Funny thing about bringing guns across a State/District line-it’s a felony. 

Already suspended by the NBA, and the subject of an attempted disappearing act by the Wizards, Gilbert Arenas has been charged with felony gun possession-carrying a pistol w/o a license. 

The really bad news is that this almost certainly ends Arenas’ year of playing, and probably ends his time as a Wizard.   One has to imagine that once the Wizards get new management and the lawyers get a good look at this they’ll find good cause to tear up what remains the absolute worst $111 million dollar contract ever signed. 

Thankfully, the good news (although still speculation) is that although this charge can get you 5 in the nick, but the charges are being filed in an “information”-which likely means that a plea deal is being worked out.  Personally, I believe Gilbert that the bringing of the guns (and even the waving them in the face of teammates) was without malicious intent and likely in jest-which of course doesn’t excuse the law, but hopefully mitigates the situation enough that he won’t go to jail.

Frankly-this isn’t a huge surprise.  There hasn’t been any effort by Arenas to hide the fact that he did have the guns and so the hammer was going to fall.  If he hadn’t acted like a complete dope the past two weeks, it might have dropped lighter and quieter-heck, he might even still be playing.  Alas, we are well beyond that point.

Any shocking fallout will be updated here.  On another note, enough of these negative, tumultuous sports teams in DC!  I’m going to look into a few Caps posts.

It’s tough enough being the President of the United States, but President Barack Obama has been facing recent battles that have ranged from his fashion choices at baseball games to his status as an American citizen. The latest firestorm deals with his reaction to the Henry Louis Gates arrest in my home state of Massachusetts. While some people are taking sides on whether it was right or wrong for him to say that the Cambridge officiers acted stupidly,” others are having fun that he offered both sides to talk it out over beer.

The latest twist in the Gates story (can we call it Gates-gate?) started with a recent comment from Glenn Beck on Fox and Friends:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ndc2LX2u98[/youtube]

Glenn Beck’s accusation of Barack Obama being a racist quickly made a splash and the Morning Joe crew had a lot to say on it this morning.

After hearing Glenn Beck and the reaction I asked myself the question, why would Glenn Beck say such a thing? Does he really think Obama is a racist?

The answer for me is probably not…as much.

You have to realize that Beck is a media pundit one who’s profile has risen in the punditry world. He has a daily Television show, a radio show, books, magazines, and a blog. His growing media outlets would certainly impress Martha Stewart (Glenn Beck should just rename his site to Beck Omnimedia.) All he needs is a towel line and a recipe for tuna casserole.

Beck’s commodity are his opinions and thoughts, which he is certainly entitled to have, and he’s never been to trade with it.

What is he trading for? A little attention? Does this mean he’s just spouting shock and awe to boost his ratings? To an extent yes but not entirely so.

Remember this is the same man who’s also hinted that Obama is a communist, so this isn’t the first time he’s slammed Obama. Beck is a man with many bullhorns and only has so much to feed into each of them. I think Beck does think what he says but he knows he has to go over the top with it because in the world of punditry: the bigger the opinion the better.

What do you think- is Glenn Beck really serious when he accuses Obama of being a racist?

The 4th of July holiday started on a disturbing note Friday when I heard from fellow Metblogs author Amy that there was a shooting at the Apple Store down the street from me. Luckily the victim will be ok but Arlington County Police needs your help.

Arlington County released video of the incident and is looking for anyone that recognizes the suspect.

Anyone who has information about this shooting or the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703 228-4242. Witnesses can also call Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IPbphLaHWI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yprijsXmeUo[/youtube]

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Today James W. von Brunn will be charged for the murder of Stephen T. Johns, a 39 year old security guard that he shot when we walked into the Holocaust Memorial Museum with a rifle and opened fire. Johns was critically wounded before two other guards returned fire on the 88 year old von Brunn, a known White supremacist. Both men were transported to George Washington University Hospital Center where Johns later died. von Brunn remains at GW Hospital in critical condition. von Brunn made his views known on the website holywesternempire.org, which has since been taken down. However I visited the latest snapshot of the site on the Internet Archive and I was disgusted. This man is clearly full of the hate and ignorance that the Holocaust Memorial is fighting as pointed out in today’s Washington Post editorial. I fully agree- the Holocaust Memorial is a a place for us to remember and experience a dark time in our history, so that future generations will not forget what took place and hopefully will learn and grow to become a better society.

Everybody here at Metblogs would like to send our condolences and thoughts out to the family of Stephen T. Johns and I know I speak for everyone when I say what happened yesterday was tragic. Johns gave his life in order to protect the thousands of others in that building that walked away frightened but unharmed. The Museum is closed today in honor of Johns but I cannot wait for it to re-open so it can continue it’s mission and show that in the face of adversity the Museum will continue to serve it’s mission as a place of memorial but also education.

