesbian Liaison office to report the loss of his passport.”

* Delayed reaction. Thu., Jan. 8. A Mount Peasant resident called the GLLU for help with an incident he reported last March. Last spring, he reported being “assaulted and called homophobic names by a contractor working at this neighbor’s home.” Now, he’s “not been satisfied with the progress of the investigation.” Police are re-investigating the matter

* “I’m so clumsy. I just fell down the stairs.” Thu., Jan. 8, at 12:30 a.m. Officers arrive on the scene to find two men. One was “suffering from an injury to his leg.” The men, “former intimate partners,” began arguing. A physical struggle ensued, ending in “the victim falling over the stairway railing.” The GLLU reports that “An affidavit in support of an arrest warrant will be presented to the United States Attorney’s Office.”

* Get out of my dreams, and also out of my car. Sat., Jan. 10, at 1:45 a.m.. A man “met another male inside a club” at 21st and P Streets. He “departed with that male inside the male’s vehicle” before realizing his “wallet containing credit cards and U.S. currency . . . was missing from his pocket.” The other man fled the scene, but was located by police and arrested.

* You can take the prostitute off the street, but . . . Sat., Jan. 10. 2:30 a.m. Police officers were dispatched to a bus station on First and K Streets NE for a possible prostitution call. There, they “observed a group of five to eight individuals, all of whom appeared to be members of the Transgender community, walking back-and-forth along the sidewalk and across the street.” The group was asked to leave, and did. At 3:15 a.m., police were again dispatched to the area, where they found the same group. “Upon observing the marked police vehicles approaching the area, the individuals fled on foot and did not return to the area.”

* I drink with you most of the day because I love you. Sat., Jan. 10 at 8:30 p.m. Police arrived at a NE apartment for a possible assault call. There, an “investigation revealed the couple had been consuming alcoholic beverages most of the day and became involved in a verbal altercation.” One of the men “barricaded himself in the bedroom.” The other entered through a window and proceeded to punch and kick the man, and the suspect entered through a window. Once inside, the suspect punched and kicked the victim.” Unsurprisingly, “there is a history of violence between these two individuals.”

* Robbed: Any memory of this happening. Sun., Jan. 11 at 3 a.m. Police responded to 17th & R Streets for the call of a robbery. Here’s what happened:

Upon arrival, officers were unable to locate the caller, however during a search of the area; they located an adult male at 17th and Q Streets, N.W. The male was extremely intoxicated and advised officers he had called 9-1-1. While being interviewed the caller was difficult due to his insobriety. It was determined no robbery or other offense had occurred. There were no signs of injury to the male and he appeared to have all his personal property. The male was transported by an officer to his apartment in the neighborhood. Later that day, the caller was re-interviewed by a member of the GLLU. The caller advised he could not recall contacting 9-1-1 earlier that day.

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar.

* Denial twist. On the evening of Nov. 28, 2008, the mother of a 16-year-old male flagged down police outside the Metro on Minnesota Ave. The mother claimed “her son was sexually assaulted” by a 17-year-old one month earlier. Police interviewed all parties, and determined that “the sexual contact was consensual and no crime occurred.” The mother refused further police resources.

* Trouble in Florida. On Saturday, Nov. 29, an Assistant United States Attorney contacted the GLLU for support with “a male victim of domestic violence” who said he was assaulted by his boyfriend the previous day, on the 200 block of Florida Ave. NW. The boyfriend was arrested, and “the victim was provided with emergency shelter.”

* Epithet and run. That evening, police responded to a call at 14th Street and Columbia Rd. NW. A man had been crossing the street. Three men came up from behind and assaulted him, one uttering “homophobic epithets. The three men robbed him and fled. Police described the suspects as: “suspect one: black male, 20 years old, slim build, 6’2”, wearing blue jeans, black jacket; suspect two: black male, 15 years old, 5’8”, wearing a black ski mask, black coat and blue jeans; suspect three: black male, teen, wearing a black coat and blue jeans.”

* If it bleeds. At 3 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, a woman flagged down a GLLU officer in Dupont Circle. Her “window had just been smashed by a drunken male in the area.” The male was found—he was “suffering from a serious laceration to his arm.” Police took him to a hospital, and “damage to the vehicle window was resolved without a criminal complaint.”

