It’s been over a month since a man died inside an underground sex club at 1618 14th Street NW. The club, operated by David J. Butler and the D.C. Wrestling Club, had been throwing near-nightly “Men’s Parties” in Logan Circle for years. The party came to a halt on the morning of Oct. 4, when one reveler died of “blunt impact injury to the head” on the club’s stairs.

Forty-five days later, the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner says that the “manner of death” in the case—which determines whether a death came as a result of a homicide, suicide, accident, or some other cause—is still pending.

Today, D.C. police released a 911 call made from outside the sex club on the morning of Oct. 4. The call, which originated from one of the club’s patrons, points to one possible contributing factor in the man’s death—that party organizers allegedly hesitated to call an ambulance:

The full transcript of the call is after the jump.

Operator: D.C. Emergency 911 Dispatcher 6741. Police, Fire or Ambulance?

Caller: Ambulance.

Operator: To come where?

Caller: It’s um 14^th street, 1618 A. This guy fell down the steps at this after-hours club, and the guy’s, um, he doesn’t look like he’s breathing, and they won’t call the police, I mean, call the ambulance.

Operator: OK, repeat the address?

Caller: It’s 1618 A 14^th street.

Operator: 1618 14^th Street Building A?

Caller: Yeah it’s A. It’s um, it’s right on the corner of Corcoran and 14^th

Operator: Oh, it looks like someone already called the ambulance.

Caller: Okay, because he—he fell down—

Operator: They’re en route there, somebody already called.

Caller: Okay, because he fell down a while ago. How long ago did they call? Because he was laying there—

Operator: They called at 5:06.

Caller: Oh, okay. What time is it now?

Operator: It’s 5:10 now.

Caller: Okay, yeah. Because he fell before that, and I saw him. And I told them. I don’t know, I’m just upset about it, because it’s actually—it’s like an after-hours sex club—and they didn’t want to call the police, because he didn’t have any clothes on.

Operator: Okay. Look out for the police for him. I mean the ambulance.

Caller: I see them, I see them now, thank you.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery.

On Wednesday, the District of Columbia filed suit to shut down “Men’s Parties,” the underground male sex club operating at 1618 14th Street NW. The lawsuit’s three defendants—David J. Butler, 1618 14th Street LLC, and the D.C. Wrestling Club—face charges of “opperation of a business without a basic business license” and “use of premises for business without appropriate certificate of occupancy.”

The initial documents in the case offer a glimpse into the club’s secretive activities, as well as additional information concerning the fatal accident that occurred inside the club on the morning of October 4th.

According to court documents, D.C. police responded to the report of “an unconscious person at the address” at 5:18 a.m. Detective Thomas Smith, a former Prostitution Enforcement Unit cop, was called to the scene to investigate a potential homicide. During the course of the investigation, Smith met Butler, “who identified himself as the President of a private club, doing business as the D.C. Wrestling Club.”

Butler told Smith that he hosts parties where “men come into the premises, make a donation, and socialize.” By the time Smith entered the property, Butler was accompanied by “more than twenty patrons and staff.” Three other staff members identified themselves to Smith, according to documents: Jerome Goodman, Juan Adams, and Ralph ‘Jay’ Rushing.

According to Smith’s affidavit, the activities of the club were obvious: “Strewn throughout the entire location are used condoms, empty condom wrappers, paper towels, cloth towels and other indicia of frequent, non-discrete sexual behavior.” What, no snacks?

The affidavit offered a full inventory of the club’s amenities:

First Floor: “A lounge area immediately inside the front entrance” which includes “two sets of lockers” and couches. Also on the first floor, “separated by curtains, are three wooden stalls containg ‘glory holes’ used for sexual activity” The floor also contains a “powder room and a linen closet.”

Second Floor: An additional “lounge area with several counches and a mounted television set” sits on the club’s top floor. The second floor also yields a “kitchenette and full bathroom.” Behind the lounge are “sexually-oriented materials” including a “sex swing, large wooden cross that permits an individual to be bound to the structure, and a bench.” The second floor also includes a bedroom “reportedly belonging to Ralph ‘Jay’ Rushing,” and another bench.

Basement: Two sets of stairs lead to this floor (the accident victim was found at the foot of one staircase). In the basement are”thirteen bed spaces separated by built-in wooden partitions and dark curtains,” each containing a “mattress and trash can.”

At tonight’s ANC 2F meeting, 3rd District Lieutenant Vanessa Moore provided some details into the police investigation of Sunday’s sex club death at 1618 14th Street NW. The building has long been known for hosting a late-night sex party called “Men’s Parties” as well as meetings of the “Jack Off Enthusiasts Club.” Last Sunday, a man was reported dead inside the building.

The victim, who was found at the bottom of a stairwell in the building’s basement, was discovered in the early morning hours of Oct. 4. Moore described the victim as a 47-year-old white male. Police now think the man suffered from a “possible broken neck” that may have resulted from a fall down the stairs.

“This remains a death report, not a homicide,” Moore clarified. But the death has again drawn D.C. police attention to the sex club at 1618 14th Street, which drew city scrutiny in 2005 when a fire broke out at the location. Four years later, Moore says D.C. police are working with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to attempt to close the club. “I know he does not have any license at that location,” Moore said. “We’re looking for ways to shut him down.”

Moore said that to her knowledge, the club is “not operating right now,” though neighbors present at the meeting challenged that assertion. (Borderstan reported yesterday that the joint appeared open for business). Moore added that the sex club’s manager had stated, in his defense, that he “provides a safe place for men to have consensual sex.” But it’s still unclear as to whether or not unsafe building conditions contributed to the man’s death. Moore was not on-scene at the time of the incident, but she had been told the place was outfitted with “sex toys” and that the stairs were “steep.”

She also heard tell of snacks. “He said he doesn’t collect money,” Moore said. “But he said he does collect donations for chips, dips, and soda. And we’ll leave it at that.”

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, one person was killed and another critically injured in a daytime stabbing outside 209 Q St. NW. In the hours following the homicide, police and reporters gathered witness testimony, formed a description of the suspect, and chased likely motives. This time, cops and journalists were also forced to devote resources to another developing story: the gender of the victims.

Within three hours of the incident, three local news sources had independently verified the victims’ gender identity with police. They all got it wrong.

Fox 5 news reporter Roby Chavez gave this report at 3:59 p.m., about an hour and a half after the stabbings occurred. “D.C. Police sources tell Fox  5 officers found two transgender male victims in front of the building when they arrived,” Chavez reported.

At 4:36 p.m., the Washington Post’s Paul Duggan filed his item on the stabbing, also published in the next day’s paper. “Police said the victims, whom they described as ‘transgender males,’ were stabbed shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Q Street NW.”

