MPD-2015-to-2018

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier ordered McFadden's closed following the stabbing. The bars liquor license was suspended by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, citing McFadden's "presents an imminent danger to the health and safety of the public."

According to ANC 2A chairperson Patrick Kennedy, the bar will permanently close and physical assets will be sold. Kennedy added the bar had intended to close at New Year's anyway.

Man Arrested After Bringing Replica Pistol to D.C. Police Station

Friday, Jan 9, 2015 •

An 18-year-old man was arrested for bringing a replica pistol to a D.C. police station, moments after carjacking someone in Northeast.

According to a news release from Metropolitan Police, D'Angelo Hamilton walked into the Fifth District Police station on Bladensburg Road NE around 10:30 p.m. Thursday when officers saw him attempt to remove a gun from his pants.

Two nearby officers quickly disarmed Hamilton, and found a black replica pistol on him.

Hamilton is facing carjacking, assault on a police officer and carrying a dangerous weapon charges.

Blue Lives Matter:' Demonstrators march to the US capitol in 'Sea of Blue' rally to support police.

*Hundreds marched to the U.S. capitol Saturday in a rally to support law enforcement at a time when tensions between the public and police nationwide are running high

*Demonstrators marched in the 'Sea of Blue' rally carrying signs that said 'Blue Lives Matter,' 'I support my man in blue,' 'Breathe Easy; Don't Break The Law,' and many others

*Speaker: 'Wake up, America. Our nation's police officers are the good guys'

By Charlene Adams for MailOnline

Hundreds marched to the U.S. capitol Saturday in a rally to support law enforcement at a time when tensions between the public and police nationwide are running high.

Demonstrators marched in the 'Sea of Blue' rally carrying signs that said 'Blue Lives Matter,' 'I support my man in blue,' 'Breathe Easy; Don't Break The Law,' and many others.

'I want our officers to know we care about them,' Kelly Wince, 52, one of the rally's organizers told the Washington Times. 'Our guys go out every single day and put their lives on the line. I don't know if my husband is coming home every night.'

Wince, one of the three organizers -- all married to local police officers --, said the rally is to unite the police and the community.

Andy Maybo, chairman of the National Memorial Committee of the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, spoke at the rally, calling it a 'blue family reunion.'

He stressed that the rally, a 'peaceful demonstration,' is not about Ferguson, but about supporting law enforcement as a whole.

Other 'Sea of Blue' rallies have been held in Cleveland and Las Vegas.

The rallies were held to counter the months of anti-police protests following a grand jury's decision not to indict a white officer who shot an unarmed black teen, the choke-hold death of an unarmed black man by a police officer, and most recently, the shooting of a black 12-year-old who had a toy gun.

Demonstrations across the country spanned months and some grew violent, Wince said the last straw for her was when a man ambushed and fatally shot two New York police officers, the Washington Post reports.

The rally included a moment of silence and opening ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Memorial, the march, and a benediction.

Craig Floyd, CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund, spoke at the start of the rally, according to BizPac.

'Wake up, America,' Floyd said. 'Our nation's police officers are the good guys.'

At the rally, demonstrators remembered fallen officers and offered a salute and 'thank you' to officers still alive, risking their lives each day, Fox Insider reports.

January 17th, 2015

Information provided by the MPD Police Union

When Brian Williams trained with the M.P.D.- C.D.U.

CAPTURED

March 31, 2015,

Armed prisoner who escaped Virginia hospital captured in D.C.

WASHINGTON -- An inmate in a hospital for treatment after a suicide attempt overpowered a guard, took her gun, escaped and carjacked two vehicles Tuesday, setting off a frenzied search that ended nine hours later with his capture in the nation's capital.

Assaye, 42, was charged earlier this month as the "Bicycle Bandit" - accused of robbing a dozen banks in northern Virginia and sometimes fleeing on two wheels.

Assaye had tried to kill himself in jail and was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital in northern Virginia on Friday, authorities said. He had been under the supervision of two contract guards.

Police say that about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Assaye overpowered a female guard when the other guard left to use the restroom. He took her gun and used her as a shield. He then fled down a stairwell, wearing only his hospital gown.

The other guard fired one shot in the encounter. No one was hit, and nobody at the hospital was injured.

Outside the hospital, Assaye fled on foot and hid in the trunk of a car. Police were unsure whether Assaye had left the hospital complex. They locked the hospital down and conducted a room-by-room search.

While Assaye hid in the trunk, the woman who owned the car entered it and began driving. Assaye kicked out the trunk and carjacked the startled woman, who suffered slight injuries, said Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler.