* Lone gunman. A half an hour later, police responded to a call for armed robbery. A transgender woman claimed she was “robbed at gunpoint by a lone black male.” Officers found the suspect and arrested him.

* Gays on the run. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, police write, “members of the Department of Corrections Warrant Squad contacted the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit to request assistance in locating several fugitives with connections to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) community. At this time, the information is not being released, however should the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) be unable to promptly locate the wanted subjects, the identities will be released and the community’s assistance sought.”

* Lip service. On the afternoon of Nov. 18, D.C. police responded to the report of an assault. A group of friends had had a fight over “missing personal property.” A victim had been punched in the face, and suffered a “minor cut to his lip.” The victim asked that the suspect—whom police identify as a “Transgender female”—not be arrested, but he did ask for “information regarding how to obtain a Stay Away Order.”

* Minor wound, small child. On the morning of Nov. 20, police found two women suffering from “minor stab wounds.” They were dating. Each girlfriend accused the other of stabbing her with “a small knife.” A “small child” on the scene was unable to advise officers on the facts of the case. Both women were arrested, treated, and charged with assault.

* False identification identification. On the night of Nov. 21, a P Street bar called the police to mediate a customer dispute. A male patron said that a staffer had seized his ID. The staffer said he had tried to “pass the identification to a friend in line,” so he “suspected it was fraudulent.” It was found legitimate and returned to the patron.

* Follow that gay-basher. On Nov. 22, police arrested a man suspected of grabbing a Gay Pride flag from a victim on election night in front of the White House and assaulting him. “The suspect was charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault,” police say, and will be pursued as a hate crime.

* Can’t touch this. Early in the morning of Nov. 22, police were called to a club on 22nd St. An anonymous caller claimed he had been assaulted by security. He left the club before police arrived. The club’s staff had another story. According to them, “the individual was thrown out of the club for inappropriately touching other patrons.”

* Turn coat. Later that morning, the GLLU responded to a reported theft at a 17th St. bar. A man had “left his coat on the back of his chair.” It disappeared—along with his wallet, credit cards, ID, keys, and “personal papers.” Later that morning, the cards were used at several nearby locations.

* Hospital visit. Even later that same morning, the GLLU assisted a transgender woman at a local hospital. She had thoughts of suicide. She said she was sexually assaulted the day before. According to police, the victim “provided several contradictory accounts of the crime and also admitted to being engaged in illicit drug use when the assault allegedly occurred.” The investigation is on-going.

Photo by the prolific NCinDC.

* Cold case. On Mon., Oct. 6, a potential witness contacted the GLLU regarding a year-old Alabama homicide. GLLU “is assisting members of the local Alabama Sherriff’s Department.”

* Pocket call. On Mon., Oct. 6, a victim who had attempted to break up a fighting group of juveniles called the police after the mob turned on him and stole his cell phone. “The cellular telephone was recovered and returned to the victim, who refused to provide his personal information for a police report.”

* Return to sender. An employee of the federal government reported receiving two unwanted pieces of mail via USPS: “Each piece of mail contained a single piece of paper, on which was written homophobic epithets.” GLLU is investigating with the U.S. Postal Inspector.

* A thin line between stab and “serious cut.” On Wed., Oct. 8, officers responded to a report of a stabbing. “Upon arrival on the scene, the officers found the victim suffering from a serious cut to his neck.” The man claimed he had been stabbed by a former lover.  “According to the victim, the suspect was intoxicated and an argument ensued over money the victim accused the suspect of stealing from him.”

Full GLLU police blotter after the jump.

* “On Friday, October 10, 2008, shortly after midnight, First District officers were summoned by employees of a club in the 1100 block of 8th Street, S.E. for a disorderly person. Upon arrival, officers learned the suspect was refused entry by club staff because he appeared high and/or intoxicated. When the suspect was advised he was unable to enter the club, he became irate. His loud and boisterous behavior began to draw a crowd of onlookers. He was arrested for Disorderly Conduct.”