WUSA9’s Bill Starks weighed in at 5:23 p.m.: “Officers…arrived and found two transgender males in front of the building at 209 Q Street, both suffering from stab wounds.”

The Washington Blade’s Lou Chibbaro was the first to nail down the correct gender identity of the homicide victim, who has since been identified under her legal name, Joshua Mack, as well as her chosen name, Tyli’a. At 7:06 p.m., four-and-a-half hours after the incident occurred, Chibbaro wrote, “One transgender woman was stabbed to death Wednesday and another was in stable condition with stab wounds from an unknown assailant.”

But even after Mack’s correct gender identity was established, the struggle continued. In “D.C. Transgender Community Outraged After Fatal Stabbing”—filed more than 24 hours after the incident occurred—ABC 7 reporter Sam Ford announced: “One transgender is dead, another is in critical condition.”

Mack was not a “transgender male,” a “transgender man,” or a “transgender.” Mack was a male-to-female transgender woman who clearly appeared to be female. On the reward poster for her homicide, she’s shown wearing eye shadow, shaped eyebrows, and two long braids. “Of course, when the one young lady was murdered and the other was hospitalized, we were quite upset [with the media coverage] because they aren’t transgender men—they are transgender women,” says Brian Watson, the director of Transgender Health Empowerment, which counted both victims as clients. “I know both of the young ladies that were attacked, and they lived their lives as transgender women. They looked like women. For me, there shouldn’t have been any confusion about them being males. If you saw them on the street, you would see they were females.”

Since the victims in this case clearly presented as women, how were they initially identified as “transgender males”?

Chavez, Duggan, and Starks all attributed the “transgender males” identification to “police sources.” Duggan says that the department’s public information office provided him the term. “The police department put it out there, and we went on what they said,” says Duggan. Starks got even more specific, sourcing the terminology to Quintin Peterson, the public information officer on duty when news of the stabbings broke. “‘Transgender males’—those were his exact words,” says Starks. “I’m not trying to get him in trouble or anything, but that’s what was said.”

Peterson denies that the police originated the term. “‘Transgender males’ was never used. Not by me or anyone in this office,” he says. “We cannot be held responsible for the terminology the news media chooses to use. We did not put anything out other than what the correct terminology is.” Acting Lieutenant Brett Parson, the police department’s top liaison to the GLBT community who was on scene shortly following the stabbing, similarly defers the misidentification to media reports. “It’s the media that seems fixated on their gender identity. That issue did not come from the chief of police,” says Parson. “We’ve had to correct the media on countless occasions because they have been reporting, insensitively, terms that are not used in the community.”

Wherever the term “transgender males” originated, no one really wanted to touch it. Starks says he never asked Peterson for clarification on what the term “transgender males” actually meant. “I didn’t ask him to go beyond that,” he says. “I assumed that it was referring to a person who may be in the process of either a sex change or someone who is dressing in the clothing of another gender.” When asked if “male” refers to the victim’s biological sex or gender identity, Starks was stumped. “That’s a good question,” he says. Duggan says that the Post avoided parsing the term with a deft use of punctuation. “It was a short brief that we wrote really fast, so we decided to use, in quotes, ‘transgender males,’” says Duggan. “I got beat up a lot over that, because I wasn’t educated on [the terminology] at the time, and I was quickly educated on it.”

For cops and journos, employing the correct terminology is more than a matter of respect. Both D.C. police procedure and Associated Press style mandate that transgender individuals be addressed in accordance with their gender expression. According to the AP Stylebook, reporters are to “use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.” And in 2007, D.C. police adopted one of the nation’s most comprehensive transgender policies, which states that when a police officer is unsure of a person’s gender identity, “the member shall inquire how the individual wishes to be addressed (e.g., Sir, Miss, Ms.) and the name by which the individual wishes to be addressed.”

Of course, ascertaining the correct terminology becomes more difficult when the transgender individual is dead. Sometimes, even the victim’s family can’t help identify the preferred gender. ABC 7’s story on the stabbing included a quote from Mack’s brother, Aaron Walker: “I’m just hurting right now. My mom, she’s got 10 boys, and that’s one of my little brothers and for me to see him pass like that,” Walker said of Mack. (ABC 7 also misidentified Walker as “Aaron Hall,” proving that newsroom slip-ups are sometimes based in sloppiness, sometimes in ignorance).

In the event that a victim’s gender identity is unclear, sometimes it helps to do some reporting. Chibbaro took care to verify Mack’s gender identity with “sources both in the community and in law enforcement” before publishing his story, three hours after the first news of the stabbing hit. “This misidentification is not always the fault of police, or the press, or others—this is something that everyone is grappling with,” says Chibbaro. “The first concern that I have, and that I think the Washington Blade has, is whether the information is accurate.”

As the scene of the daylight stabbing grew dark, reporters set about correcting the terminology in their stories, abandoning “transgender males” for “transgender women” and swapping “he” for “she.” But for some members of the transgender community, the damage had already been done. “[S]ix hours and (at least) six edits later, we finally have gender appropriate language in an article based on a double homicide attempt that was clearly motivated by hatred and transphobia,” wrote one commenter on the Fox 5 story. “[I]’m saddened on so many levels.”

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

The Metropolitan Police Department has issued a reward poster in the death of transgender woman Joshua Mack, a.k.a. “Na Na Boo” (pictured). The flier, which you can download here [PDF], doesn’t include any intel on possible suspects. It does, however, promise a $25,000 reward for “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.” Information on how to tip the MPD in this case is after the jump.

On Wednesday August 26, 2009, at approximately 1430 hours, Joshua Mack aka “Nana-boo” was found stabbed in the 200 Block of Q Street, Northwest. The Metropolitan Police Department seeks the public’s assistance in gathering information regarding the incident.

This case is under investigation by members of the Department Homicide Branch. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Jonathan Clingerman 202-497-4994 and his partner Detective Al Batton 202-486-0620 or the Metropolitan Police department’s Command Information Center (CIC) at 202-727-9099. Anonymous information may also be forwarded to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.

A D.C. police officer, Tuma says, responded with some hate-speech of his own—and a swift arrest. Second District Officer J. Culp, Tuma says, “charged 40-50 feet” toward him, “pushed him against a transformer box,” arrested him, then told him to “shut up, faggot.”