Assaye later abandoned that car and left the guard's weapon there, police said.

Witnesses reported seeing Assaye on foot in an Annandale neighborhood a few miles from the hospital - not far from the site of the carjacking. Assaye then carjacked a second vehicle, police said.

By 10 a.m., officers were searching Annandale neighborhoods with a helicopter overhead and heavily armed officers on the ground. In one neighborhood, Spence Limbocker said he heard the copter, went outside and saw a massive police presence, including officers armed with assault rifles searching homes and nearby woods.

"They told me to get back in the house and lock all my doors. ... It was a little scary," Limbocker said.

Police sent numerous updates and lookout advisories on social media for Assaye and the carjacked vehicles. Roessler said the arrest occurred in southeast Washington without incident after a citizen saw Assaye and alerted authorities.

At a press conference Tuesday after Assaye was back in custody, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia Bobby Mathieson said he plans a review of the policies and procedures in place for guarding inmates at the hospital.

Still, he said, "two people should be able to guard a prisoner securely."

He said that to his knowledge, Assaye was shackled at the time of the escape, as policies require. But Mathieson had no explanation for how Assaye would have overpowered a guard while shackled or how he may have shed his handcuffs.

The guards were with Allied Protective Services, a private firm.

Assaye was arrested March 20 and charged with a robbery at Apple Federal Credit Union in Alexandria. But the FBI believes Assaye, of Arlington, is responsible for a string of 12 bank robberies in northern Virginia over the last year and a half that netted him about $32,000.

Brooke Rupert, a public defender who was representing Assaye in the robbery case, declined to comment Tuesday morning.

Assaye had been booked into the Alexandria jail, which typically holds federal inmates charged in northern Virginia, on the federal charges March 21, Alexandria Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Amy Bertsch said in a statement. On Friday, he attempted suicide and was taken to the hospital just outside the Capital Beltway in Fairfax County for treatment, she said. Alexandria deputy sheriffs turned Assaye over to security officers contracted by the U.S. Marshals after the first 24 hours, she said.

It was not clear why Assaye had to remain in the hospital for four days. Mathieson said his only lasting injury after the suicide attempt was a broken nose.

Assaye made his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Alexandria. He was charged with escaping from the custody of the U.S. Attorney General. Assaye waived his detention hearing and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. He was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

WASHINGTON -Census Bureau shooting suspect shot by DC police after chase; officers injured, guard killed

The FBI says an armed kidnapping suspect who was shot by police after leading them on a chase Thursday night is the same suspect who shot and killed a security guard at the U.S. Census Bureau in Suitland, Md.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Mayor Muriel Bowser briefed the media after the suspect was taken into custody. They said the situation started with an armed kidnapping at about 5:30 p.m. in the area of 3rd and T Street NE. Police believe it was a domestic situation.

Then, around 6 p.m., the same suspect shot a security guard, identified as Lawrence Buckner, at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters. Police say that guard approached the suspect's car because it matched the description that had been sent out about the search for the kidnapping suspect. Buckner later died a hospital.

Police say the suspect shot the security guard, and then took off, eventually becoming involved in a wild chase with D.C. police officers in the 7th District, who swarmed the area. Lanier said it started when officers got behind the suspect's car and shots were fired from the vehicle. This continued to 11th and H St. NE. During shootouts between the suspect and officers, the suspect and one of the officers were both shot. Two other officers were hurt, possibly in the crash.

Sources tell FOX 5's Paul Wagner reported the wounded Metropolitan Police officer is a sergeant who may have been hit in the leg by a ricocheting bullet, but is said to be okay.

Lanier said the suspect was conscious and breathing, but witnesses at the scene said he looked like he was dead and may have been shot in the head. Lanier would not confirm information about where he was shot.

Police said the kidnapping victim had been found around the time the chase came to an end. There was no word on that person's identity or specific condition, only that the victim was said to be okay.

What was a very busy H Street NE was shut down as a result of this incident. When the situation started to unfold, the area was very busy, with many people on the street and packed in restaurants for dinner.

Meanwhile, employees at the U.S. Census Bureau were ordered to stay inside and stay away from the windows while officers and even snipers searched for the shooter, thinking he might still be on the campus. A spokesperson at Prince George's Hospital Center said the security guard died at 7:19 p.m. Thursday.

POLICE WEEK 2015 has come once more. The D.C. Metropolitan Police along with numerous other D.C. area police agencies, all with the F.O.P. have done it again. I have attended Police Week several times and I have seen the class act that the F.O.P. and National Police Officers Memorial folks have put together.