Before I end with some quick thoughts I encourage everyone to read Franco Beans short but thoughtful take on the events…

On the Death Penalty…

One of the first reactions I got was a question from my co-worker (who’s from Massachusetts), “does Washington DC have the death penalty?”

I know where he was going with that, I checked and DC doesn’t have it. I don’t know if I want to start thinking about whether or not he deserves to die- maybe things will sort themselves out before I have to think about such a complicated subject.

On More Irony…

Others have already pointed out the irony that a reading of Anne & Emmett, a play about a fictional conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, was scheduled to happen at the museum. Tonight happens to be the closing night of the Washington Jewish Music Festival. A time of cultural celebration stands to end on a somber note.

On Police Jurisdiction…

Clinton Yates made a comment on Twitter on the number of law enforcement agencies involved in the ordeal. Wackenhut provides security for the Holocaust Museum while DC Police & Park Police responded to the incident. FBI also sent a unit in to aid in the investigation. So who’s in charge? The fight for jurisdiction sounds like a plotline from 24 or a scene from any police flick.

On the Uber Coverage…

Wonkette made a comment that the Washington Post’s coverage of the shooting made it the most exciting thing to happen, “since the midnight launch of Windows 95.” True WP is all over this story with live blogs and Twitter almost blew up (I got the fail whale during lunch) but that’s the kind of coverage we should expect now in the age of instant publishing/access to information. I will applaud The Post’s speedy reporting on the shooter’s neighbors impression of him. The post had a story up two hours after the incident showing that ol’ fashion reporting can still be done rather quickly.

Okay, quick caveat before I get into this: Can we get some of the Scripps kids to go down to Nationals Park and teach them how to spell?” Seriously-if some of these kids don’t have jobs by the end of the week teaching the college educated marketing people that mess this stuff up I will pul owt mah hare. Srsly.

Oh, and a refresher on where to find the letter “W” wouldn’t be a bad tip either.

Back to the story though, watch this: Note: Link and Video are same-in case one doesn’t show up.

Also-Thanks to Metblogs reader “RowdyYates” for the vid link!

Yesterday this story about a drug dealer who got busted in Florida broke. He mentioned both the Nationals and Capitals (but not the Redskins) as teams he had sold drugs too.  Or, more accurately-he had sold them to Nationals and Capitals players.  After he said this he promptly shut up and said nothing else.

This is like a stranger coming up to you and saying “uh yeah, your mom has been cheating on your father” and then walking away.  It’s shocking, provoking and, ultimately, not worth the attention it will demand from you.  The Capitals have already denied the allegations, and frankly if the Nationals are on ‘roids it would be a sad, sad thing indeed-none of which is the point.

The point is that a person with a lot of incentive to lie (no better way to string along your prosecution and set yourself up for a deal down the road then to implicate sports teams in drug use) and is not a particularly trustworthy source (ahem, drug dealer) has kinda/sorta probably made up a story.  Or, at least that’s how I’ll view it until something more comes along.

The trend with athletes seems to be going through team doctors or close family sources-not just some guy in Florida.  Further-these might be members of the farm teams of either club, or people long since traded away (this guy has been at it at least ten years now) and not regular starters we have come to know and love (and loathe).

That said-if someone on these teams needs to take the fall, I hope it’s the Nationals bullpen.  It might be the best way to get them off the team.  For now though, my diagnosis is a bunch of baloney (or bologna) and to limit your intake as much as possible.

When I read that the Chief of Metro Police was going to dismantle DC’s hostage negotiation unit I thought two things:

1. The Negotiator was a really good movie. Samuel L. Jackson was a bad-ass. Kevin Spacey wasn’t that bad either.
2. This sounds like a plot twist in any police/crime thriller:

INT. CHIEF LANIER'S OFFICE

UNIT LEADER
You called for me chief?

CHIEF LANIER
Yes, please come in. And close the door.

UNIT LEADER
(after closing door)
What's up?

CHIEF LANIER
I got some bad news, I have to shut down your unit. Budget cuts.

UNIT LEADER
(without losing his cool)
Well I think that's the wrong move Chief, we're out there 
saving lives every day! Remember that time that 
stand-off by The White House-  that would of been a 
mess if it wasn't for us...

CHIEF LANIER
I know. I know. But the Mayor's been on me and 
I gotta produce some results, and right now frankly 
you are more of a risk to the department- 
you guys are cowboys out there-

UNIT LEADER
(a little more heated)
Hey Chief you don't know what it's like 
to be out there in the heat of the battle,
my group of men are the best group of talkers 
out there and we get the job done-

CHIEF LANIER
But at what cost? Frankly you and I know that you 
don't exactly play by the rules- remember how you
negotiated that situation last week?  We were lucky to
bring that man back in one piece...

UNIT LEADER
Hey he was asking for it! Just give us one more chance...

CHIEF LANIER
Your chances are up. It's back to patrolling streets for you.