Tuma’s arrest, the Blade reports, is currently being investigated on the orders of D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Meanwhile, Culp may have picked the wrong group of gays to fuck with: Tuma and the two friends on the scene, Luke Platzer and Dave Stetson, are all attorneys. The exact reason for Tuma’s arrest is still unclear. But while he initially agreed to pay a fine “as part of a ‘post and forfeit’ plea” which helped him avoid cell block time, he now says he intends to fight all charges in court:

[Tuma] said police took him to the Second District station at Connecticut and Idaho avenues, N.W., near the National Cathedral, where he was booked and released about four hours later. He said his release came after he agreed to pay a fine as part of a “post and forfeit” plea, which is an acknowledgement of possible guilt.

Tuma said he agreed to the post and forfeit plea after officers who processed his arrest told him he would be forced to remain in a holding cell before being presented before a magistrate in D.C. Superior Court had he pleaded not guilty to the charge.

He said he had a longstanding commitment that morning and did not want to miss it by having to appear in court. Tuma said he plans to exercise his right to withdraw the post and forfeit the plea at a later date and fully contest the charge in court.

Tuma’s lawyer friends, too, are committed to fighting the charge:

D.C. attorney Luke Platzer, one of Tuma’s two friends to witness the arrest, said he and a second friend, attorney Dave Stetson, were approached by a D.C. police sergeant shortly after police drove Tuma to the station to process his arrest. Platzer said the sergeant, whose last name is Geer, told them he observed Tuma attempting to “resist” arrest in a disorderly way and asked them if they would give a statement confirming his observation.

“We said, ‘No, we did not see that at all,’” Platzer told the Blade. “We thought he was trying to trick us into saying that there was physical resistance by Pepin to the arrest. That is not true.”

Here’s the sex offender view outside the Washington City Paper offices:

Below the map, the names, photographs, and To Catch a Predator convictions of CP’s seven registered-sex-offender neighbors pop up.  The addresses are only specific to the sex offender’s block. The whole thing seems a little creepy to me, if only because it seems like a total sex offender move to map a radius of targeted individuals around your home or workplace. Click here to do it!

The deets:

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Foundry United Methodist Church
5:00 – 6:00 pm Community discussion on public safety and anti-GLBT crime
6:00 – 7:00 pm DC Chief of Police Cathy Lanier joins the discussion

According to the press release, “Chief Lanier is expected to discuss the status of MPD’s efforts to combat crimes in general and hate crimes in particular, as well as discuss her plan to staff the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit of the MPD.”

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

U/C: “How you doing?”

Schmidt: “I’m good. This is a really nice room.”

U/C: “I’m glad you like it. So, What do you do for a living?”

Schmidt: “I work with the government.”

U/C: “How cool is that!!! So, what you want?”

Schmidt: “Half hour.”

U/C: “That’s going to be $80.00. $80.000 for sex right.”

Schmidt: “Well, I’ll do a little of licking. Do you like that?”

U/C: “What?”

Schmidt: “When someone goes down on you?”

U/C: “Of course, I like everything.”

Schmidt: “Let me get comfortable I’ll be right back.”

Schmidt was then arrested.

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

Reported rapes in 2006: 182
Reported rapes in 2007: 192
Reported rapes in 2008: 186

But how many rapes actually occurred in the District last year? It’s impossible to say.

A 1992 report from the National Victim Center (Rape in America: A Report to the Nation) suggests that only one out of every six rapes are reported to authorities. The reason for that can be pretty well explained by another statistic from the report: “80% of the girls and women who were raped were victimized by someone they knew.”

Let’s assume that the National Victim Center has got it’s shit together, and multiply the reported rapes by six to estimate a more realistic figure:

Estimated rapes in 2006: 1,092
Estimated rapes in 2007: 1,152
Estimated rapes in 2008: 1,116

We’re getting closer now—except for the fact that records of “reported rapes” don’t even reflect all of the rapes actually reported to the police.

After a crime is reported to the police, it can later be “unfounded” and purged from the numbers game. Crimes are supposed to be deemed “unfounded” if the report is found to be fraudulent. But since police departments self-report their crime data to the FBI, there’s no filter to tell whether an “unfounded” case is truly false, or if they are “merely stuck or inactive” due to lack of evidence or inability to locate a suspect. Unsurprisingly, due to the he-said-she-said difficulty of prosecuting rapists, rape cases are more likely to be “unfounded” than any other crime.

MPD doesn’t report how many of its reported rape cases have been “unfounded”—those cases are simply subtracted from the number of reported cases. The subtraction occurs “in the month in which [the case is] unfounded, regardless of the date the crime was committed.” So in some months, more cases are unfounded than are reported: in August of 2006, MPD’s Second District reported negative one rape.

So how many women are raped in D.C. every year? Two hundred? One thousand? Some negative figure? MPD’s reports aren’t terribly illuminating.

* 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.

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 New Years hate crime and a knife-wielding ex-lover—below.

* New Years (conflict) resolution. Thu., Jan. 1, at 12:30 a.m. Police responded to a home at 13th St. & Iowa Ave. NW after the report of an assault. There, they found two males, both “suffering from minor injuries and heavily intoxicated.” The story: When the men stepped outside for a New Years smoke, “three black females” approached and subjected the men to “homophobic taunts.” A “verbal exchange ensued.” The three women called for back-up: “two black males.” The men were assaulted. Police have no suspects, but are encouraging “community members to avoid confronting others on homophobic language, especially when alcohol is present.”

* Just a “small knife.” Fri., Jan. 2, at 2:20 p.m. Police respond to a report of an assault in SE producing “minor injuries” to a female victim. The woman claims she was walking down the street when she was confronted by a “former girlfriend,” a meeting that progressed into a “verbal altercation.” The ex then heaved a rock at the woman, but missed. A full-contact assault ensued. There was a struggle. The ex withdrew “a small knife” and stabbed the woman. Police plan to issue a warrant for the ex-girlfriend’s arrest.

* Missing cousins. Sat., Jan. 3, at 12:30 p.m. A woman contacted the GLLU on behalf of her “male cousin,” who was having a property dispute with his ex-boyfriend. The woman “alleged violence between the two in the past,” and requested help in reclaiming her cousin’s property from the ex’s place. Though the GLLU made arrangements to do so, “the caller and her cousin failed to keep the appointments.” Now, they won’t return calls.

* Remember me. Sun., Jan. 4, at 12:45 a.m. Police responded to a call concerning an “Unwanted Guest” in a SE home. When they arrived, they found a “78-year-old man suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease and dementia” insisting upon the removal of “his home health care professional.” The caller’s family was notified.

Photo by *Sally M*

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 details about the apparent hate crime at the Hong Kong Delite Carry Out —below.

* Anti-gay club. On Thursday, Dec. 4, a Rhode Island Ave. NE club owner contacted the GLLU for “advice regarding neighborhood relations.” The owner had “received a couple of complaints from area residents.” She thought the complaints stemmed from the patrons being gay. The owner was referred to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration.