I would like to put out a huge THANK YOU to all agencies involved in making Police Week possible.

Washington police name suspect in quadruple murder, mansion fire.

Thursday, May 21, 2015 05:42AM

WASHINGTON --

Police in Washington, D.C. have named a suspect in a quadruple murder at a multimillion-dollar home.

The Metropolitan Police Department said officers are searching for Daron Wint, 34, after a court issued an arrest warrant charging him with "Murder One while Armed."

Police say the identified Wint by matching him to DNA found on the crust of a Domino's pizza, the Washington Post reports. The pizza was delivered to the house while the soon-to-be victims were being captive inside. A Domino's delivery driver told WTTG-TV that he delivered two pizzas to the home. He did not have contact with anyone, saying there was an envelope with money for the order left for him outside.

46-year-old Savvas Savopoulos and his 47-year-old wife, Amy -- along with their 10-year-old son Phillip and their longtime housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa were all killed. Police said three had been stabbed or bludgeoned before their home had been set on fire.

Text messages and voicemails from the Savopouloses to their confused and frightened household staff suggest something was amiss in the house many hours before the bodies were found. Their blue Porsche turned up in suburban Maryland. It too had been set on fire.

The Savopouloses lived in Woodley Park, where multimillion-dollar homes are protected by fences and elaborate security systems and local and federal law enforcement officers are a constant presence, in part because Vice President Joe Biden's official residence is nearby.

On the day of the fire, another one of the family's housekeepers, Nelitza Gutierrez, received a text message from Amy that read, in part, "I am making sure you do not come today."

Gutierrez called Amy immediately, but it went to voicemail. She texted Amy but didn't get a response.

Also that morning, Figueroa's husband, Bernardo Alfaro, went to the house and knocked on the door, but no one answered. While he was there, Alfaro told WJLA-TV that Savvas Savopoulos called his cellphone and told him that Amy had gone to the hospital and Figueroa had accompanied her.

"My feeling was that somebody was inside," Alfaro said. He continued trying to call his wife and got no answer.

Police have released grainy surveillance videos of a person they said they want to interview about the killings, but they have not identified the person or said where the footage was taken. It was not clear whether the person in the video was Wint, or a second individual.

The Savopouloses' relatives have made few public statements and have not returned phone calls.

The couple has two surviving teenage daughters who attend boarding schools in other states. Gutierrez said she has seen the daughters since the killings and that they were too distraught to speak.

Savvas Savopoulos was the CEO of American Iron Works, a construction-materials supplier based in Hyattsville, Maryland, that has been involved in major projects in downtown Washington. Company representatives have repeatedly declined to comment. Savopoulos moonlighted as a martial-arts instructor.

Gutierrez, who worked for the family for 20 years, said she feels guilty that she didn't check on the Savopouloses.

"This is a nightmare for me. I can't believe they are gone," she said. "I loved this family very deeply and the little boy and my friend Vera."

Neighbors, meanwhile, are anxious.

Michael Lerman, 83, an inventor and retired pilot who lives nearby, said he and his wife started turning on their security system when they go to bed at night. Previously, they had only activated it when they left the house.

"This is an area that could be a target for a lot of opportunistic people," he said. "This is a super-affluent enclave."

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Videos Show illegal dirt bike riders taunting DC Police 6.5.2015 (No video available)

WASHINGTON - Fox News

D.C. police are continuing their investigation into the death of local reporter Charnice Milton. New surveillance video released has investigators searching for 14 persons of interest riding on dirt bikes in connection with this case.

But how big of a problem are these dirt bikes in the District? City policy instructs police can't chase these bikes.

Two-wheel dirt bikes and four-wheel all-terrain vehicles are illegal to drive in D.C. But the law does not seem to matter for many who ride these vehicles in the city.

Videos posted on social media show they drive right down the middle of the street, on sidewalks and through tunnels.

Milton was changing buses at the corner of Good Hope Road in Southeast D.C. last week when she was shot and killed. The newly-released video shows a total of 14 persons of interest riding on seven different vehicles -- all of them illegal.

Residents are questioning the police department's policy that says officers can't drive after these illegal bikes.

“You can't pursue them, they know they can't be pursued, and so you have created a space where mayhem happens,” said D.C. resident Melik Abdul.

Sixth District police officers were able to catch one biker last week, but only because they did not have to use a car.

Police the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue in Northeast D.C. People were jumping out to get away from him, but they were able to arrest the biker because the officers were on mountain bikes.