* “On Saturday, October 11, 2008, at approximately 8:30 p.m., members of the Third District responded to a residence in the 2300 block of 20th Street, N.W. for an assault. The ensuing investigation revealed the two men residing the residence were boyfriends and resided together. Both were intoxicated and a verbal dispute became physical. At some point, one of the men refused to allow the other to depart the residence. The other man, upon being cornered, struck the other to escape. Unable to determine which man was the primary aggressor; officers were forced to arrest both. Neither man was seriously injured. NOTE: MPDC officers are trained to identify the aggressor and/or instigator of a domestic assault, however in some instances, it is impossible and both individuals must be arrested. In order to avoid the situation, it is recommended victims only use the force necessary to stop an attack by the suspect and escape. Once the attack has ended or the victim has escaped, he/she should immediately get to a safe location and contact 9-1-1. Vindication and excessive defense or aggression will often result in the arrest of the victim. Although this is not desirable, it is often necessary because determination of instigation and/or aggressor is impossible.”

* “On Sunday, October 12, 2008, at approximately 3:45 a.m., a member of the GLLU was on patrol in the Second District, in the area of the 1700 block of 17th Street, N.W., when an 82-year-old man was located wandering and disoriented. It was determined the man had been walking in the area for several hours, in an attempt to return home. He was identified and returned to his residence, which was in the 1400 block of 17th Street, N.W. The GLLU member contacted the District of Columbia’s Office of Aging and a social worker from the Adult Protective Services Agency responded to assess the needs of the elderly individual.”

* “On Sunday, October 12, 2008, at approximately 2:30 a.m., MPDC officers working overtime in the area of 22nd and P Streets, N.W. were called to a local club for an assault. Investigation revealed the suspect had previously been barred by the business owners and attempted to gain entry. When an employee recognized the suspect and noticed he was high and/or intoxicated, he was denied entry. He became enraged and assaulted the employee. He was arrested on the scene. The employee was not injured.”

* “Members of the GLLU are assisting members of the Criminal Investigations Division with multiple theft investigations involving multiple locations throughout the city. The cases, which appear related, based upon the suspect’s descriptions, involve a large group of male-to-female transgender individuals entering clothing apparel shops and causing a disturbance while other members of the group steal merchandise. Although there have not been any injuries reported, in some instances, the suspects have become involved in physical altercations with store employees, who were attempting to prevent the theft and/or their escape.”

* “Members of the GLLU are assisting the United States Park Police Criminal Investigations Division with the investigation of two robberies in Meridian Hill Park, which is located at 15th and Euclid Streets, N.W. In the first case, an individual was the victim of an attempted robbery on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 1 p.m. The suspect is described as being a black male, approximately 18 years old, standing at 6’1,” weighing 190 pounds, having medium to light complexion, shoulder length dread locks or twists in his hair and armed with a silver colored handgun.”

“The second case occurred on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at approximately 11:30 p.m. In that case, the victim was robbed by two black men. The first suspect is described as being between 20-25 years old, standing at 6’1,” weighing 165 pounds, with facial hair and armed with a shotgun. The second suspect was described as being between 20-25 years old, standing at 5’11,” weighing 200 pounds, with corn rows in his hair. Anyone having information about these suspects or who might have also been the victim of a robbery or other violent crime inside Meridian Hill Park is asked to contact the on-call member of the GLLU.”

* Ongoing: A repeat offender. Since 2005, the GLLU has waged an “ongoing investigation of domestic violence” between “an adult male victim and his former male domestic partner.” Over the years, the suspect has served time for “stalking, threats, violations of a Civil Protection Order and Contempt of Court.” For “many months,” the GLLU has been working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in investigating the suspect’s new victim, described only as “a third party in the Dupont Circle area.”

* Sept. 13: Verbal harassment between house mates. The victim has reported “homophobic remarks and epithets by one of the other male residents” of a private home. The GLLU classified the incident as “a hate/bias motivated incident,” described as “one that does not rise to the level of a criminal offense, but does involve behavior that demonstrates . . . hatred, bias or prejudice towards the victim’s actual or perceived status.”

* Sept. 23: Turning himself in. A man reported a domestic assault to the police; upon arrival, “officers determined the caller had assaulted his boyfriend.” The caller was placed under arrest.