* Hate crime to go. At 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008, police responded to a carryout restaurant at the 3100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE.  They found two victims. They had “visible injuries.” They said they were walking past the restaurant when they “became engaged in a verbal dispute with a group of juveniles.” They used homophobic epithets. They assaulted them with a knife. One “suffered multiple stab wounds.” One was injured in the lip.  The two suspects are described as: A black male, “5’8, 160lbs, medium complexion, early 20’s, wearing a black North Face jacket and blue jeans” and a black male, “5’3, 180lbs, dark complexion, early 20’s, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans.”

* Low-class transit. On Dec. 6, a man e-mailed the GLLU to ask for help for a friend. On Monday, Dec. 1, the friend was “verbally berated” by a group of juveniles outside the Takoma Park Metro Station. The group “used homophobic language.”  The Metro Transit Police Department is currently investigating the matter.

* Speed racers. At 2:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8,  police stopped two speeding vehicles racing down U Street. The drivers—two adult women—were arrested and charged with “reckless driving.” Their excuse? “[T]hey were speeding because they had been verbally abused at a club . . . and called homophobic names.”

Photo by ginnerobot.

* 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.

First, GLLU’s report of the David Kerstetter case, in full:

On Thursday, Nov. 6, at approximately 10:20 am, uniformed officers from the department’s Third District responded to a residence located in the 1300 block of 13th Street, NW to assist the building manager with a possible open door at that location. Upon arriving and initiating their investigation, the officers were suddenly confronted by an adult male inside of the premises reportedly wielding a knife. Reportedly, a struggle ensued as the officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapon. It was at that time that the police in the face of apparent imminent danger fired upon the subject, striking him. The suspect, Mr. Kerstetter, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:48 pm. There were no reported physical injuries to the two officers involved in this incident. The identities of the officers, both males, are being withheld at this time to allow for the proper notification of their families. A knife was recovered at the scene of the incident. Both members have been placed on routine administrative leave with pay as the circumstances surrounding this case remains under investigation by members assigned to the Force Investigation Team from the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

Read the rest of the GLLU blotter, after the jump.

On 11/6/08, at approximately 10 p.m., a male walked into the Third Police District to report an ongoing dispute with his boyfriend of three years. The male, who advised he was breaking up with his boyfriend, advised there had been previous violence, but refused to provide sufficient details to document a criminal allegation. He indicated he needed assistance with a property dispute, so was advised to obtain a Temporary Protection Order (TPO), from the District of Columbia Superior Court. The GLLU’s Victim Advocate also contacted him to offer resources and provide safety planning.

On 11/7/08, at approximately midnight, members of the Third District were dispatched to a bar located in the area of Florida Avenue and 18th Street, NW for an assault. Upon arrival, officers located a male victim suffering from a minor cut to his lip. An investigation revealed the victim was engaged in a political conversation with the suspect, when the conversation became heated. At some point, the suspect became enraged and punched the victim, causing the injuries, then threw a glass at the victim. The suspect fled prior to the officer’s arrival.

On 11/8/08, at approximately 1:30 a.m., members of the First District were dispatched to the area of 6th and K Streets, NW for a complaint of Transgender individuals prostituting in the area. Officers responded to the scene and observed six to ten Transgender individuals walking in the area, but did not observe any evidence of prostitution. When the officers arrived on the scene, all of the Transgender individuals departed from the area. The officers returned 10 minutes later and discovered the same individuals back in the area standing on the corners, walking back-and-forth along the sidewalk and crossing back-and-forth across the street. No police action was taken, however the information was passed along to the GLLU, as the area has come under recent scrutiny by community members and local politicians, who regard the prevalence of prostitution in the area as a risk to public safety. The GLLU has been working with local outreach organizations such as Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS), Transgender Health Empowerment (THE), Different Avenues and the Mayor’s Office for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs to address the complaints, while providing adequate resources to individuals forced in to commercial street sex work due to marginalization.

On 11/9/08, at approximately 2 a.m., members of the Sixth District responded to the 3700 block of Minnesota Avenue, SE for an unconscious female. Upon arrival, the individual who was Transgender (male to female), awoke and refused medical attention. There were no signs of injury and the individual appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. She refused to identify herself and refused offers to transport her to a safe location.

On 11/10/08, a female contacted the GLLU to report a series of harassing phone calls to her home, beginning 10/4/08 and continuing until the reporting date. According to the victim, she was involved in the organization of a large national dinner for the GLBT community in Washington, D.C. Since the dinner, she has been called countless times by an unidentified male, who uses homophobic language and other profanity and then hangs up the phone.

On November 14, 2008, at approximately 2 a.m., members of the Second District were dispatched to the area of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street, NW for the call for a sick person. Upon arrival, officers located a 19 year-old male, who was expressing suicidal thoughts. The male volunteered to be transported to a local hospital for examination and treatment.

On November 14, 2008, at approximately 3:30 a.m., members of the Third District responded to an assault complaint in the area of 14th Street and Columbia Road, N.W. Upon arrival, the victim advised officers he was walking wearing his IPOD earphones, when he was approached from behind by a group of young black males. Without provocation, one of the males slapped the victim on the back of the head. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a black male, between 15-17 years old, 5′5″-5′7″ tall, wearing a black coat, pants and shirt.

On November 14, 2008, at approximately 4 p.m., members of the Sixth District responded to an apartment in the 4200 block of Benning Road, SE for a domestic dispute. Upon arrival, officers learned the two residents were boyfriends of six months and the two were engaged in a heated argument that one of the men feared might turn violent. With no evidence of criminal activity, the officers provided the men with available resources and the GLLU’s Victim Advocate contact them to assist with safety planning.

On November 14, 2008, at approximately 5 p.m., members of the First District responded to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, which is located in the 900 block of Street, NW. Once on the scene, officers located the victim, a Transgender female, who advised she had been assaulted by a male inside the library’s stairwell and robbed. The victim suffered minor injuries, but refused medical attention. The suspect is known.

On November 15, 2008, at approximately midnight, a Latino male walked into the Third District Sub-Station to report he was being threatened by his landlord. According to the victim, his boyfriend and he were engaged in a landlord-tenant dispute with the owner of the property. The owner left a voicemail message on the victim’s voicemail, in which she expressed homophobic beliefs and intimated the victim might fall victim to violence.

On November 15, 2008, at approximately 2:45 a.m., members of the First District were dispatched to the area of 6th and K Streets, N.W. for the call for Transgender individuals engaging in prostitution. Upon arrival, officers observed approximately 8 individuals, all of whom appear to be members of the Transgender community, walking back-and-forth along the side walk and across the street. The individuals were advised to disperse from the area, however several additional calls were received after officers departed the scene. Officers returned at 3:15 a.m. and observed many of the same individuals engaged in the same activity.