UNIT LEADER
I was born for this! I wasn't made for walking streets. I am a talker!
This is a big mistake, if you are taking me off the unit then
I don't want any part of this department!

CHIEF LANIER
What- are you quitting? Are you are quitter now?

UNIT LEADER
No I'm not a quitter, it is you who quit on the unit.

CHIEF LANIER
That's it, get out of my face- and leave your badge and gun.
I'm sick of your antics!

UNIT LEADER
{slams his badge on the desk)
I'd be glad too- good luck Chief.

SCENE

Now I'm not the best screenwriter and that's probably nothing close to
what is happening at all but I can imagine...

"McGruff!" courtesy of Flickr user crashmaster007

Is DC crime so bad that even The Crime Dog becomes a victim? I was on Gmail and fellow DC Blogger and loosely related associated Meggie Poo had a link to a hilarious story in The Post. Apparently a Metrobus driver walked up to Crime Dog McGruff and punched him in the face. Unfortunately for the driver it wasn’t any old person in the costume but a DC Police officer. The driver fled scene on his Metrobus but was quickly pulled over and caught. When caught the driver explained that he assulted the mascot, “to be funny.”

I’m not going to lie, if I saw a video of someone punch The Crime Dog I’d probably laugh. However it was Metrobus driver , on the job,who pulled over his bus then saw the dog and decided to punch him. I really wouldn’t think about doing something that stupid if I was in uniform on the job. Would you? I have to say chalk this one up to another stupid crime. I also have to laugh at the fact that he punched an officer, not some average Joe,  and will proabbly face stiffer charges. So remember if you decided to punch a mascot- he could be a cop.

Even though the it may have been traumatic to be one of those kids who saw the Crime Dog a victim of a crime in front of you, at least the Dog showed that crime doesn’t pay.

"Police at the United for Peace rally and march on Washington, DC" by Flickr user jcolman

Back in 2005, Congress allocated $17.5 million to cover the District’s security costs for the second Inauguration of George W. Bush. 300,000 people attended those festivities. Fast forward to 2009, January 20th to be exact, and D.C. could potentially face beyond 4 million guests for Inauguration. The only catch is that this time Congress has only allotted $15 million for security.

On an average day, residents and tourists in DC have to worry about the risks of living in a large city with high crime rates; only last night an 18 year old was stabbed in the chest with an ice pick at a Green Line Metro Station of all places and a 14 year old was stabbed as a possible result of MS-13 gang activity.

In the chaos that 4 million people will create by packing on to the National Mall, moving throughout the city, and taking the Metro will cause, security will have to be a priority for a litany of reasons. Simple personal safety, the safety of government officials, and national security only scratch the surface of the policing fiasco that sheer volume of people will usher into Washington.

There are many things that need to be cut back financially, but Inaugural security is not one of them, and Congress should know that.

I’ve written before about crime around DC and now it appears that there will be a new way of getting the latest alerts and information on your cell phone. Head on over to 72hours.dc.gov and you can sign up to receive text messages and e-mails informing you of breaking news crime alerts in The District.

Other nearby towns and counties have similar alert systems that inform users about traffic and weather but the “D.C. Police Alert” will also include summaries of recent crimes and suspects. Beats reading Police Log in the paper.

I read an article on this new technology in the Washington Post and I have to say that I’m rather impressed with the level of communication the Police are taking with the community. I think it’s a step in the right direction as they work on making the District a safer place. What really caught my eye is that this system was done not through a lawmaker’s bill or internal recommendation- but through Georgetown business owner Ed Solomon who was a victim of a robbery and decided to push the town into distributing information faster. Solomon’s efforts is a real example of what one person can do to contribute to the greater good.

What else does DC need to do to address the crime problem? Technologies like D.C. Police Alert will certainly be helpful but what other steps need to be taken to make our home a safer place?

In regards to the title of this post- Gotham City was the first thing I thought of when I thought of a place with a lot of crime. Thanks to Domino’s Pizza for characterizing the city as such in those Dark Knight commercials.

Ok so any who Fritz Hahn over at the Washington Post just wrote about the rising crime in the popular night time destination. Reading the post made me connect the dots on a lot of stories I’ve heard in the local news. Fellow bloggers are also taking notice.

Hahn makes a really good point that I wanted to emphasize- it appears that a lot of the incidents are happening not on the heavily traveled 18th and Columbia streets- but the shady side streets that surround the area. It only makes sense, unless you are Pacman Jones, there probably won’t be anything happening around bouncers, secruity, and crowds of drunken people. Now I meant robberies when I write this- I’m sure lots of things are happening around drunk people, especially in Adams Morgan.

Adams Morgan has never been known for its saftey record- but I’m not saying stay away from the place as we all begin the long Columbus Day weekend. I’m just saying use your head and common sense and be safe if you do decided to walk down 18th street this weekend.