* Sept. 24: Pay up. Officers responded to a “disorderly customer” at a Dupont bar; the patron, who the police determined to be “mentally ill,” had “failed to pay his bar tab.” The man’s family will pay the tab.

* Sept. 29: Unwelcome sleepover. A landlord contacted the GLLU for advice on a landlord/tenant dispute. The landlord’s gripe? The tenant was “allowing a male visitor to stay overnight on multiple occasions.”

Read the full GLLU blotter after the jump.

The GLLU has been involved in an ongoing investigation of domestic violence since 2005 between an adult male victim and his former male domestic partner. The suspect has been arrested multiple times and has served multiple sentences for charges ranging from stalking, threats, violations of a Civil Protection Order and Contempt of Court. Members of the GLLU are currently working with members of the United States Attorney’s Office, as the suspect is now engaged in harassing and threatening behavior towards a third party in the Dupont Circle area. These actions have been ongoing for many months.

On 9/13/08, at approximately 6:30 p.m., a male victim contacted the GLLU to report he was being harassed by another male resident living in a private home near 3rd and T Streets, N.W. According to the victim, the residents are sharing a private home together and are in a dispute with the home’s owner. The residents are disputing amongst themselves about the underling dispute with the owner. The victim has been the subject of homophobic remarks and epithets by one of the other male residents and feels unsafe residing in the same home with him. The GLLU is providing the victim with safety planning and has also documented the encounter as a hate/bias motivated incident. NOTE- A hate/bias motivated incident is one that does not rise to the level of a criminal offense, but does involve behavior that demonstrates the suspect(s)’ hatred, bias or prejudice towards the victim’s actual or perceived status. The Metropolitan Police Department documents all hate/bias related incidents coming to our attention, so as to determine deployment plans and provide intelligence to patrol and investigative members.

In the early morning hours of 9/23/08, members of the Third District were dispatched to a private home in the 700 block of Park Road, N.W. for a domestic disturbance between a male couple. Upon arrival, officers determined the caller had assaulted his boyfriend and he was placed under arrest. The victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment.

On 9/24/08, at approximately 10 p.m., officers responded to a restaurant / bar located in the 1600 block of 17th Street, N.W. for a disorderly customer. Upon arrival, officers determined the male was suffering from mental illness and had failed to pay his bar tab. The male was transported home in Chinatown and arrangements have been made by his family to pay the cost of the tab.

On 9/29/08, at approximately 1 p.m., a landlord contacted the GLLU to seek advice regarding a landlord-tenant issue at this property in Capital Hill. According to the landlord, his tenant was in violation of a written lease, by allowing a male visitor to stay overnight on multiple occasions. The owner was advised this was a civil matter and he must address the issue with the District of Columbia’s Landlord-Tenant Court.

On 9/29/08, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a juvenile male paged the on-call member of the GLLU to report he observed one of the suspects who robbed him three weeks prior. The victim made the observation on a Metro bus and exited the bus upon observing the suspect. The on-call member of the GLLU had members of the Sixth District respond to the Metro bus stop in the area of the 4600 block of Hillside Road, S.E. and attempt to locate the suspect. Despite an immediate response, they were unable to locate the suspect. The on-call GLLU member responded and transported the victim to his destination to ensure his safe arrival. NOTE- The GLLU encourages community members to contact 9-1-1 in situations like this requiring an immediate response. After contacting 9-1-1 and proceeding to a safe location, the victim should then contact the on-call GLLU member and request assistance. In most instances, 9-1-1 will allow for a faster police response, as patrol officers are often much closer than GLLU members.

On 9/30/08, at approximately 11 a.m., a male contacted the GLLU to assist with retrieving his personal belonging from the residence of a former friend in the 4400 block of C Street, S.E. (Sixth District). Members of the GLLU accompanied the caller to the location and attempted to retrieve the belonging, however were advised by the resident the belongings were not in his possession. The caller was advised to pursue civil action against the resident, as the matter was not criminal in nature. NOTE – The GLLU reminds community members to know their rights with regard to the District of Columbia’s laws protecting tenants and landlords. More information regarding landlord-tenant matters can be found at http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/superior/civil/landlord_tenant.jsp.