On November 16, 2008, at approximately 3 a.m., members of the Third District were summoned to an apartment in the 900 block of M Street, NW by the boyfriend of an individual suffering from erratic behavior. Upon arrival, officers located the 26 year old male and his boyfriend. The 26 year old was exhibiting signs of an acute psychological episode and agreed to be transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.

On November 16, 2008, at 11:30 a.m., a Transgender victim walked into the Seventh District station to report she was the victim of a violent attack on October 31, 2008, at about 8:30 a.m., in the area of the 4600 block of Livingston Road, SE. According to the victim, while congregating in the park area with friends, the suspect approached her and punched her without provocation, causing serious injuries to her jaw. The victim responded to a local hospital and did not immediately report the assault to the police. The suspect is described as a black male, medium complexion, weighing between 250-280 lbs. and between 5’6”-5’7”. He has a mustache and beard and may be in his early 30’s. His keeps his hair in a short style and may go by the nickname of “Fats or “Sulliver.”

On November 16, 2008, at approximately 11:30 p.m., members of the Second District were dispatched to an apartment in the 1700 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW for a burglary in progress. According to the caller, two men had broken into his apartment and were hiding in his bathroom. Officers responded immediately and upon arrival found the caller, a 64 year old male. A search of the apartment revealed no intruders and no sign of forced entry. Furthermore, after consultation with the caller’s personal doctor, it was determined the caller was suffering from mental illness and needed immediately psychiatric attention. The caller was transported to the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program for evaluation and subsequent treatment.

On November 17, 2008, at approximately 7 p.m., a female caller contacted the GLLU via the on-call pager to request assistance with a homeless person who had refused to leave the front of her home in the 1700 block of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Officer responded and transported the individual to the Hypothermia Shelter.

On November 17, 2008, at approximately 3:30 a.m., members of the First District were dispatched to the area of the 500 block of K Street, NW for the complaint of Transgender individuals engaged in prostitution. Officers responded and found a group of eight to ten individuals, who all appeared to be members of the Transgender community walking back-and-forth on the sidewalk and crossing back-and-forth across the street. The individuals departed upon observing the marked police cars, however returned to the area within 10 minutes. Several additional calls were received with no arrests made.

On November 18, 2008, at approximately 3 a.m., Third District officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW for a white male running in the street bleeding and naked. Upon arrival, officers located the 45 year old victim, who was suffering from injuries to his head and face. He was also under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. He refused medical treatment. The victim provided conflicting accounts, however officers were able to determine the victim patronized a local bar located in the west end of Dupont Circle beginning at about 4:30 p.m. on November 17, 2008. At some point later that evening, the victim departed the bar with an unknown black male and took a taxi to the victim’s apartment, located in the 2000 block of Connecticut Avenue, NW. Once at his apartment with the unknown black male, the victim engaged in consensual sexual activity with the suspect and also engaged in the use of an illegal drug with the suspect. At some point, the victim was attacked and ran from the apartment to seek assistance. There is no further description of the suspect.

Inside, first aid gauze sat near a hotel chair. Police turned over a trash can outside the bathroom into the sink. Inside, he says, they  found burnt skin mixed with “miscellaneous food items”—a can of “some type of Spaghetti-Os” and candy bar wrappers. A wallet held a Nevada non-drivers I.D. and a Master Card identifying Graure by name.

La la la, the contest continues, see the full 64-workplace bracket here, D.C. government I’ve got my eye on you this week, all right are you ready let’s go show me your men!

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Nothin’ manlier than emptying your hose on some hot property, am I right ladies? OR AM I WRONG:

Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin (Male, 10 points)
Assistant Fire Chief Alfred Jeffery (Male, 9 points)
Assistant Fire Chief Lawrence Schultz (Male, 8 points)
Assistant Fire Chief Brian Lee (Male, 7 points)
Assistant Fire Chief Michael Williams, MD (Male, 6 points)
Assistant Fire Chief Rafael Sa’adah (Male, 5 points)
Agency Fiscal Officer Shelly Robinson-Smith (Female, ZERO)
General Counsel Marceline D. Alexander (Female, ZERO)
Chief of Staff Amy Ward (Female, ZERO)
Hydrant Inspection Coordinator Sean Egan (Male, 1 point)

Nope. I was right. With 46 out of 55 manly points, the Fire and Emergency Medical Services staff proves only slightly less manly than the fireman stereotype. But how will it fare against the District’s lawmen and lawymmin?

—

METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT:

Police Chief Cathy Lanier (Female, ZERO)
Assistant Chief Alfred Durham (Male, 9 points)
Assistant Chief Diane Groomes (Female, ZERO)
Assistant Chief Patrick Burke (Male, 7 points)
Assistant Chief Joshua Ederheimer (Male, 6 points)
Corporate Support Bureau Head Edward Hamilton (Male, 5 points)
Assistant Chief Winston Robinson (Male, 4 points)
Assistant Chief Peter Newsham (Male, 3 points)
General Counsel Terrence Ryan (Male, 2 points)
Agency Fiscal Officer Martin Carmody (Male, 1 point)

Book ‘em, officer! With 37 out of 55 manly points, or 67 percent manliness, the D.C. police department’s girls and boys in blue should receive their Miranda warning—because Miranda is such a feminine name! Looks like Fire and Emergency Medical Services out-mans MPD handily. Tune in tomorrow when the D.C. government bracket wraps up—with the D.C. Council and the Department of Corrections!

Firemen by FredoAlvarez; MPD photo by Andrew Feinberg

Fennell also testified as to why there might have been a Secret Service agent outside the club when he arrived: Good Guys backs up against the Naval Observatory. “Where the Vice President resides,” Fennell says. Secret Service officers routinely patrol the Glover Park neighborhood for that reason, Fennell says. In all, Secret Service, police, ambulance, and fire department officials responded to the blaze, while employees and bystanders stood around in shock, Fennell says.

“I can’t recall any of the faces, but I do remember some of the females, consoling each other and crying,” Fennell says.

Henderson rightly points out that the “lewd references to sexual acts by [openly gay police officer Matt] Mahl and a female police sergeant who is also assigned to the Third District substation” indicate that Mahl was not the only victim of the hate-based slurs. Police sources identified the male officer in the graffiti to the Blade as Matt Mahl, but didn’t identify the female mentioned in the case, or describe how the graffiti implicated her. Henderson is also right that it would be interesting to note how D.C. police have discussed the case—are they, too, focusing solely on the homophobic epithets, or considering the misogynist ones as well? I’ll update if and when I hear back from MPD.