Eric Dreher was charged with reckless driving, operating a prohibited non-traditional motor vehicle -- a Kawasaki dirt bike --and driving without a license.

But that is just one guy taken off the city's streets and sidewalks for these illegal bikes.

Dirt bike riders are all over Instagram with videos taunting cops, flying by police or deliberately going up to police on these illegal vehicles and recording it.

One video even shows a biker kicking a police cruiser.

After Milton's murder, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said she is going to come up with a new enforcement strategy.

“The idea that we're catering to something that is illegal … and to openly flaunt the law, the city needs to do something now,” said Abdul.

But for now, the rank and file police are frustrated as dirt bikers are getting a free ride on D.C. streets and sidewalks.

If you have any information about the 14 persons of interest, D.C. police are asking you to contact them at 202-727-9099. There is a $25,000 reward being offered in this case. saw a dirt bike going 25 to 30 mph on a sidewalk in

DC Officer's wife assaulted by ATV and dirt bike riders, knocked down and spit on

WASHINGTON - Fox News

A D.C. police officer's wife said she was assaulted by a pack of ATV and dirt bike riders early Sunday morning in Southeast D.C.

The woman said she was simply trying to get these illegal riders to slow down on her residential street near the Prince George's County line when they took offense to what she was doing.

It is a traumatic experience that left her badly shaken.

"We yelled at them to slow down and they came back and came into my yard and charged at us with the ATVs,” she said. “One of them knocked me over on the ground. I got up and he spat in my face and they tried to tear up my front lawn and then they left.”

We asked her if the group said anything to her.

“They called us some terrible names,” said the victim. “Other than that, not really."

The woman suffered cuts and scrapes to an arm and one of her legs.

The police were called, but no arrests have been made.

“Our kids were outside less ten minutes before that with us,” said the woman. “Our kids play on the street. This is a neighborhood. The playground is on that street.

“They come through like 30, 40 miles an hour in a group. Anybody could have been walking. There are elderly people. There is a woman in a wheelchair who lives down the street. Anybody could have been crossing the street. Their vehicle could have been coming.

“How many people have to die or get hurt before MPD does something to stop these people? Let the police do their job. Enough of the community policing -- put the law back in the police officer's hands.”

As the policy stands now, D.C. police officers are not allowed to chase these riders and therefore catching them is tricky.

When we talked to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier on Monday, she said she had not heard about the assault on the officer's wife, but said the department is not ignoring the problem.

"We have multiple strategies that we are working on,” said Chief Lanier. “We announced a bonus to bonus program for cash rewards for information on the ATV problem. I think we have recovered in the last 90 days 37 ATVs, so we have been recovering quite a few of them. So we are making progress, but still lots of challenges.”

Just last month, reporter Charnice Milton was shot to death by a man on a dirt bike and this is certainly not a new problem.

Ten years ago, FOX 5 reported extensively on the problem showing ATVs and dirt bikes racing up and down District streets. The police have been unable to stop them. And ten years later, it is clearly still a big problem.

The woman who was assaulted said all of the riders were very young -- teenagers -- and said she wants the chief to come up with some new ideas on how to get these riders off the street before they hurt or even kill someone else.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"All clear' at DC Navy Yard after early reports of gunfire"

A report of shots fired early Thursday at the same Washington Navy Yard where a gunman killed 12 people in 2013 prompted a massive police response and lockdown, but after an extensive search authorities issued an 'all clear' at the facility.

The facility where the shots were first reported was largely emptied Thursday as civilian and military law enforcement officers swept through, an official said.

The building initially in question was the same one where a gunman killed a dozen workers in a rampage two years ago, according to a second source -- a federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to publicly discuss details.

JJULY 2nd: Law enforcement respond to report of active shooter at Washington, D.C., Navy Yard. (MyFoxDC.com)

There was a swift and heavy police response that began blocks away from the sprawling facility, which is about a half mile from the U.S. Capitol. Reports of the shooting occurred after news that the FBI was establishing command centers around the country to monitor any potential terrorist threats around the July 4 weekend.

"I am not aware of any specific threats," Navy Capt. Chuck Nash (Ret.) told Fox News.

In September 2013, military contractor Aaron Alexis killed 12 civilian workers at the Navy Yard's Building 197 before he was shot and killed by police. Some lawmakers have said Alexis fell through the cracks at the VA and should have been treated by mental health professionals, but they have stopped short of specifying what government doctors should have done differently.