If you have information on the crime, call Crime Solvers at (800) 673-2777.

Last month, I wrote a story about a sexual harassment complaint filed against D.C. police photo lab head William “Bill” Gresham. The story speculated on a finer point of the extremely graphic lawsuit filed by former Gresham employee Mary N. Gilkey—an allegation in paragraph 14 that “Defendant Gresham introduced what he called a ‘peter meter’ to the office.”

Gresham and D.C. police declined to comment on my story about what, exactly, a “peter meter” is. Now, the photo lab boss has officially denied that he ever “introduced” one to his office. Last Friday, a response was finally filed in the case on behalf of Gresham and the District of Columbia. The answer to the complaint denies the allegation concerning the “peter meter,” along with the remainder of Gilkey’s allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. There are a lot of allegations to deny. In her Sept. 24 complaint, Gilkey claimed the harassment spanned 14 years of her employment in the photo lab, and included Gresham commenting on her body while “he licked his tongue and touch[ed] his penis,” Gresham showing her “pictures of two men engaged in a sexual act where one man had his arm up the other man’s ass,” and Gresham hitting her “on the top of her head with a telephone receiver so hard she bled.”

After denying Gilkey’s “allegations of discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation and violation of the common law violation,” the answer to the complaint, filed by Acting Attorney General Peter J. Nickles, requests that the “matter be dismissed.”

Last night, a commenter on this blog made the connection between a Washington Blade story identifying the victim of yesterday’s police shooting as David Kerstetter, and a 2003 Metro Weekly feature which highlighted the home Kerstetter shared with his now-deceased partner, Paul Brazitis. Kerstetter was shot and killed by police yesterday inside the condo—part of Logan Circle’s Iowa building at 1325 13th St. NW—after he allegedly threatened officers with a knife. A neighbor, who identified Kerstetter to the Blade, said that Kerstetter was suicidal and mourning Brazitis, who died in October of last year. Five years ago, 1325 13th St. was a very different place.
It looks like they had a nice home life, and a really nice home: Crown molding, antique Austrian china set, a $15,000 Viking stove. That was five years ago, when the couple had the luxury of agonizing over interior decorating. Now, both men are dead. After the whirlwind tour of Kerstetter and Brazitis’ immaculate home, the Metro Weekly piece ends this quote from Brazitis:

We didn’t consider having the inside of this [cabinet] stained — it was this ugly blonde wood inside. One day, I was in the other room painting and all the sudden there was this red mist through the entire house. David was [staining] this cabinet. All the new hardwood floors had red on them, the animals had red on them, we had red on us. That was one thing I should have put my foot down and said, “No!”

Photo from Metro Weekly.

On Thursday, November 6, 2008, at approximately 10:20 am, uniformed officers from the department’s Third District responded to a residence located at 1325 13^th Street, NW to assist the building manager with a possible open door at that location. Upon arriving and initiating their investigation, the officers were suddenly confronted by an adult male inside of the premises reportedly wielding a knife. Reportedly, a struggle ensued as the officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapon. It was at that time that the police in the face of apparent imminent danger fired upon the subject, striking him.

Full release after the jump.

POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING IN THE 1300 BLOCK OF 13^th STREET, NW

The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding a police involved shooting that occurred on 13^th Street, NW.

On Thursday, November 6, 2008, at approximately 10:20 am, uniformed officers from the department’s Third District responded to a residence located at 1325 13^th Street, NW to assist the building manager with a possible open door at that location. Upon arriving and initiating their investigation, the officers were suddenly confronted by an adult male inside of the premises reportedly wielding a knife. Reportedly, a struggle ensued as the officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the weapon. It was at that time that the police in the face of apparent imminent danger fired upon the subject, striking him.

The suspect, an adult male, was transported to an area hospital and admitted in critical condition.

There were no reported physical injuries to the two officers involved in this incident. The identities of the officers, both males, are being withheld at this time to allow for the proper notification of their families.

A knife was recovered at the scene of the incident.

Both members have been placed on routine administrative leave with pay as the circumstances surrounding this case remains under investigation by members assigned to the Force Investigation Team from the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

* Don’t hit the door on the way out. On Thu., Oct. 30, 2008, a call from SE concerning “damaged property” yielded a damaged “interior door,” two arguing “male residents,” and some cartoonish finger-pointing. According to the police, “Neither male took responsibility for the damage or advised officers how the damage resulted.”* Costume contest. On Fri., Oct. 31, a man “wearing a pink wig” was approached on 14th St. by three black males. The group, it seemed, didn’t like the style. “One of the males made a homophobic comment about the victim’s appearance and the victim was then struck in the head with an unknown object,” the police report. After the victim was released from the hospital, “A juvenile male was arrested . . . in possession of a loaded handgun.” But “although it is believed the juvenile was involved in the victim’s assault,” the pink-wigged man was still suffering from unclear vision. He “was unable to positively identify him as one of his attackers,” police report.

* Fighting like girls. Later Halloween night—early on Sat., Nov. 1—cross-dressing inspired another assault. This time, two men, one dressed in costume as a woman, “were walking to a nearby home, when they were approached by two black males.” One “commented on the victim’s appearance as a woman and made homophobic references” before assaulting both men. Suspects fled the scene; victims “suffered minor injuries.”

* Ex fugitive. At midnight on Sun., Nov.r 2, 2008, officers responded to an incident at a Dupont bar, where a victim “stated his ex-boyfriend had assaulted him and fled toward Dupont Circle.” The suspect was stopped and arrested by an off-duty officer, while his ex “suffered a minor injury.”

* Brotherly shove. Later that morning, a “family disturbance” brought police to 4th & Irving Sts. NW. There, a man informed police that his boyfriend has been “assaulted by his brother, who was intoxicated. ” The brother fled, and the victim refused to cooperate—police say he did not “provide officers with enough information to complete a report.”

* Wake-up call. At 3:30 a.m. on Mon., Nov. 3, a Virginia resident called the GLLU for help “regarding an ex-boyfriend suffering from a drug addiction.” The resident “was referred to a local non-profit organization for counseling and support.”

When contacted, Mahl released a brief statement confirming that the incident occurred but declined to provide additional details.

“I’m a police officer assigned to the Third District substation,” he said. “I was the target of a hate bias incident. It was reported to MPD and they are conducting an investigation to the best that they know how.”

Police sources familiar with the incident said the graffiti referred to Mahl as a “fag” and made lewd references to sexual acts by Mahl and a female police sergeant who is also assigned to the Third District substation.

Spokesperson Traci Hughes said Police Chief Cathy Lanier called the act “cowardly,” “disrespectful,” and “reprehensible.”

It’s been over a month since Tony Randolph Hunter, a gay man, was assaulted near BeBar on the evening of Sept. 7. After a stay in the hospital, Hunter was pronounced dead on Sept. 17. A day after Hunter’s death, police announced that the crime was not being classified as a “hate crime.”

Now, D.C. police have secured a warrant for the arrest of a Robert Hannah (pictured) in connection with Hunter’s death. About an hour ago, MPD sent out an “urgent bulletin” announcing that Hannah, who is known as “Rob,” is wanted for “Voluntary Manslaughter in connection with the beating death of Tony Hunter.” Hannah is described as “a 18-year-old black male (DOB: 8/11/1990), 5′7″ in height, and 148 lbs.” Police released this “Wanted” flier, which citizens are directed to distribute. Download the flier here [PDF].

Those with information about the case are directed to contact Detective Jed Worrell at (202) 645-9618 or 202 486-1596 (cell); Detective Jackie Middleton at (202) 645-5501 or 202 497-4606 (cell); or the MPD Command Information Center at (202) 727-9099. Anonymous tips can be called in to 1-888-919-CRIME, or texted to 50411.

When Mary Gilkey filed her sexual harassment suit against D.C. Police Department photo lab head William “Bill” Gresham, the complaint included some common sexual harassment allegations—touchy-feeliness, money for sex, pornography in the office. It also contained some unexplained terms. Among the more provocative of the complaint’s claims was the following:

“Defendant Gresham introduced what he called a ‘peter meter’ to the office.”

No legal definition is provided for this so-called “peter meter”—the phrase is simply dropped in the complaint alongside clearer lawsuit jargon like “hostile work environment” and “physical and mental anguish.”

Surely, any good photography lab would have a densitometer to measure the reflective quality of a print or light meters to measure the proper exposure of photographs. But under what circumstances, exactly, would one introduce a “peter meter”? Gresham, who picked up the phone at the photo lab, referred the “peter meter” question to department spokesperson Traci Hughes; Hughes says she can’t comment on current cases.

The definition of “peter meter” lacks consensus: Sex shops, porn magnates, even Google all offer different definitions. Below, choose from The Sexist’s best guesses.

A) It’s a novelty item. A quick survey of online gag shops reveals one “Peter Meter” offering—a condom printed with a ruler that measures penis length. “How will you measure up with the rubber that’s a ruler?” asks the condom, which charts length from four inches (“teenie weenie”) to eight (“farm animal”). The condom is specified “for novelty use only.”

Still, it’s unlikely you’ll find any such Peter Meter in your local sex shop. “It’s not something that any of my customers has ever asked for,” says an employee at Dupont fetish outfitter the Leather Rack. Employees at both D.C. locations of sex shop the Pleasure Place also weren’t clued into the meter. “I would, taking a guess, say that it’s a ruler,” said an employee at the Dupont location, after noting she’d never before seen anything like it. “Google it,” advised a Georgetown rep.

B) It’s a person. Google it I did. Urban Dictionary defines a “peter meter” as “a woman who is very sexually promiscuous.” The Web site delves deeper into the etymology of the phrase, revealing that it “[o]riginates from the idea that said woman’s vagina is like a meter for ‘peters’ (penises).” The idea here is that a woman who had a lot of sex with men would be in the position to serve as a sort-of walking folk-measuring instrument.

C) It’s a machine that tests how aroused you are. According to pieces in L.A. Weekly and Denver Westword, “peter meter” is a not-uncommon nickname used for “phallometric assessment”—a controversial test used to determine what turns sex offenders on. In the technique, images connected with illegal sexual practices are displayed—coercive sex for rapists, for example, or child molestation—to determine whether the subject has a natural attraction to the acts. It’s unlikely a machine of this type would find its way into MPD headquarters, with or without images of female police department photogs.

D) It’s a personal rating system. When Google fell short, I “Boobled.” When I ran “Peter Meter” through the adult-specific search engine, I stumbled upon the name of porn enthusiast and former Screw magazine publisher Al Goldstein. Now 72 years old, Goldstein has fallen from his high-rolling days. The mag went bankrupt in 2003; Goldstein now contributes to a sex blog and is currently running for president. Goldstein claims to have introduced his own Peter Meter to the world with the magazine’s debut in 1968. Goldstein describes his Peter Meter as a “measuring tool for evaluation of porn films,” a meter which was “based on how many hard-ons it produced.” In 1972, oral-sex porn showcase Deep Throat registered a 100 percent on Goldstein’s Peter Meter. It’s conceivable that the photo lab environment alleged in Gilkey’s complaint could accommodate such a porn rating system—Gilkey’s complaint alleges Gresham displayed “pictures of nude women on beaches” and pornography “where one man had his arm up the other man’s ass.”

What, really, is the alleged peter meter? Find the answer after the jump.
Answer: “OK, a peter meter is some kind of a meter that measures the size of the penis,” explains Ted J. Williams, Gilkey’s attorney. “The allegation is that he bought it from a sex parlor in New York,” Williams adds. So did Gresham measure up? According to Williams, “He demonstrated the manner in which it would make the measurements, but he didn’t actually take his penis out and measure it up next to the ruler.”

Photo by Darrow Montgomery.

* On Sept. 27, Two men were nearly hit by a car when exiting a Logan Circle bar. When one of the men struck at the car with his hands, the driver exited the car and followed them on foot, yelling homophobic epithets at them, and finally heaving a brick in their direction (neither were hit). The suspect fled the scene but was arrested nearly a week later when spotted again by one of the victims.

* On Sept. 30, an underage boy reported being attacked by a group of five former schoolmates, also juvenile boys. The victim claimed the attack was motivated after one assailant heard that he and the victim “were rumored to be boyfriends.”

* On Oct. 3, two men were verbally harassed and physically assaulted while walking on the C&O Canal. Two men approached the victims, attacked them with homophobic epithets, and struck one of the men in the face with a glass bottle. Both suspects were arrested.

* On Oct. 4, a verbal argument between ex-girlfriends escalated into one of the women assaulting the other. The suspect was arrested.

* On Oct. 6, a 79-year-old man reported being robbed and sexually abused inside his home by two male acquaintances.  The Sex Assault Investigations Unit is investigating.

Full crime log after the jump.

* On Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 members of the Second District responded to an apartment in the 1500 block of 15th Street, N.W. for the call for an assault. Upon arrival on the scene, the two male victims advised officers they were walking from a local bar, which is located in the 1400 block of P Street, N.W. and crossing at 15th and P Street, N.W. As they crossed, a vehicle being operated by the suspect nearly struck them, causing one of the victims to strike the suspect’s vehicle with his hands. The suspect then exited his vehicle and followed the victims, while yelling homophobic epithets at them. The suspect picked up a brick and threw it in the direction of the victims, but did not strike either victim. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008, members of the Third District responded to the 1800 block of P Street, N.W. for a call from one of the victims, who had seen the suspect again. The suspect was located and arrested.

* On Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008 at approximately 10:15 p.m., members of the Sixth District responded to the area of the 5300 block of Clay Terrace, N.E. for the call for an assault. The male juvenile victim stated he was chased and attacked by a group of five black juvenile males, some of whom he recognized as former schoolmates. According to the victim, the attack was motivated by one of the attacker’s anger towards the victim after the two were rumored to be boyfriends.

* On Friday, Oct. 3, 2008, at approximately 3 a.m., two males were walking along the C&O Canal, near the 1100 block of 34th Street, N.W. The two victims were approached by two men and had a conversation, during which the suspects began to verbally attack the victims using homophobic epithets. At some point, one of the suspects struck one of the victims in the face with a glass bottle, causing minor injury. Members of the Second District responded and both suspects were located and arrested.

* On Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008 at approximately 5 p.m., Seventh District officers responded to a vehicle in the 2700 block of Harford Street, S.E. for the call for an assault. The investigation revealed the two women inside the vehicle were girlfriends for six months. The two began to argue and the suspect assaulted the victim. The suspect was arrested. Neither was seriously injured.

* On Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008 at approximately 11:30 p.m., members of the First District responded to an apartment in the 400 block of Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. for a dispute. Officers assisted the two residents, who have been life-partners for eight years, in resolving a dispute. Since no criminal allegations were made, the officers documented the incident and left the scene.

* On Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008, at approximately 6 a.m., Fifth District members responded to the call for an assault in the area of 10th Street and Michigan Avenue, N.E. Upon arrival, they located two males, who were both suffering from minor injuries. The investigation revealed the men were boyfriends for four months and had been engaged in a physical altercation after leaving a local club. Officers arrested the aggressor.

* On Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, in the early morning hours, a 79-year-old male contacted MPDC to report he had been the victim of a robbery and sexual abuse inside his residence in the 1200 block of 21st Street, N.W. According to the victim, he invited two male acquaintances into his apartment and subsequently was assaulted. The MPDC Sex Assault Investigations Unit is leading the investigation.

In the strangest allegation, the suit accuses photo boss Gresham of having “purchased panties with a MPD insignia and provided them to the females in his office.” In the most violent, the lawsuit alleges Gresham “hit [Gilkey] on the top of her head with a telephone receiver so hard she bled because [Gilkey] made a disapproving face and mouthed disapproving words when she witnessed Defendant Gresham lying to his wife while he spoke to her on the telephone.”

The suit accuses Gresham and the District of Columbia of “sex harassment,” creating a “hostile work environment,” “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and “retaliation.” The District of Columbia is also accused of “negligent training and supervision.” The suit alleges that “MPD knew about Defendant Gresham’s proclivities as a sexual predator, was informed of Defendant Gresham’s actions towards Plaintiff, and failed to take appropriate remedial actions against Defendant Gresham.” The complaint requests damages for “physical and emotional distress” and asks that Gresham be removed from his post.

Gresham picked up the phone at MPD’s photo lab yesterday. When asked about the case, Gresham said he hadn’t heard anything about the lawsuit. “I have no comment, and don’t know anything about [the allegations],” Gresham said.

Gilkey’s attorney, Ted J. Williams, previously represented MPD employee Tina Hall-Johnson in another sexual harassment case against Gresham and D.C., which the city settled in 2001. When asked about the new case against Gresham, Williams said, “I find it shocking that the Metropolitan Police Department would continue to employ this person, who clearly is a sexual predator and harasser and a wart, knowing what he had done to one employee. Also of concern is they were on notice of the actions of this man, and there is absolutely nothing that we’ve seen to show that they’ve taken any appropriate action.”

According to the complaint, Gresham’s alleged verbal harassment began shortly after Gilkey was hired on as an MPD lab technician in June of 1994. Gresham, Gilkey’s superior, is accused of commenting that Gilkey “had big full breasts” and “walked like she had good pussy.” Gilkey also alleges that Gresham told her “he would give her money if she would permit him to lick her pussy” and that “if he gave her his penis she would be wearing a mattress on her back.” According to the complaint, Gresham made many of these comments while he “licked his tongue” or “while touching his penis. Gresham is also accused of introducing a “peter meter” in the office, a term the complaint does not explain.

The complaint also accuses Gresham of several instances of physical harassment:

While in the dark room, Defendant Gresham would walk behind the Plaintiff and touch her body with his erect penis. Defendant Gresham on one occasion grabbed the Plaintiff’s breast and told the Plaintiff that if she informed anyone he would make it hard for her. Defendant Gresham repeatedly showed Plaintiff pornographic pictures and pictures of nude women on beaches. Plaintiff informed Defendant Gresham over and over that his actions were unwanted and asked him to stop.

While MPD was investigating Gresham in regards to the Hall-Johnson suit, the complaint reports that “Gresham was detailed out of the MPD Photo Lab for approximately one year.” Following the absence, however, the suit states that Gresham returned to work, “where he began his sexual harassment as if he had never left the photo lab.”

After reassuming his post, Gresham is accused of continuing his verbal and physical harassment of Gilkey between the years of 2000 and 2006, including exposing Gilkey’s breast, displaying pornography “where one man had his arm up the other man’s ass,” and constantly telling Gilkey “how good she looked and [that] he would do anything to fuck her.”

The suit claims that Gilkey reported the abuse to supervisors in 1998 and 2003, as well as during the course of the Hall-Johnson investigation. In both ’98 and ‘03, the suit alleges that supervisors “failed to act on Plaintiff’s complaint and did not either investigate Plaintiff’s complaint, refer Plaintiff to the MPD EEO office or restrain Mr. Gresham in any way.”

In response, the suit alleges, the harassment intensified. According to the complaint, Gresham:

created a situation by which Plaintiff’s co-workers would not speak to her or assist her so that she was forced to ask him for assistance. Defendant Gresham would then take advantage of [Gilkey] having to seek assistance from him and would touch her inappropriately or ask her for sex while complying with her request for assistance. He also encouraged Plaintiff’s co-workers to harass her with the ultimate goal of increasing control over Plaintiff and force Plaintiff to have sex with him.

When contacted yesterday, MPD spokesperson Traci Hughes said that the police department “cannot comment on matters that are currently in litigation.”

* 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.