The Navy Yard, in southeast Washington, is the country's oldest naval installation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

I have been occupied lately with a new child who turns 2 in June. I have not kept up to date but will try starting for 2017. If you look at the MPD Inaugurals you will see photos from the event. I will try to keep up with 2017.

2017

Mayor names Peter Newsham as District’s Police Chief

Peter J. Newsham is announced as new police chief in Washington on Feb. 23. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) By Peter Hermann and Ann E. Marimow

Longtime law enforcement veteran Peter Newsham was named the District’s permanent Police Chief Thursday, signaling an intent by the mayor to maintain continuity amid a steady drop in crime and satisfaction over the direction of the department.

The 52-year-old Newsham, who served as interim chief after Cathy L. Lanier departed in September, faces significant challenges as he takes the helm of police force with nearly 3,800 officers and one of the highest profiles in the country. The department is working to maintain relationships it has painstakingly built in neighborhoods where trust does not come easily and to rebuild a frontline crime-fighting force depleted by a recent wave of retirements. Newsham, whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the D.C. Council, has been on the force for nearly 28 years. He worked as an assistant chief under the two previous police chiefs — Lanier and Charles H. Ramsey — whose combined 18 years of leadership transformed a department plagued by allegations of excessive force and a city with a homicide rate nearly three times higher than it is today.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) praised Newsham’s “commitment to transparency” and his “availability to his officers and members of the public.” She added that “during uncertain times, Washingtonians know the D.C. police department is here.” The mayor’s staff culled more than 100 applicants before settling on a final dozen, then narrowing it to four who each met several times with Bowser.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), who has supported Newsham, said, “I don’t think he’ll have difficulties” getting confirmed.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which advises police agencies on best practices, said Newsham has been on the force “in the bad days and in the good days” and has a deep knowledge of the department.

He noted that Ramsey picked Newsham to oversee a department overhaul after concerns surfaced in the late 1990s over the high number of deadly shootings by officers. Newsham also was instrumental in helping Lanier reduce homicides when she named him chief of investigations. “I’m sensing the mayor did not want dramatic change,” Wexler said. “The message she is sending is she wants to continue in the direction they’re going.”

Newsham takes over at a time when violent crime has generally been on the decline, although a 2015 spike in murders caused concern. Robberies also have been a persistent problem.

“One violent crime is one crime too many, especially when it happens in your neighborhood,” Newsham said after Bowser made his appointment official. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), chairman of the council’s public safety committee, said he plans to hold three hearings before a committee vote and then a vote by the full council. “I have a lot of respect for Chief Newsham,” he said. “I hold him in high regard.”

But Newsham, whose annual salary will be $253,817 over the course of a five-year contract, could face some challenging questions. He has been criticized for mass arrests of demonstrators in Pershing Park in 2002 that sparked multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the city. Some also question arrests of protesters at last month’s presidential inauguration, alleging violations of civil rights.

Under his leadership, Newsham said, the department would work to maintain a trusting relationship with the community and stand for “unbiased, fair and constitutional policing. Everyone will know it. Not because we say it, but because we do it.” Newsham grew up in Massachusetts, attended North Adams State College (now Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) and earned a degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. While serving with the D.C. police, he earned a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2000, and he is entitled to practice in Maryland and in the District.

He and his wife live in Southeast Washington, and he has two children in their early to mid-20s from a previous marriage. He described himself as an “unapologetic New England sports fan,” which he joked at the news conference “was easy because it was so difficult to be a Redskins fan.” After a chorus of boos from city staffers and community members, Newsham quickly saved face, saying he would make the Redskins his “NFC” team. The New England Patriots are in the rival AFC.

2 Officers Shot in Northeast DC, Suspect Shot and Killed

Two police officers have been shot in Northeast D.C. Thursday night, police say.

Both officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Police Chief Peter Newsham at a press conference close to midnight.

One officer was in surgery late Thursday; the other was being treated in the hospital, police sources told News4.

The suspect has been shot and killed, sources said.

The shooting happened about 10:40 p.m. in the 1400 block of Morse Street NE, police said.

Officers also responded to the 1200 block of Holbrooke Street NE. D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed one person was taken to the hospital from that block.

Both officers were conscious and breathing at that time, police said.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Acting D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham are responding to the scene, Segraves said.

News4's Shomari Stone is at the scene.

Source: 2 Officers Shot in Northeast DC, Suspect Shot and Killed: Police | NBC4 Washington http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Two-Officers-Shot-in-Northeast-DC-414679313.html#ixzz4ZZoIJMaa

Fires, bricks mark daylong assault on inaugural festivities

Denver Post

By JESSICA GRESKO, MICHAEL BIESECKER and JACK GILLUM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Protesters set fires and hurled bricks in a daylong assault on the city hosting Donald Trump’s inauguration, registering their rage against the new president in a series of clashes that led to more than 200 arrests. Police used pepper spray and stun grenades to prevent the chaos from spilling into Trump’s formal procession and evening balls.

Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, “Resist Trump Climate Justice Now,” ”Let Freedom Ring” and “Free Palestine.”

But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald’s as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters to help contain the violence, which erupted periodically throughout the day.

“They began to destroy property, throw objects at people, through windows. A large percentage of this small group was armed with crowbars and hammers,” said the city’s interim police chief, Peter Newsham.

Six officers suffered minor injuries, he said.

The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were “bringing in the cavalry.”

When some crossed police lines, taunting, “Put the pigs in the ground,” police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.

Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.

Later, they set fire to a limousine on the perimeter of the secured zone, sending black smoke billowing into the sky during Trump’s procession.

As night fell, protesters set a bonfire blocks from the White House and frightened well-dressed Trump supporters as they ventured to the new president’s inaugural balls. Police briefly ordered ball goers to remain inside their hotel as they worked to contain advancing protesters.

Police said they charged 217 people with rioting, said Newsham, noting that the group caused “significant damage” along a number of blocks.

Before Inauguration Day, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren’t going to put a damper on his day.

“They’re just here to stir up trouble,” said the 36-year-old public school teacher. “It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again, it’s one of the things I love about this country.”

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the DisruptJ20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his “misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous” supporters that they won’t be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump’s praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump “Putin’s Puppet” and “Kremlin employee of the month.”

Friday’s protests spread across the nation and as far abroad as Australia.

In Sydney, thousands rallied in the city’s central Hyde Park. One organizer said hatred, bigotry and racism are not only America’s problems.

In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted “Love trumps hate.” In the city’s financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.

In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.

In Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.

In the Pacific Northwest, demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, burned U.S. flags and students at Portland State University walked out of classes. Police in Portland used incendiary devices and tear gas to disperse a crowd that at one point numbered in the thousands. About 200 protesters gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia, Washington, carrying signs that included the messages “Resist Trump” and “Not My Problem.” Olympia police reported about 100 marchers causing some traffic disruptions downtown, and protesters also marched in Seattle.

The demonstrations won’t end when Trump takes up residence in the White House.

A massive Women’s March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia’s homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

Associated Press writers contributing to this report were: Steve Peoples, Alan Suderman, Matthew Barakat, Alanna Durkin Richer, Luis Alonso Lugo, Tami Abdollah, Chad Day and Brian Witte in Washington; Kate Brumback in Atlanta; Jonathan Mattise and Erik Schelzig in Nashville; Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco; and Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon.

___

Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jessicagresko

10 D.C. Police Officers heading to Puerto Rico to assist with hurricane recovery efforts

Fox 5 News 9.27.2017

WASHINGTON - Ten D.C. Officers will travel to Puerto Rico to assist police on the island, which was heavily damaged from Hurricane Maria last week.

The officers will depart for San Juan on Wednesday for a three-day deployment where they will work with Puerto Rico State Police as residents continue to deal with lack of power along with destroyed homes and roads.

Eight of the District officers heading to the Caribbean island are former Puerto Rico State Police officers who joined the Metropolitan Police Department 15 years ago.

We are grateful for the support and dedication of every MPD Officer. And we are immensely proud of the officers who are volunteering their off-duty time for the San Juan mission," said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. "Here in D.C., we stand ready to work with our federal and state counterparts to help families in Puerto Rico recover and rebuild."

"We have the opportunity to show the spirit with which MPD officers carry out their work on a day-to-day basis in the District," said D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. "I am incredibly proud of these officers and their joint commitment to this deployment."

Raul Mendez Jr was kind enough to send me a brief narrative on what his trip to Puerto Rico representing the D.C.Metropolitan Police. Below is his narrative on their trip.

Chief Newsham addresses his officers upon the return from assisting in Puerto Rico after the storm which demolished much of the Island.

Great event at MPDC's 6th District today (10.25.2017) to honor D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Jerome Lucas. The dedication of 6D roll call room was complete and 6D now has a "MPO Lucas Roll Call Room" .

The M.P.D.C. and the pride of their City Hockey Team

The 2018 Stanley Cup Champions

THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS !