In a hearing Tuesday, the Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which White had chaired, splitting it into two subcommittees to be overseen by other councilmembers. This now leaves White without a committee chairmanship.

White, the Ward 8 councilmember, still will be allowed to vote on legislation and other Council matters.

The council voted unanimously with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on the vote.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the D.C. Council has met since White was arrested and charged with taking a bribe to steer government contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The D.C. Council has hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of White, which will cost D.C. taxpayers $400,000, an official told News4.

DC Council Sep 12

DC Council member Trayon White pleads not guilty to federal bribery charge

News4 I-Team Aug 29

Internal DC review halts violence interruption contract renewals after Trayon White arrest

However, White’s colleagues on the Council voted to close their discussion of the investigation to the public. News4’s Mark Segraves was one of the reporters forced to leave the meeting.

By law, Council meetings are open to the public, but just a few minutes after starting, the members voted to close the meeting to the public while they discussed their investigation into their colleague.

“We have to close the doors to the public because we’re discussing a sensitive personnel matter and an ongoing investigation,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said. “As experienced as you are, Mark, you know that it’s important to preserve the integrity of an investigation, and as it’s just beginning, there’s certain things that we have to discuss that are not yet for public domain, and we intend fully to be transparent.”

McDuffie is heading the ad hoc committee that will decide what discipline, if any, to recommend the Council impose on White, including the possibility of removing him from office.

“We have to do what’s in the best interest of the public while holding our colleague accountable,” McDuffie said. “That is exactly what I intend to do, conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

McDuffie told reporters the Council has engaged a private law firm to conduct the investigation.

When asked about the cost of the law firm’s fee, McDuffie responded: “I can tell you it’s $400,000.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has said the independent investigation will look into both the bribery charge and also whether White actually lives in Ward 8, as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living, according to prosecutors.

White did not show up in person for Tuesday’s Council hearing but did participate in the Council’s breakfast meeting and hearing virtually.

The council voted unanimously to reorganize White’s committee, with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on that vote.

Mendelson says the findings of the independent investigation will determine whether the D.C. Council votes to remove White from the Council entirely. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

The young tan and white dog, described as a “pit bull-type,” strayed from her home near Eli Place Southeast on Wednesday, Sept. 11. When Louisa showed up at home two days later, her owners saw she was shot between the eyes, the Humane Rescue Alliance said.

An X-ray at an emergency veterinary hospital revealed that a bullet was lodged in Louisa’s neck. Humane law enforcement officers then met with the family and took the dog to another emergency hospital to do more advanced testing and determine the scope of her injuries, the HRA said.

Veterinarians believe the bullet entered between her eyes, grazed her tongue, traveled through her throat and then ended up in her neck. More imaging revealed Louisa had multiple facial fractures and the dog’s throat was swollen, making it difficult for her to breathe.

The veterinarians were able to remove the bullet without doing surgery and they treated the abcess in her throat, the HRA said.

“It is miraculous that this dog was able to survive a gunshot wound to the face without suffering a more serious injury,” said Chris Schindler, senior vice president of Animal Welfare, Field Response and Rescue at the Humane Rescue Alliance. “We are determined to find out who is responsible for this act of alleged animal cruelty, and we need the community’s help.”

The HRA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Officers are looking for anyone who may have heard gunshots, saw Louisa or noticed anything unusual in the area of 3300 block of Eli Place SE from Wednesday, Sept. 11 to Friday, Sept. 13. Anyone with information can call 202-723-5730, option 3.

Veterinarians are monitoring Louisa, and she’s expected to make a full recovery. HRA said she’ll be reunited with her family soon.

The National Zoo is in the midst of a campaign to raise $25 million for its giant panda program, with the goal of funding it through 2035. The funds will go toward panda research and to “innovate new techniques” for keeping pandas healthy and conserving the species and its habitats in the wild, the zoo said.

On Tuesday, the zoo announced that Rubenstein, billionaire co-founder and co-chair of the Carlyle Group, pledged $10 million to that campaign.

Rubenstein — whose name may be familiar to National Zoo visitors who see it emblazoned above the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat — has now donated a total of $22 million to support the zoo’s giant panda program.

“David Rubenstein’s long-term support has transformed our giant panda program and, in turn, the future of this magnificent species and its native habitat,” Brandie Smith, zoo director, said in a press release about the donation. “David understands the work to save giant pandas is larger than one person, one organization or one nation. We are deeply appreciative of his commitment to preserving biodiversity.”

The new donation comes as the National Zoo prepares for a new pair of pandas to make their home in D.C.

The zoo hasn’t announced a specific date for the pandas’ arrival, but has said that they will be here before the end of the year. The buzz is growing as new billboards and a specially dedicated webpage pop up around the District.

The new pandas, male Bao Li and female Qing Bao, will live in D.C. for at least 10 years after their arrival, according to a 10-year cooperative giant panda research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Both are 3 years old.

If you’ve been in D.C. for awhile, you might recognize the name of Bao Li’s mother: Bao Bao, who was born at the National Zoo in 2013. She moved to China after she was grown, and gave birth to Bao Li there.

National Zoo May 29

Pandas to return to DC's National Zoo

National Zoo May 29

Chinese ambassador reveals details on new pandas headed to DC

San Diego Zoo Jul 9

San Diego Zoo shares 1st look at pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in their new habitat

Millions of people can’t vote every year because they don’t register in time, update their registration or know how to register, according to the National Voter Registration Day website.

In just a few minutes, you can register to vote or make sure your registration is up to date with your current name, address and party affiliation.

With just seven weeks to go before the 2024 election, here’s how to make sure you’re ready to vote.

Find information for your state below. You can also use National Voter Registration Day’s online tool.

When is the 2024 election?

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

Washington D.C. voter registration deadline

The deadline to register or update your registration online is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Check your registration status here.

Register or update your registration online here.

Same-day registration is also available during early voting and on Election Day. Make sure you bring proof of residence, such as a utility bill, lease, pay stub, bank statement or government-issued photo ID.

Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 28 through Sunday, Nov. 3.

Maryland voter registration deadline

The deadline to register or update your registration online is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Check your registration status here.

Register or update your registration online here.

Same-day registration is also available during early voting and on Election Day. Make sure you bring proof of residence, such as a utility bill, paycheck, bank statement or government-issued photo ID.

Early voting runs from Thursday, Oct. 24 to Thursday, Oct. 31.

Virginia voter registration deadline

The deadline to register or update your registration online is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Check your registration status here.

Register or update your registration online here.

Same-day registration is also available during early voting and on Election Day. If you register during early voting or on Election Day, you will vote using a provisional ballot. Bring an acceptable form of ID. If you don’t bring an acceptable ID, you can instead sign an ID Confirmation Statement.

Same-day registration is a somewhat new option for Virginia voters; the General Assembly approved same-day registration ahead of the 2022 election.

Early voting runs from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2.

West Virginia voter registration deadline

The deadline to register or update your registration is Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Check your registration status here.

Register or update your registration online here.

Make sure to meet the deadline; same-day voter registration is not available, according to Rock the Vote.

Early voting in-person runs from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2, 2024.

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Ward 8 Council member White pleaded not guilty last week to taking a bribe to help steer government contracts.

Now, the D.C. Council will vote on reorganizing the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs – splitting it into two subcommittees overseen by other council members, leaving White without a committee chairmanship.

“That will be before the Council tomorrow as a resolution, and I’m not expecting that there will be, I don’t see much debate about that,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said. “I think the Council members are supportive.”

Mendelson said the Council will hire an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the bribery charge and whether White actually lives in Ward 8 as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living according to prosecutors.

Mendelson said those findings will determine whether the Council votes to remove him or not. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

DC Council Sep 12

DC Council member Trayon White pleads not guilty to federal bribery charge

DC Council Sep 6

DC Council member Trayon White indicted on federal bribery charge

News4 I-Team Aug 29

Internal DC review halts violence interruption contract renewals after Trayon White arrest

White also will remain on the general election ballot in November.

On Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would not be endorsing any candidate in the Ward 8 race.

Tuesday morning will be the first D.C. Council meeting since White was arrested. It’s unknown if White will attend or vote on the fate of his committee chairmanship.

Here’s what federal prosecutors say Trayon White did

Federal prosecutors say White agreed starting in June to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees to extend violence intervention contracts worth $5.2 million.

He’s accused of accepting envelopes full of cash as he was caught on a hidden camera. Here’s how the FBI broke down the payments:

• June 26: $15,000 cash received
• July 17: $5,000 cash received
• July 25: $10,000 cash received
• Aug. 9: $5,000 cash received

Images included in court documents show what prosecutors say is White receiving envelopes stuffed with cash.

An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of an agreement to plead guilty to bribery and bank fraud charges. Several conversations between White and the informant were recorded in a parked car wired for video and audio, including outside White’s home, prosecutors say.

At one meeting, White and the informant discussed contracts the informant had with ONSE. The informant asked White if the contracts would be renewed and said he had $15,000 cash.

Initially, White asked, “What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.”

Then he tucked the envelope with the cash into his jacket pocket, prosecutors say.

White is due back in court in mid November for a status hearing. A trial isn’t expected to begin until sometime next year.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Justin Robinson, 26, worked as a violence interrupter in the District.

Police say he was sitting unresponsive in a car with a gun outside the McDonald’s on Marion Barry Avenue SE prior to the shooting. His death sparked protests in the District after police’s body-worn camera video was released.

Robinson’s family members, along with their legal team stood, in front of the DOJ building in downtown D.C. on Monday, calling on the department to open a civil investigation into the deadly police shooting.

“When Justin’s life was taken away, so many opportunities were taken away. So many hearts are broken,” his sister, Tralicia Robinson, said.

Body-camera video released by D.C. police shows officers approach Robinson’s car on Sept. 1. They had their guns drawn, and one of the officers was carrying a ballistic shield.

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Sep 10

Family calls for justice after DC man is shot by police

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Sep 3

DC violence interrupter shot and killed by police in Southeast

Then, it appears that Robinson started to wake up. Police say Robinson had a gun in his lap and reached for one of the officers’ guns. One officer fired 10 times; another officer fired once.

Lawyers for the family argue that more should have been done by police to try to de-escalate the situation.

“If this was a young man with blonde hair and a much lighter skin hue in a McDonald’s drive-through in Georgetown, with a Georgetown hoodie on and a Prius with Virginia license plates, they would have mediated,” family attorney Jade E. Mathis said. “They would have mediated.”

Holding back tears, Robinson’s mother, Alicia, spoke about how she wants him to be remembered. She says he was passionate about his work in trying to make D.C. safer.

“He had the most beautiful smile. He would light up a room,” Alicia Robinson said. “If you were having a bad day, he would come and make you feel better.”

D.C. police tell News4 the incident is being reviewed the U.S. Attorney’s Office and is being investigated by their internal affairs division. Police say they have no comment on calls for the DOJ to investigate.

In a statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is aware of the circumstances surrounding the tragic shooting of Justin Robinson. If evidence reveals potential violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take appropriate action.”

News4 reached out to the Department of Justice for comment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office sent us back a statement in which they said the DOJ would take appropriate action if evidence revealed potential violations of federal criminal statutes.

We’re counting down to full-on fall!

The equinox this Sunday marks the official beginning of autumn (although meteorologists count Sept. 1 as the first day of fall. Here’s why.).

D.C.’s biggest neighborhood street fair, H Street Festival, returns on Saturday. This season, every weekend will be packed with fests celebrating music, art, food, culture and more. Here’s a look at festivals happening through November, but keep reading for the highlights for autumn equinox weekend.

What to do in Washington, D.C.

NoMa in Color: Sept. 12-23

NMWA Nights: Weds., 5:30 to 8 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $22-$25

Cheeseburger in Paradise Walking Tour (vote for your favorite slider): Weds., 6-9 p.m.,  Chevy Chase Main Street, $30

Race the District: Thurs. to Sat., Union Market, free

A Night at the Museum: Celebrating 57 years of Anacostia Community Museum: Thurs., 7-10 p.m., 1901 Fort Place SE, free but registration required 

Live! At The Library of Congress: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Latino Poets Spotlight: Thurs., 5-8 p.m, free but special ticket required

Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever: Thurs., 7 p.m., Capital One Arena, $45+

PARK(ing) Day: Fri., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., free

NC Society BBQ & Bluegrass Festival: Fri., Sept. 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hill Center DC in Southeast, $15 for children under 12, $55 for non-members, $35 for members, $70 at the door

Garden Party de la Rentrée: Fri., 7-10 p.m., Embassy of France in Northwest D.C., $105-$795

Ana Gabriel: “Un Deseo Mas” Tour: Fri., 8 p.m., Capital One Arena

H Street Festival: Sat., H Street Northeast, free entry

Homecoming at President Lincoln’s Cottage: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 140 Rock Creek Church Rd NW, free

National Dance Day: Sat., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free

BLOMPPST Festival: Sat., noon to 9 p.m., RHIZOME in Takoma, $15-35

HFStival: Sat., Nationals Park, $150-$250

The World’s Largest Pickle Party: Sat., Baltimore, $24.99+

Try Guys: Eat The Menu Tour: Sat., 7:30 p.m., Warner Theatre, $40+

Jelly Roll: Beautifully Broken Tour: Sat., 7 p.m., Capital One Arena

Hirshhorn Ball: Sat., 6:30-11 p.m., Hirshhorn Museum, $250+

REACH @ 5 Block Party!: Sat., 8:15 p.m. to 11 p.m., The Kennedy Center REACH, free

Don’t Tell Comedy: Sat., various venues, $25

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers (preseason): Sun., 3 p.m., Capital One Arena

What to do in Maryland

Fall Twilight Concert Series: Weds., 6-7 p.m., Brookside Gardens, free

• FYI: David Bach Consort (World Contemporary/Jazz)

Montgomery County Parks Ale Trail: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lake Needwood in Rockville, free to join

Annapolis Baygrass Festival: Sept. 21-22, Sandy Point State Park

Festival del Rio Anacostia: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bladensburg Waterfront Park, free

Celebrate Africa: Sun., 1-6 p.m., Fairwood Park in Bowie, free

Craig Walsh’s Monuments: Through Oct. 6, Strathmore in North Bethesda, pay what you wish

• FYI: The exhibit is a series of large-scale projections outdoors. Catch live music and lectures on Mondays. Food and drink will be available on Fridays and Saturdays.

Things to Do DC Sep 10

Can't-miss festivals this fall in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Things to Do DC Sep 10

1st Look: New DC arcade puts you in the driver's seat of a Formula One race car

What to do in Virginia

Budweiser Clydesdales at Frying Pan Farm Park: Tues., 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Herndon, free

Fall Movies On The Plaza: “Barbie”:  Weds., 8 p.m., Westpost at National Landing, free

Crossroads Music Festival: Fri. and Sat., downtown Leesburg, Virginia, $10-$120

Fields of Fear at Cox Farms: Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, Centreville, Virginia, $30-$40

Taste of Thai Festival: Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center, free

Claude Moore Park Fall Fest: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Claude Moore Park in Sterling, free

Pueblo Unido Day: Sat., 1-6 p.m., Sterling Community Center, free

Alexandria Historic Homes Tour: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $45+

Taste of Annandale: Sat., 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Eileen Garnett Civic Space, free entry

Middleburg Oktoberfest: Sat., Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., S. Madison and Federal streets, free entry

Coming up soon

National Mall of Pickleball 2024: September 27-29, 2024

Smithsonian Craft2Wear show: Sept. 28-29, National Building Museum, $20

Nats Summer Concert Series: Lady A (and Pups in the Park): Fri., Sept. 27, game starts at 6:45 p.m., Nationals Park, $16+

Oktoberfest at The Wharf: Sat., Oct. 5, Southwest Waterfront, free entry

DC Coffee Festival: Oct. 5-6, Dock 5 at Union Market in Northeast, $24+

Gold Over America Tour with Simone Biles and Team USA gymnasts: Tues., Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, $71.95+

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave. NW about 4:35 a.m.

Officers found a male victim with a gunshot wound. He died at the scene, police said. The victim’s name has not been released.

Homicide investigators were called to the scene, which is near the Cathedral of St. Matthew and in sight of the Human Rights Campaign offices.

Police said they were looking for three people who drove off in a white vehicle while wearing black clothing and ski masks.

Much of the block, which is often busy during rush hour, was closed off by yellow police tape on Monday morning. Officers were seen taking photos of a car, and several evidence markers were placed on the road.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

After an emotional three-day hearing in federal court, a judge sentenced Officer Terrence Sutton to 5 1/2 years in prison for the 2020 death of Karon Hylton-Brown. Sutton was convicted in 2022 of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice.

Sutton was the first D.C. officer to be convicted of murder in the line of duty.

Lt. Andrew Zabavsky was sentenced to four years after his 2022 conviction for conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice.

The officers will appeal and were allowed to go home on Thursday. U.S. Marshals had them escorted out through a back entrance, out of fear for their safety.

Sutton’s attorney criticized the sentence.

“This is the most unjust prosecution and sentence that I have ever experienced, and I have always respected this judge. But I’m deeply disappointed,” Candace Hernandez said.

The mother of Hylton-Brown’s child, Amaala Jones-Bey, said she was happy the judge had “an unbiased opinion through the whole trial.”

A moped ride ended in a deadly crash

Sutton started pursuing Karon Hylton-Brown, who was riding a moped on the sidewalk in the Brightwood Park area of Northwest D.C. on Oct. 23, 2020. Sutton chased Hylton-Brown for several minutes, until the moped rider exited an alley and was hit by an oncoming driver.

Hylton-Brown suffered severe head trauma and died in a hospital two days later. He was the father of an infant.

His death sparked protests, including outside the Fourth District police station.

The U.S. Attorney for D.C. says Sutton and Zabavsky failed to preserve the crash scene for investigators and turned off their body cameras.

“As Mr. Hylton-Brown lay unconscious in the street in a pool of his own blood, Sutton and Zabavsky agreed to cover up what Sutton had done to prevent any further investigation of the incident,” the office said in a statement.

Karon Hylton-Brown Dec 21, 2022

DC Police Officers Found Guilty in Karon Hylton-Brown's Death

Karon Hylton-Brown Oct 26, 2021

Mother of Karon Hylton-Brown Reflects on Indictment of Officers in Her Son's Death

Northwest DC Dec 7, 2023

Mother of man killed in DC police chase not guilty of assaulting US marshal in court

At the police station, the officers denied that a chase occurred, falsely implied that Hylton-Brown was drunk and downplayed his injuries, prosecutors said.

The judge said that with the sentences, he wanted to send a message about the officers’ behavior and the cover-up that followed.

In court, Sutton said he was sorry for the loss of Hylton-Brown. Zabavsky directly addressed the victim’s family and apologized. He went on to speak about his need to care for his mother, who he said has dementia.

The officers’ appeals are expected to be filed in the coming days. An attorney for the mother of Hylton-Brown’s child said he will file a civil suit against the Metropolitan Police Department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

White, who represents Ward 8, entered the plea during his second appearance in federal court since he was arrested on Aug. 18.

He’s accused of agreeing to accept $156,000 in exchange for using his position to pressure employees of the D.C. Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to extend several contracts, prosecutors said. White is the chair of a D.C. Council committee that oversees several agencies, including DYRS.

Prosecutors said Thursday they offered White a plea deal, but he rejected it.

He was surrounded by dozens of supporters who crowded into the courtroom for the hearing. White and his attorney did not answer any questions as they left the courthouse.

White received $35,000 in four cash payments in the alleged scheme, court documents say.

Thursday is the deadline for White to remove his name from the general election ballot, but it’s unclear if he plans to do so.

Following White’s arrest, the D.C. government launched a wide-ranging review of violence interruption work.

Read the full indictment against White here:

Here’s what federal prosecutors say Trayon White did

Federal prosecutors say White agreed starting in June to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees to extend violence intervention contracts worth $5.2 million.

He’s accused of accepting envelopes full of cash as he was caught on a hidden camera. Here’s how the FBI broke down the payments:

• June 26: $15,000 cash received
• July 17: $5,000 cash received
• July 25: $10,000 cash received
• Aug. 9: $5,000 cash received

Images included in court documents show what prosecutors say is White receiving envelopes stuffed with cash.

DC Council Aug 21

How Trayon White's arrest may shake up the Ward 8 election

DC Council Aug 19

Secret cameras, $35K in cash: DC Council member Trayon White accused of bribery

An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of an agreement to plead guilty to bribery and bank fraud charges. Several conversations between White and the informant were recorded in a parked car wired for video and audio, including outside White’s home, prosecutors say.

At one meeting, White and the informant discussed contracts the informant had with ONSE. The informant asked White if the contracts would be renewed and said he had $15,000 cash.

Initially, White asked, “What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.”

Then he tucked the envelope with the cash into his jacket pocket, prosecutors say.

White is due back in court in mid November for a status hearing. A trial isn’t expected to begin until sometime next year.

The Council will consider sanctions for White when they return from summer recess next week.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Officers found the teens suffering from gunshot wounds just before 10 a.m. in the 3900 block of 8th Street SE in the Washington Highlands area, police said. The KIPP DC Legacy College Preparatory school and a recreation center are in the same block.

The teens, believed to be 16 and 17 years old, were conscious and breathing when they were taken to local hospitals, police said. They’re expected to survive.

Police said the teens ran to the KIPP school, where they’re students, for help. The shooting happened on 8th Street and not at the school, according to police.

Parents and guardians who got word there was a shooting near the school rushed to pick up their children.

“That’s a feeling you can’t, you can’t describe, cause he — man, if something happened to my baby, I don’t know what I’d do,” Yvette Bennaugh said after picking her grandson up from the school.

Dozens of officers were around the school soon after the shooting, and investigators could be seen sifting through bushes for clues and laying out evidence markers.

A woman who lives near the school says she was sitting on her walker, then got down on the floor to make sure she stayed safe.

“I saw the kids running over there to the school,” she said.

Police are looking for a black SUV with California tags in connection to the shooting. D.C. police said their Real Time Crime Center identified photos of the suspect vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

In a hearing Tuesday, the Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which White had chaired, splitting it into two subcommittees to be overseen by other councilmembers. This now leaves White without a committee chairmanship.

White, the Ward 8 councilmember, still will be allowed to vote on legislation and other Council matters.

The council voted unanimously with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on the vote.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the D.C. Council has met since White was arrested and charged with taking a bribe to steer government contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The D.C. Council has hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of White, which will cost D.C. taxpayers $400,000, an official told News4.

DC Council Sep 12

DC Council member Trayon White pleads not guilty to federal bribery charge

News4 I-Team Aug 29

Internal DC review halts violence interruption contract renewals after Trayon White arrest

However, White’s colleagues on the Council voted to close their discussion of the investigation to the public. News4’s Mark Segraves was one of the reporters forced to leave the meeting.

By law, Council meetings are open to the public, but just a few minutes after starting, the members voted to close the meeting to the public while they discussed their investigation into their colleague.

“We have to close the doors to the public because we’re discussing a sensitive personnel matter and an ongoing investigation,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said. “As experienced as you are, Mark, you know that it’s important to preserve the integrity of an investigation, and as it’s just beginning, there’s certain things that we have to discuss that are not yet for public domain, and we intend fully to be transparent.”

McDuffie is heading the ad hoc committee that will decide what discipline, if any, to recommend the Council impose on White, including the possibility of removing him from office.

“We have to do what’s in the best interest of the public while holding our colleague accountable,” McDuffie said. “That is exactly what I intend to do, conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

McDuffie told reporters the Council has engaged a private law firm to conduct the investigation.

When asked about the cost of the law firm’s fee, McDuffie responded: “I can tell you it’s $400,000.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has said the independent investigation will look into both the bribery charge and also whether White actually lives in Ward 8, as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living, according to prosecutors.

White did not show up in person for Tuesday’s Council hearing but did participate in the Council’s breakfast meeting and hearing virtually.

The council voted unanimously to reorganize White’s committee, with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on that vote.

Mendelson says the findings of the independent investigation will determine whether the D.C. Council votes to remove White from the Council entirely. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

David died in August after a gun he was trying to recover from a storm drain went off. He was 52.

David is set to receive full line-of-duty death honors in his procession.

It’s expected to go from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., taking the Beltway inbound to Route 50 and passing the police’s Violent Crime Suppression Division on New York Avenue. Then, it’s set to turn right onto Bladensburg Road to Fort Lincoln Cemetery. Drivers should expect extra traffic during the procession.

‘This wasn’t just a job’: Officer David remembered fondly

Since 2007, David worked as a crime scene search officer, recovering illegal guns across the city.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said he took hundreds of weapons off the streets and called him a good man that many people looked up to.

Bowser and D.C. police chief Pamela Smith are scheduled to speak at David’s funeral at Ebenezer AME Church in Fort Washington, before the procession.

At David’s church, National Community Church in Southeast D.C., he was remembered as a man with a big heart and a big smile who loved to give back.

As a member of the congregation, he also provided security for the church.

“Very easy to talk to, very easy to engage and a non-threatening presence, in spite of the badge, in spite of having all the regalia,” Pastor Ernest Clover said.

“Officer David was the epitome of community policing,” a fellow officer wrote on Facebook. “He regularly worked overtime at the Metro stations and would challenge high school students with trivia before they could pass, just to make sure they were keeping up with their studies.”

Metro recently honored David for helping disarm a woman who was threatening officers with a knife at the Fort Totten station.

“For him this wasn’t just a job,” Executive Assistant Chief of Police Jeffrey Carroll said. “Every day he went out, he engaged the kids that were out there, trying to put them on the right path. Talking to people, making sure they were doing the right things.”

The man accused of dumping the gun that killed David turned himself into police custody. He was charged with carrying a pistol without a license.

There were character witnesses for the defendants and victim impact statements in court Wednesday.

This all began in October 2020, when Officer Terence Sutton started pursuing 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown.

Hylton-Brown was on a moped, crashed into a vehicle and died.

Sutton was convicted of second-degree murder in 2022. Sutton and his supervising officer, Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, were both convicted of obstruction of justice.

Karon Hylton-Brown Dec 21, 2022

DC Police Officers Found Guilty in Karon Hylton-Brown's Death

Karon Hylton-Brown Oct 26, 2021

Mother of Karon Hylton-Brown Reflects on Indictment of Officers in Her Son's Death

Northwest DC Dec 7, 2023

Mother of man killed in DC police chase not guilty of assaulting US marshal in court

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They are set to be sentenced Thursday. The judge said will not hand down the lengthy prison sentences prosecutors are pushing for.

Surveillance video and police body camera video on Oct. 23, 2020, showed the 3-1/2-minute chase up and down a neighborhood street. The chase ended when Hylton-Brown ran into an oncoming vehicle and was killed. His death sparked a protest that turned violent outside the Fourth District police station.

Sutton is the first D.C. officer convicted of murder in the line of duty.

From street fests galore to trivia nights, here’s how you can honor Hispanic Heritage Month in and around the District.

Hispanic Heritage Month events

Family Day: Hispanic Heritage Month

📅 Saturday, Sept. 14, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
📍 Great Hall, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

If you’re a fan of words in two languages, the Library of Congress has a chance for you to make your own book inspired by cartoneras, books with hand-painted covers made from recycled cardboard. The tradition started in Argentina, but has since spread across Latin America. Got questions? The library’s Hispanic Division staff experts will be there too.

Latinas in Aviation Global Festival

📅 Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
📍 College Park Aviation Museum, College Park, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

This College Park event is likely to stun, starting with a fly-in at 10 a.m. that’s followed with air demos, a bilingual story time, community art, food and giveaways. The day ends with performances by Sol y Rumba Band and Sol y Mariachi.

Hispanic Festival

📅 Sunday, Sept. 15, 12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
📍 Lane Manor Splash Park, Hyattsville, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

If you’re in full county fair mode this fall, but you want to add a little Latino flair, the Hispanic Festival in Prince George’s County might just do the trick. Play some carnival games, check out foods from different Latin cultures, enjoy music and other live entertainment and then browse for some artisan wares. Parking and entrance to the fest are both free.

Live! At the Library: Latino Poets Spotlight

📅 Thursday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
📍 Hispanic Reading Room, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera will join fellow poets Ruth Behar and Maria Kelson to read from their works and discuss Latino poetry. Poet Dan Vera is the moderator for the discussion. If you like what you hear — or you’ve read it already and came in as a fan — there will be a book signing after the panel.

Festival del Rio Anacostia

📅 Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
📍 Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Bladensburg, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the outdoors at this festival put on by Prince George’s County for the 9th year in a row. The party will include crafts, food, live animals, free boat rides and fishing demos, so it’s a great chance to get out of the city and touch some grass (or water).

Trivia Night: Con Mucho Mucho Amor

📅 Tuesday, Sept. 24, 5-6:45 p.m.
📍 Kogod Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
💲 Free, with snacks and drinks available for purchase
🔗 Details

The National Portrait Gallery is teaming up with New Columbia Pub Quiz to host a happy hour trivia night focused on Latin culture.

Test your knowledge of Latin American art, history and culture in the U.S., individually or as part of a team of up to six people. The questions are inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection, so if you don’t have Walter Mercado’s psychic abilities, a stroll through the museum could help you out.

The event is free, but the Portrait Gallery recommends registering ahead of time.

Festival Latinoamericano

📅 Friday, Sept. 17, 5-9 p.m.
📍 Arlington Mill Community Center, Arlington, VA
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Arlington County is hosting a community festival to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, complete with live music, artistic presentations, games, and of course delicious food.

Fotos y Recuerdos: Hispanic Heritage Month Festival

📅 Saturday, Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
📍 Kogod Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

The National Portrait Gallery promises a family-friendly “day of art, dancing, museum tours, story times, book signings and more” at this party co-hosted by Lil’ Libros. The bilinqual book, game and toy company will highlight Latino trailblazers with their books and portraits from the Portrait Gallery.

The best part? It’s free, and there’s no registration required.

Fiesta DC

📅 Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
📍 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
💲 Free, with food, drink and art available for purchase
🔗 Details

Self-billed as “the nation’s largest Latino festival,” this parade and street fest will include food, art, live performances and dancing. The big headline event is Sunday’s “Parade of the Nations,” giving all the different Latino communities of D.C. the chance to showcase their culture in the District.

Artists in Conversation: Latin Social Dance Workshop with Ballet Hispánico

📅 Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
📍 Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax, VA
💲 Free, but registration is required
🔗 Details

The City of Fairfax and George Mason University are teaming up to bring a new dance company to Virginia. Ballet Hispánico, a dance company designed to uplift and unite different Hispanic cultures, will host an interactive dance workshop to teach visitors how to salsa, merengue, cha cha and more.

The event is free to the public, but you have to register ahead of time.

Fiesta Fairfax

📅 Saturday, Oct. 5, 2 – 7 p.m.
📍 Old Town Square, Fairfax, VA
💲 Free
🔗 Details

This community Hispanic Heritage Month celebration brings cultural performances, music, food and educational exhibits to the City of Fairfax. You can watch folklorico performances on the Old Town Square stage, then learn how to salsa and practice with a live band. Plus, you can learn about city nonprofits that work the Latino community.

All Month Long

Cuba Libre

📍 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC
🔗 Details

This popular Cuban restaurant in downtown D.C. has a couple of Hispanic Heritage Month specials all month long: The Cuban Pork Feast for Two comes with two free desserts, while the Guava BBQ Ribs are only $28.

The restaurant also hosts a DJ dance party every Friday and Saturday night. If you’ve always wanted to try merengue, salsa or bachata, or you just enjoy a good reggaeton hit, Cuba Libre Nights are a great opportunity no matter the time of year.

¡Presente!

📍 National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
🔗Details

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino is still in progress, so it will be a few years yet before it gets its own building. But the entity already exists, and is showcasing Latino history and culture in the National Museum of American History.

The ¡Presente! gallery is a semi-permanent exhibit in the Molino Family Latino Gallery, first set up in 2022. Visitors can learn about the history of Latinos in the U.S., read the wide variety of immigration stories, and learn how Hispanic and Latino culture has changed over time in the U.S.

D.C. police say he was unconscious in a car that had crashed into the McDonald’s on Marion Barry Avenue SE.

Police just released the body camera footage Monday night.

For several minutes, officers can be seen trying to figure out what to do. D.C. police said Robinson was unresponsive in his car with a gun in his lap.

The video shows officers moving their cars to block him in, with one officer giving instructions to the others. They approach the car with guns drawn, one officer carrying a shield.

That’s when it appears Robinson starts to wake up.

“I don’t think there was any effort to de-escalate the situation,” said Brandon Burrell, the attorney for Robinson’s family.

He says the officer shouldn’t have put a gun through the window and believes that Robinson was only trying to move the gun out of his face.

“I think that would be a natural inclination for anyone who’s woken up out of their sleep, surrounded by multiple officers, firearms pointed at you,” Burrell said.

One former police officer says he believes Robinson was trying to take the gun but that the officers could have taken steps to avoid the situation.

“From my vantage point, the officers were justified in using force, but then the question on the back end will be, did they need to get that close from the onset of it?” said TJ Smith, a former Anne Arundel County police commander.

Smith says the officers could have approached it as a barricade and brought in negotiators to talk to Robinson.

“If you startle them with a weapon out, it’s tunnel vision kicking in where they’re not even looking at you as a police officer; they’re perceiving you as a threat,” he said.

Robinson worked as a violence interrupter in D.C. His family’s attorney says they believe the city is liable for his death.

“He definitely meant a lot to his family,” Burrell said. “They’re distraught about what happened. They’re preparing to bury their family member.”

Both officers who fired their guns are on routine paid administrative leave.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is now reviewing the matter to determine if charges should be filed.

The internal affairs division of D.C police will also conduct an investigation after the U.S. Attorney’s Office reports its findings.

The Robinson family’s attorney says they’d like to see what the autopsy report says, but they’ve been told it won’t be ready until December.

The new F1 Arcade in Northeast D.C. features more than 80 full-motion simulators ready to start their engines. The simulators move and react to make it feel like you’re driving a race car, while the virtual race courses include rumble strips, landscapes and fans in the stands.  

The goal is to bring the glitz, glamor, speed and adrenaline of Formula One racing into an arcade, F1 Arcade’s U.S. CEO Jon Gardner said.

It’s “the only place in the world you can experience that as of now,” Gardner said. “No skills whatsoever required.”

The F1 Arcade is great for fans, but you don’t need to know anything about car racing to have a great time, Gardner said. In fact, you don’t even need a license. Anyone age 7 and up is allowed to play (but the arcade is 21+ after 7 p.m.).

Players can team up with friends or go head-to-head and choose from five difficulty levels. The arcade also offers food and beverages.

F1 Arcade opens in October, but it’s currently accepting reservations. F1 Arcade also has a location in Boston.

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Since the I-Team started looking into the issue, the recent deaths of two D.C. men were listed as homicides.

Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto chairs the D.C. Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, which includes monitoring the conditions and safety of those sentenced to the city’s jail and federal prisons.

“Serving time for committing an offense is never meant to be a death sentence here in the District of Columbia. That is not acceptable,” Pinto said in an interview with the News4 I-Team.

For the past year, the News4 I-Team has investigated the deaths of three D.C. inmates serving time in federal prisons — some thousands of miles away.

One man’s family told the I-Team they plan to file suit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) after they say he died from medical neglect while behind bars at a prison in Pennsylvania. Two other inmates housed at the same prison in California were both discovered unresponsive in the prison’s special housing unit (SHU), their deaths ruled homicides.

News4 I-Team Apr 3

Death behind bars: DC family searching for answers after son's death in federal prison

News4 I-Team May 28

DC family questions whether medical neglect led to son's death behind bars

“I think it is an outrage,” Pinto said. “I think it is unjust. And it’s really important that District residents are serving sentences at least closer to home.”

BOP guidelines require inmates to be sent to prisons within 500 miles of their residence whenever possible. The News4 I-Team has found that hundreds of the District’s inmates are held up to thousands of miles away.

“When we look at recidivism rates of people coming back and recommitting a crime, one of the most key markers that we know that can tamp that down is relationships maintained with your family, with your community,” Pinto said. “So, when you serve a sentence, you can come back and reenter society more smoothly.”

Brenda Smith, a professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, said being far away also leaves D.C.’s inmates especially vulnerable within the system.

“They’re going to a place where nobody knows them,” Smith said. “Nobody has heard about them. And all they’ve heard is about, you know, this, this D.C. population that’s coming to them that is entitled, that is violent.”

Pinto agreed.

“Folks are supposed to be serving within 500 miles of the District of Columbia. I think that is even too far,” she said.

Pinto said she will be focused this fall on working with D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton to ensure inmates are being monitored.

“To make sure that District residents, regardless of where they are sent, are treated humanely and fairly as anybody,” Pinto said.

The I-Team reached out to the BOP for any responses to the deaths. A spokesperson said due to safety, security and privacy reasons, it couldn’t comment on the deaths or on any investigations involving inmates.  

In the middle of all of this are families who tell the I-Team they’re still waiting for death certificates, autopsy reports, causes of death or any news on what led to their loved ones’ deaths.

Reported by News4 investigative reporter Tracee Wilkins, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Jeff Piper.

Announcing the measures, Pinto said, “We have to have a 911 call center that is filled with transparency, with accuracy and with speed. D.C. residents and visitors deserve that.”

Officially named D.C.’s Office of Unified Communications, the center says it is one of the nation’s busiest, answering nearly 1.8 million emergency calls a year. By D.C.’s own admission, the system’s had 18 outages this year – 8 of them widespread – almost all since the end of May.

During an outage in July, a 5-month-old baby died as call logs now show confusion over which units to send. It is not clear a faster response could have saved the child’s life. OUC Director Heather McGaffin said last month that no single person on her team was to blame.

Now McGaffin will be pushed to do more to fix the worrying system and tell D.C. residents about progress and problems.

Pinto, chair of the council’s Judiciary Committee, is pledging to hold monthly oversight hearings to figure out what needs fixing at the 911 center starting this month. She said she will conduct unannounced visits to the center every other week.

“Solutions aren’t always built into a new law or a new idea,” Pinto said Monday. “It also requires daily follow-up and oversight to make sure that the agency is, as you say, holding up their end of the bargain, following the law.”

News4 I-Team Aug 20

DC 911 center depends on overtime, risking errors and doubling some salaries

Washington DC Aug 19

The severity of DC's 911 outages is coming into focus — and it appears there's no quick fix

Washington DC Aug 15

DC police open criminal probe in 911 system outage to determine whether it was an intentional act

Additionally, Pinto is proposing a D.C. law that would force OUC to publicly release after-action reports within 45 days of possible 911 failures which resulted in serious injury or death. The reports would include detailed dispatch logs, transcripts of 911 calls and their recordings. D.C.’s 911 leadership has not released those recordings in the past, citing caller privacy issues.

The after-action reports would be run by D.C.’s Homeland Security & Emergency Management Agency with OUC, D.C. police and D.C. Fire and EMS contributing. This would allow OUC to be part of their own review.

Asked about an outside agency conducting the reviews, Pinto told News4 the involvement of D.C. police and D.C. fire would encourage transparency.

“This isn’t about a blame game. This is about an earnest look into what went wrong so that we can have improvements,” she said.

Questions to OUC and the mayor’s staff about the proposal were not answered Monday afternoon.

In a statement, an OUC spokesperson instead told News4, “OUC is committed to transparency about how we critically evaluate performance to understand root causes, integrate best practices and quickly implement changes in order to continuously improve 911 service for the District of Columbia.”

This is the latest but the not the first time the D.C. Council has tried to force accountability on the 911 center. The council already passed a law mandating the release of times showing how long it actually takes a call to be dispatched. OUC hasn’t complied with that part of the law, instead posting other data. Pinto said she was told it will happen by Oct. 1. OUC did not comment when asked about that by the I-Team.

In recent weeks, the News4 I-Team has reported on the outages, police investigation and longstanding staffing troubles.

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DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s team unveiled a 22-point plan to fix OUC’s problems. Most prominently, it included upgraded technology to cut down on outages. But not much of it will happen overnight. For instance, D.C. leaders said the technology fix to replace outdated servers could take months.

The council is not currently in session but returns later this month.

Mark your calendars for these festivals and special events in the D.C. area. We’ll keep updating this list as we find more great stuff to do!

Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to see what’s coming up every weekend (it’s free!). Every Wednesday, we share pro tips for the best events, highlight free things to do and spotlight people who make the D.C.-area great.

What to do in September

Cox Farms Fall Festival
Select days from Sept. 15 to Nov. 5, Centreville, $10-$25

How much fall fun can Cox Farm pack in? Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple picking, petting zoos and a hayride are just the beginning!

The Great Frederick Fair
Sept. 13-21, Frederick, Maryland, $8 in advance or $10 at the gate for adults, free for kids under 10

Frederick, Maryland, has a classic county fair with rides, funnel cakes and animals, plus a grandstand with music acts including Flo Rida. Heads up: Carnival rides and grandstand shows cost extra.

Race the District
Thurs. to Sat., Sept. 19-21, Union Market, $0 to $27

Watching go-karts race around the Union Market parking lot is the banner event (and you’ll need tickets to get in!), but nightly performances, community races and more are free and open to the public. On Saturday and Sunday, you can play with Events DC’s VR activation, and a Red Bull F1 car will be on display Friday and Saturday.

NC Society BBQ & Bluegrass Festival
Fri., Sept. 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hill Center DC in Southeast, $15 for children under 12, $55 for non-members, $35 for members, $70 at the door

Indulge in a whole hog feast while dancing to live bluegrass as a taste of North Carolina arrives in Capitol Hill.

Montgomery County Parks Ale Trail
Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lake Needwood in Rockville, free to join

Hike 2.5 miles around Lake Needwood with a stop at the mid-way beer garden, live music and games at Needwood Mansion. Then head to the main festival area for more music, snacks and an archaeology activity for kids,

H Street Festival
Sat., Sept. 21, H Street Northeast in D.C., free entry

The Northeast D.C. thoroughfare is filled with live music, good eats, shopping and tons of activities for one of the District’s largest neighborhood festivals.

National Dance Day
Sat., Sept. 21, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., The Kennedy Center in D.C., free

Celebrate dance with lessons and performances at The Kennedy Center. Stick around afterward for live music at the REACH @ 5 Block Party.

The World’s Largest Pickle Party
Sat., Sept. 21, Baltimore, $24.99+

Pickle lovers can unite in Baltimore for a day of sweet and sour tastings, plus music.

Unwine Festival
Sat., Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Upper Marlboro, $30+

Sip and savor wines while enjoying live music in Patuxent River Park.

Alexandria Oktoberfest
Sat., Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., John Carlyle Square, free

Raise a stein at Alexandria’s own version of Oktoberfest.

Leesburg Air Show
Sat., Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Leesburg Executive Airport, free 

Aviation fans old and young alike will enjoy watching aircraft zip around Leesburg. Aerial performances are set to begin at 1 p.m. You can also explore aircraft right on the ground. Go here for parking and transportation information.

Clarendon Day
Sat., Sept. 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Arlington, Virginia, free entry

Live music, inflatables and more are on tap for the whole family across six blocks of this Arlington neighborhood.

Wheaton Arts Parade and Festival
Sun., Sept. 29, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Marian Fryer Town Plaza, free

The celebration of Montgomery County art begins with a parade, then keeps the party going at a festival at Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive.

Aslin 9th Anniversary Beer, Music & Art Festival
Sat., Sept. 28, 1-7 p.m., Aslin Beer Company – Alexandria, Virginia, $25+ for adults

The brewery celebrates its 9th birthday with brews (including beers from guest breweries), live bands and art.

Virginia Beer Festival @ National Landing
Sat., Sept. 28, 4-9 p.m., Water Park National Landing in Arlington, Virginia, free entry

Band Relaxed Fit will play hits from the ’90s and early 2000s at this inaugural beer festival.

What to do in October

Waterford Fair
Fri. to Sat., Oct. 4-6, Waterford, Virginia, single-day adult tickets $20

One of the region’s premiere juried art fairs returns just a short drive from D.C.

Oktoberfest at The Wharf
Sat., Oct. 5, Southwest Waterfront, free entry

Come for the 12th Annual Wiener 500 Dachshund Dash (a Wiener dog race!) and stay for steins of beer and polka lessons. It’s just about the closest thing you’ll find to Munich inside the Beltway!

Taste of Bethesda
Sat., Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle, free entry

Bethesda’s best restaurants will serve up bites along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues. Stick around for live entertainment on five stages. there will be kids’ activities, too! Entry is free. It costs $10 for 5 tasting tickets, and food items cost one to four tickets.

College Park Day
Sat., Oct. 5, noon to 6 p.m., College Park Aviation Museum, free

Celebrate College Park, Maryland, with all-day live entertainment, bounce houses, food trucks and more.

Old Town Warrenton Fall Festival
Sat., Oct. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Main Street in Warrenton, free entry

Spend a day strolling Main Street in Historic Warrenton, checking out art, music, crafts and food.

Rosslyn Fall Fest
Sat., Oct. 5, 1-6 p.m., Gateway Park on Langston Boulevard in Rosslyn, Virginia, free

Get in the fall spirit with music, a pie-eating contest, hard cider tastings, music and food trucks. Tickets to the cider tasting are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Make sure to bring your ID!

Art on the Avenue
Sat., Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, free entry

This huge arts festival returns to Alexandria’s Del Ray for its 29th year, featuring more than hundreds of artists, multiple stages of live entertainment and activities for kids. Free trolley transportation will be available from the Braddock Road Metro station.

Historic Downtown Manassas Fall Jubilee
Sat., Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Manassas, Virginia, free entry

This festival has been kicking for 41 years. Enjoy music, bands, dance, martial arts and moer.

DC Coffee Festival
Sat. and Sun., Oct. 5-6, Dock 5 at Union Market in Northeast, $24+

Coffee lovers can sample the goods of specialty roasters and shops with unique beans while enjoying live entertainment.

Mosaic Fall Festival
Sun., Oct. 6, Fairfax, Virginia, free entry

URBNmarket and FRESHFARM are teaming up for a weekend of shopping, kids’ activities, live music and performances at the Mosaic District. Dress up for fall-themed selfie stations!

Takoma Park Street Festival
Sun., Oct. 6, Carroll Avenue, free entry

Dance and shop a Sunday away as the Takoma Park Street Festival returns for its 43rd year. 

Fairfax Fall Festival
Oct. 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Old Town Square on North Street, free

Fairfax goes all-out for fall with more than 400 arts, crafts, food and other vendors, children’s activities and entertainment for all ages across three stages. Take a spin on rides or check out the beer garden. Here are directions and parking information.

DC Wine Fest
Sat., Oct. 19, noon to 10 p.m., Dock 5 at Union Market, $35-$55

Sample wines from a selection of winemakers. There are three tasting sessions available.

Springfield Fall Festival
Sat., Oct. 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Springfield Town Center, free

Pumpkin decorating, characters and live entertainment are just a few of the fun things you’ll find in Springfield Town Center.

Night of the Living Zoo
Fri., Oct. 25, 7-11 p.m., National Zoo, $65 for nonmembers

The National Zoo has revived its adults-only, after-hours Halloween party.

Home Rule Music Festival
Sat., Oct. 26, Alethia Tanner Park, free

This music festival is all about D.C. music and culture. Expect performances by The Experience Band & Show, Bella Donna and more.

What to do in November

Adams Morgan Fall PorchFest
Sat., Nov. 2, 2-6 p.m., free

It’s the fall edition of one of the neighborhood’s best events. Head to Columbia and 18th for a street fest with live music and plenty more from local businesses, or fan into the neighborhood to see community performances right on porches.

DC Beer Fest
Sun., Nov. 2, Nationals Park, $55

Head to Nationals Park to enjoy as many brews as you care to drink from more than 80 breweries. Dueling pianos, bands and food trucks will make it a day to remember.

Alexandria Fall Fest
Sun., Nov. 3, River Farm

Alpaca petting, singing princesses, pony rides and bounce houses will delight kids, while adults can enjoy a wine and beer garden featuring Port City Brewing and Lost Boy Cider.

Past events

Alexandria Old Town Art Festival
Sat. and Sun., Sept. 14-15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 John Carlyle St. in Alexandria, free

John Carlyle Square hosts dozens of art vendors for you to peruse and enjoy.

Washington Ukrainian Festival
Sept. 13-15, St. Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (15100 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring), $20 (Saturday and Sunday) or $15 (Sunday only)

Immerse yourself in the art, food and culture of Ukraine. Some proceeds support humanitarian organizations helping people impacted by the war.

Celebrate Petworth
Sat., Sept. 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 800 block of Upshur Street NW in D.C., free

Explore the best this Northwest neighborhood has to offer by checking out performances, vendors, a dog show and kids’ activities.

Celebrate Van Ness
Sat., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., along Connecticut Avenue, free

Van Ness is throwing an all-day celebration with a Taylor Swift dance party, artisan pop-up, Crush Funk Brass Band and more before settling in for a movie night. There will be a shuttle bus between Van Ness Street, Pierce Mill and Ellicot Street.

Falls Church Festival
Sat., Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Falls Church City Hall and Community Center, free

Free concerts, a children’s stage with magicians and music and beer gardens make for a fun day on Little Falls Street. Come hungry to sample from local restaurants participating in the Taste of Falls Church!

Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival
Sat., Sept. 14, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, free entry, parking is $10 in advance, $15 day-of

Kunta Kinte was an enslaved person brought to Annapolis in the late 1700s but never lost sight of their home culture. Today, the festival named after them celebrates African culture with performances, craft vendors, food and more.

Maryland Seafood Festival
Sept. 14-15, Sat. and Sun., Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, $15+ (kids 12 and under can go for free with a paying adult)

Chow down on tons of seafood right by the Chesapeake Bay.

Hispanic Festival
Sun., Sept. 15, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Lane Manor Splash Park in Hyattsville, Maryland, free

The Maryland-National Capital Park And Planning Commission’s festival for Hispanic Heritage Month includes music, activities and food for the whole family.

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The five people in custody are facing charges including burglary and fleeing from law enforcement.

In the statement, police said that several areas in D.C. were affected in City Center, Georgetown, H Street, Logan Circle and Columbia Heights.

Video shows several police cars lined up along the streets of City Center and a helicopter above them searching the area.

Police are investigating six burglaries and six destruction of property offenses.

As a result of the burglaries and property damage, D.C. police will increase their presence across D.C.

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Sep 9

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Northern Virginia Sep 9

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The lawsuit accuses them of creating poor living conditions that “shocked even seasoned investigators,” while collecting housing voucher money.

One resident says he opened his oven drawer to find it full of mouse droppings and six baby mice.

“It’s a lot of stuff,” that resident, Jayshaun, Gill said. “It’s a lot more than mice. It’s a lot of flies; flies are a big problem, too.”

Gill and his daughter live at a rent-controlled apartment complex on W Street SE.

Their neighbor Mae Gupton says building management refuses to fix the issues.

“Me and my daughters are living with rats,” Gupton said. “This whole building is infected with rats. I even called the exterminator. The exterminator said, ‘Ma’am, you won’t be able to pay that bill.”

Gupton said the rats have been coming out from behind her stove, too, so she’s afraid to walk in that part of her kitchen.

“I’m terrified; my family, it’s like I’m … It got me and my daughters sick,” she said.

In addition, her dishwasher is broken, so every time she uses it, she has to use a plunger to drain the water that comes up out of the sink, she said.

On Monday, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced two lawsuits against the building’s owner, Ali “Sam” Razjooyan, and his business partners for allegedly creating poor conditions there, as well as at the Minnesota Commons Apartments in Northeast.

Residents there sent News4 a video of water pouring down inside. Video also shows black water in a sink and trash piled up outside.

“It’s bad,” said Minnesota Commons resident Christine Smith. “Nobody should be able to live in this condition.”

Schwalb said: “The properties at issue in these lawsuits are in deplorable condition, some of the worst conditions that we’ve seen in the District.”

He says the lawsuits are aimed at forcing Razjooyan to make repairs, pay damages to tenants and pay penalties for violating D.C. housing code.

“That certainly happens far too often in our city, where landlords prey upon those who are least able to have the economic flexibility to move to take care of problems,” Schwalb said.

News4 went to Razjooyan’s house for comment, but no one answered the door. We also tried calling several phone numbers associated with the building owner but didn’t hear back.

At the W Street apartments, resident Kianna Smith says there are still stains on the wall from an hours-long sewage leak.

“Feces coming down my wall,” she said.

She said management doesn’t pick up the phone when she calls.

“This is not fair to anyone,” she said. “I’m pretty sure they’re not living like this, so why should we live like this?”

The D.C. Department of Buildings says it issued seven stop work orders at Minnesota Commons this year. But the owner allegedly ignored them.

A team of dietitians at the hospital unloaded the week’s shipment of fresh food for patients with diabetes and pre-diabetes Thursday morning.

Then, they piled fresh green beans, apples, squash, carrots and other healthy foods into bags.

“Food is a huge part of the disease state,” said Sarah Roberts, a clinical dietitian for Children’s National. “It’s very important that families understand the importance of using these whole grains, these fruits and vegetables in their diet because when we’re looking at the disease state, we want to tackle it from all points.”

Pre-diabetes and diabetes patients with food insecurity at Children’s National receive three bags of food tailored to their medical needs as part of a food pharmacy program with the Capital Area Food Bank.

Roberts said they’ve seen an increase in patients reporting food insecurity in recent years. Patients’ guardians fill out screenings when they visit the hospital.

“That was another reason for starting the food pharmacy is not only the increase of food insecurity during the in the pandemic, but the increase of type 2 diabetes during the pandemic,” she said.

The proper foods can treat, prevent and, in some cases, reverse a diagnosis of diabetes, experts say.

“I’ve lost about 50-60 pounds just because I’ve been able to have good choices,” Children’s National patient Iman Bangura told News4 via a video call.

Bangura, who has type 2 diabetes, has been in the food pharmacy program for more than a year.

For her, the food pharmacy isn’t just her way out of a food desert, it’s helping change family history.

The food pharmacy served about 30 patients a month when the program began in 2021. Now, more than 200 families a month receive the fresh and healthy groceries.

Roberts said it’s been a vital tool in providing well-rounded care.

“If we’re in here doing these educations with these patients about fresh fruits and vegetables and they’re not able to purchase those things on their own and get those in the store, then it feels like we’re not fully meeting the needs of those patients,” she said.

We’re settling into a September with gorgeous weather. Here’s how to get out and enjoy it.

Here’s what to do this week in the Washington, D.C. area.

What to do in Washington, D.C.

Dvořák Dreams: An Installation by Refik Anadol: Through Sept. 24, Reach Plaza, free

Cirque du Soleil: “OVO”: Through Sun., Capital One Arena

Chocolate & Wine Tasting: Weds., 7-8:30 p.m., The Chocolate House at 1904 18th Street NW, $55

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf: “My Old Ass”: Thurs., 7 p.m., The Wharf’s Transit Pier, free

Live! At The Library: Film Costume Ball: Thurs., Sept. 12, 6-9 p.m., Library of Congress, free but RSVP required

The 1924: A Science Speakeasy: Fri., 6-9 p.m., National Academy of Sciences in Northwest D.C., $20

Nationals 1924 Championship Centennial Weekend: Fri., Sat. and Sun.

Things to Do DC Sep 9

Where to find presidential debate watch parties and specials in DC

The Scene Aug 27

Cirque du Soleil contortionist offers a preview of ‘Ovo' at Capital One Arena

Don’t Tell Comedy: Fri., various venues, $25

Walking Town free tours throughout the District: Sept. 14-21, free

Celebrate Petworth: Sat., Sept. 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 800 block of Upshur Street NW in D.C., free

Celebrate Van Ness Main Street: Sat., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Connecticut Avenue NW between Van Ness and Nebraska, free

Library of Congress Family Day: Hispanic Heritage Month: Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Building – Great Hall, free

Paramount+ & NPF Present: “Forrest Gump” at the National Mall: Sat., lawn opens at 5 p.m., movie begins at dusk, National Mall near Smithsonian Metro Station and 9th Street, free

Dancing Queens Drag Brunch: Sun., 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Roof Terrace Restaurant at the Kennedy Center, $98.91 per guest + tax

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash: Sun., 1 p.m., Audi Field

• Join the black out at Audi Field by wearing black. Fans will be given blackout rally towels. Plus, all six of Spirit’s Olympians will be presented with a Tiffany necklace.

Washington Mystics vs.Atlanta Dream: Sun., 3 p.m., Entertainment and Sports Arena

What to do in Maryland

Fall Twilight Concert Series: Weds., 6-7 p.m., Brookside Gardens, free
FYI: YötRöx (70’s & 80’s Rock Hits)

The Great Frederick Fair: Sept. 13-21, Frederick, Maryland, $8 in advance or $10 at the gate for adults, free for kids under 10
FYI: Carnival rides and grandstand shows cost extra

Washington Ukrainian Festival: Sept. 13-15, St. Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (15100 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring), $20 (Saturday and Sunday) or $15 (Sunday only)

Maryland Seafood Festival: Sept. 14-15, Sat. and Sun., Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, $15+ (kids 12 and under can go for free with a paying adult)

Acoustics & Ales: Fri., 5-7:30 p.m., North Four Corners Local Park in Silver Spring, free entry

Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival: Sat., Sept. 14, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, free entry, parking is $10 in advance, $15 day of

In The Streets festival: Sat., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., downtown Frederick, Maryland, free entry

Latinas in Aviation Global Festival: Sat., College Park Aviation Museum, free

DC Polo Society | End of Summer Social: Sat., Congressional Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland, $28.45 – $35

Hispanic Festival: Sun., Sept. 15, 12:30-5:30 p.m., Lane Manor Splash Park in Hyattsville, free

Commanders vs. New York Giants: Sun., 1 p.m., Northwest Stadium in Landover

Maryland Restaurant Week: Sept. 13-22

Brushes and Beats: A Go-Go Themed Youth Paint & Sip: Sun., Arts’tination in Oxon Hill, free with RSVP

What to do in Virginia

Cox Farms Fall Festival: Select days from Sept. 15 to Nov. 5, Centreville, $10-$25

Solheim Cup: Through Sun., Gainesville, $65 and up for adults

Dulles Day Plane Pull benefitting Special Olympics Virginia: Sat., 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Dulles International Airport (follow “event parking” signs), free

22nd Annual Alexandria Old Town Art Festival: Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 John Carlyle St. in Alexandria, free

Torpedo Factory Art Center’s 50th Anniversary: Fri. to Sun., Alexandria

Virginia Native American Festival: Sat., 10 a.m., Riverbend Park in Great Falls, $12

Falls Church Festival: Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Falls Church City Hall and Community Center, free

Fall Family Fest: Sat., noon to 4 p.m., Perch Putt rooftop in Tyson’s Corner, free ticket with registration

NOVA Family Fair: Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, free

Moon Festival – Tết Trung Thu at Eden Center: Sat., noon to 5 p.m., Eden Center in Falls Church, free entry

Welcoming Week Family Storytime: Sun., 2-4 p.m., 418 S Washington St. in Alexandria, free

“Encanto” characters at Shipgarten: Sun., noon to 6 p.m., McLean, free entry

Coming up soon

NMWA Nights: Weds., Sept. 18, 5:30 to 8 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $22-$25

H Street Festival: Sat., Sept. 21, H Street Northeast, free entry

Fields of Fear at Cox Farms: Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, Centreville, Virginia, $30-$40

Correction (Thursday, Sept, 12, 9:47 a.m.): This article originally misstated the opponent in the Washington Spirit game. It has been corrected.

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If you’re here, you likely know that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off for the first time in a debate hosted by ABC News on Tuesday. NBC News will broadcast the full debate live and offer primetime coverage starting at 8 p.m.

If you want to watch with some fellow election nerds (and perhaps an on-theme drink), D.C. is the place to be.

In general, we recommend making reservations or at least showing up early to snag a seat.

Here are watch parties and specials for your debate night.

Presidential debate watch parties in the DC area

The Admiral
1 Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.
Details

Tune into the debate on 15 TVs inside and on the patio. Quench your thirst with Blue Wave and Red State shots ($6.50), discounted draft refills ($5.75) or a burger, fries and beer special ($17.99).

All-Purpose takeout specials
Shaw, Riverfront and AP Pizza Shop in Bethesda
Details

Picking up pizza for a private watch party? Three All-Purpose locations will offer free focaccia breadsticks or garlic bread for any to-go order over $50. You must order online and use promo code VOTE.

American Ice Company
917 V Street NW, Washington, D.C.

The Shaw bar is hosting a debate-themed bingo game. Winners will get a $25 gift certificate and an American Ice Company t-shirt.

Specials include $7 wines, $5 Narragansett drafts or $15 pitchers.

Boundary Stone
116 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
Reservations

This Bloomingdale pub will show the debate at full volume and serve a drink called Kamala’s Coconut Daiquiri, made with local Cotton & Reed rum.

Johnny Pistolas
2333 18th St NW, Washington, D.C.
Details

Watch the debate projected on a 12.5-foot screen while sampling $10 drink specials including the Filibuster Buzz, the Bipartisan Breeze and the Swing State Sangria.

Madhatter
1319 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington D.C.
Details

The Trump vs. Harris showdown will be shown on all TVs – with the sound on – at this Dupont bar and restaurant. Specials include $8 smash burgers, $5 Jello-O shots and Taco Tuesday deals.

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metrobar
640 Rhode Island Avenue Northeast Washington, D.C.
Details

The transit-themed bar’s debate watch party coincides with specials for Industry Night and the “Beetlejuice” sequel at the Metro-themed bar. You’ll find $9 specialty cocktails from 4-11 p.m.

Royal Sands Social Club
26 N Street SE, Washington, D.C.
Details

Dip into the pool-themed bar for Brat or Mar-a-Lago Punch shots ($6.50). Other specials include $6 Kona drafts, $10 frozen drinks, $2 off sushi rolls and a $10.50 slider trio.

Large groups are welcome to watch the debate on 25 TVs.

Shaw’s Tavern
520 Florida Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
Details

Enjoy taco and margarita specials while the debate is shown on TVs on two floors and the covered patio. Doors open at 7 p.m. Grab a reservation for a table or show up early for a seat at the bar.

Solaire Social
8200 Dixon Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland
Details

The new food hall in Silver Spring will offer an all-day happy hour to soothe any debate-related nerves. You’ll also find $20 beer pitchers or buckets, plus Tequila Tuesday specials.

Whitlow’s Debate Watch Bingo Party
901 U Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Details

Whitlow’s adds a twist to their debate watch party with a Bingo game built around campaign buzzwords. Winners could get prizes including Whitlow’s t-shirts and gift cards.

Head to the second floor of Whitlow’s to play and watch the debate on five TVs and a large screen.

Union Pub
201 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C.
Details

For one of D.C.’s most politically-oriented bars steps from the U.S. Capitol, debate night is basically the Super Bowl.

Sip on coconut or orange drinks, join a drinking game and grab specials including $4 shots and discounted pitches and beer buckets.

Make reservations or get there early (very early) to beat the crowd.

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White, who represents Ward 8, is accused of agreeing to accept $156,000 in exchange for using his position to pressure employees of the D.C. Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to extend several contracts, prosecutors said.

He’s chair of a D.C. Council committee that oversees several agencies, including DYRS.

White received $35,000 in four cash payments in the alleged scheme, court documents filed on Thursday say.

His lawyer declined on Friday to comment on the latest development.

White has not commented on the case or entered a plea since federal authorities arrested him in the Navy Yard area on Aug. 18. On Instagram, posted a brief video thanking people who have continued to support him.

Following White’s arrest, the D.C. government launched a wide-ranging review of violence interruption work.

Read the full indictment here:

Here’s what federal prosecutors say Trayon White did

Federal prosecutors say White agreed starting in June to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees to extend violence intervention contracts worth $5.2 million.

He’s accused of accepting envelopes full of cash as he was caught on a hidden camera. Here’s how the FBI broke down the payments:

• June 26: $15,000 cash received
• July 17: $5,000 cash received
• July 25: $10,000 cash received
• Aug. 9: $5,000 cash received

Images included in court documents show what prosecutors say is White receiving envelopes stuffed with cash.

DC Council Aug 21

How Trayon White's arrest may shake up the Ward 8 election

DC Council Aug 19

Secret cameras, $35K in cash: DC Council member Trayon White accused of bribery

An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of an agreement to plead guilty to bribery and bank fraud charges. Several conversations between White and the informant were recorded in a parked car wired for video and audio, including outside White’s home, prosecutors say.

At one meeting, White and the informant discussed contracts the informant had with ONSE. The informant asked White if the contracts would be renewed and said he had $15,000 cash.

Initially, White asked, “What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.”

Then he tucked the envelope with the cash into his jacket pocket, prosecutors say.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Reggie Brown, 64, was taking a walk on Georgia Avenue in October when a group of five girls allegedly attacked him unprovoked, prosecutors said in opening statements.

One of those girls took cellphone video of the attack in which the group appeared to be in a celebratory mood afterward, according to prosecutors.

Brown faced health issues for much of his life, weighing just 110 pounds and missing six fingers due to lupus. He also was battling cancer and liked to take long walks at night, according to his family.

On Oct. 17, a still unidentified man attacked Brown, as seen on surveillance video.

Five girls, ages 12 to 15, joined the attack, prosecutors say. Surveillance video showed them stomping Brown’s head into the pavement and whipping him with his own belt.

He died shortly afterward.

In court Thursday, the defense for one of the girls argued she was not involved in the attack and wasn’t even there. Her defense said the case was based on “unreliable, untrustworthy evidence and grainy video” because police were “under serious pressure to solve this case.”

The defense for the other girl argued, “Not every death is a murder or homicide,” and said the evidence does not show an intent to kill or seriously injure.

Brown’s sister said it’s been heartbreaking to hear what her brother went through.

“We’re here because we want to ensure that justice be done and that this doesn’t happen to any other family,” Malda Brown said.

“Everybody up in D.C., upper Northwest, knew my little brother, and he was just a good soul,” she said. “And for something like this to happen to him is just hurting the whole neighborhood up in D.C.”

She wishes the two girls could have been tried as adults and feels D.C. needs tougher laws when it comes to juvenile crime.

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Apr 1

Girls left in ‘celebratory' mood after deadly DC beating, detective testifies

Gun violence Mar 29

Girls, 12 and 13, accused of beating 64-year-old man to death along DC's Georgia Avenue

“These young people are committing crimes knowingly that if you commit crimes while you are a juvenile, that nothing is gonna happen,” she said. “That is the word on the street that they say, Oh, we can commit crimes because nothing is gonna happen to us.”

A third girl in the case pleaded guilty to assault last month. The other two girls are scheduled to go on trial in November.

If any of the four girls being tried are convicted, they will remain in the custody of D.C.’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services until they turn 21.

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Videos of a little red and black robot rolling down a sidewalk on four wheels have circulated on social media recently, and many wondered if the robot is another way for D.C. to give drivers speeding or parking tickets.

The D.C. Department of Transportation told News4 Wednesday the robot is not for issuing tickets.

“Right now, it is helping us to update and maintain our sign inventory,” DDOT Innovation Branch Manager Stephanie Dock said.

There are more than 200,000 traffic signs across the city, Dock said, which requires a lot of maintenance.

“Stuff is constantly changing on our streets. And we need a way to keep that information updated and current,” she said.

Dock said having human beings take inventory of the traffic signs proved to be difficult in the past, “And so we’re exploring how much automation and robotics can help us in that problem.”

DDOT currently has one robot, called a Kiwibot, as part of a pilot program.

When the agency sends it out, a DDOT employee can watch the video the robot captures and decide whether or not to send a crew to the area to make any sign repairs.

Dock said if something goes wrong with the robot, there’s always DDOT employees close enough that can “come and help it.”

In a hearing Tuesday, the Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which White had chaired, splitting it into two subcommittees to be overseen by other councilmembers. This now leaves White without a committee chairmanship.

White, the Ward 8 councilmember, still will be allowed to vote on legislation and other Council matters.

The council voted unanimously with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on the vote.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the D.C. Council has met since White was arrested and charged with taking a bribe to steer government contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The D.C. Council has hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of White, which will cost D.C. taxpayers $400,000, an official told News4.

DC Council Sep 12

DC Council member Trayon White pleads not guilty to federal bribery charge

News4 I-Team Aug 29

Internal DC review halts violence interruption contract renewals after Trayon White arrest

However, White’s colleagues on the Council voted to close their discussion of the investigation to the public. News4’s Mark Segraves was one of the reporters forced to leave the meeting.

By law, Council meetings are open to the public, but just a few minutes after starting, the members voted to close the meeting to the public while they discussed their investigation into their colleague.

“We have to close the doors to the public because we’re discussing a sensitive personnel matter and an ongoing investigation,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said. “As experienced as you are, Mark, you know that it’s important to preserve the integrity of an investigation, and as it’s just beginning, there’s certain things that we have to discuss that are not yet for public domain, and we intend fully to be transparent.”

McDuffie is heading the ad hoc committee that will decide what discipline, if any, to recommend the Council impose on White, including the possibility of removing him from office.

“We have to do what’s in the best interest of the public while holding our colleague accountable,” McDuffie said. “That is exactly what I intend to do, conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

McDuffie told reporters the Council has engaged a private law firm to conduct the investigation.

When asked about the cost of the law firm’s fee, McDuffie responded: “I can tell you it’s $400,000.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has said the independent investigation will look into both the bribery charge and also whether White actually lives in Ward 8, as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living, according to prosecutors.

White did not show up in person for Tuesday’s Council hearing but did participate in the Council’s breakfast meeting and hearing virtually.

The council voted unanimously to reorganize White’s committee, with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on that vote.

Mendelson says the findings of the independent investigation will determine whether the D.C. Council votes to remove White from the Council entirely. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

Tyrell Lamonte Bailey turned himself in to police at the 7th District Police Station at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, a police spokesperson said. He was charged with carrying a pistol without a license.

D.C. Investigator Wayne David died last Wednesday after the gun he was trying to retrieve from a storm drain went off. He was 52 and served as an officer for 25 years.

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Aug 28

DC officer dies after gun he retrieved from storm drain goes off

Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police / MPD) Aug 29

‘That type of impact': Fallen DC officer Wayne David remembered fondly

Officers with MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were canvassing Quarles Street NE when they saw a man get out of a suspicious car. Officers tried to make contact with him, but he ran to I-295 and stashed the gun in a storm drain, police said. He fled onto the back of a passing motorcycle.

D.C. police have not said whether Bailey will face additional charges.

“I want to thank the members of the Metropolitan Police Department and express my appreciation for the community for their tips and information that led to identifying and the arrest of this individual,” MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith said in a statement about the arrest.

“Our focus is on honoring the memory and legacy of Investigator Wayne David and giving him an exceptional sendoff during his funeral services next week,” the police chief said. “Our department continues to heal, and we’ll continue to support the family as they grieve and heal.”

Bailey was sought by local and federal authorities and a $60,000 reward was available in the case.

‘I do think he is liable for the death’

Bailey appeared in federal court on Thursday wearing a T-shirt that said “Rule 1: F— what they think.”

Court documents reveal new details on the moments before and after David was fatally shot.

Bailey ran out of his shoes after he saw officers and bolted, the documents say. Officers said he was holding his hand like he had a gun in his waistband. Images show him jumping over a wall and onto I-295. That’s where police say he threw a handgun into a drain on the shoulder of the southbound lanes.

Bailey, who had years of experience in gun recovery, was working to remove the gun from the drain when it fired and a bullet struck him.

Court records show Bailey served a multiyear prison sentence for a 2017 crime involving a gun and is therefore prohibited from possessing one.

The charges against him include possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and unlawfully discarding a gun. They do not include murder.

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto told News4 she believes Bailey should be held accountable for David’s death.

“I do think he is liable for the death that resulted in his weapon, that was thrown carelessly, and that’s exactly what happens when firearms are thrown carelessly,” she said.

Court documents show the motorcyclist who gave Bailey a ride from the crime scene immediately called police when made aware of what had happened. The motorcyclist said Bailey was a stranger and had yelled that he had been robbed and people were trying to kill him. As Bailey hopped onto the bike, the motorcyclist saw that the passenger wasn’t wearing shoes.

Police say the motorcyclist, who dropped Bailey off in Bladensburg, Maryland, had no idea he was linked to the deadly shooting of David until being told by a relative who had seen the news.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

National Gallery Nights begin Thursday, Sept. 12 with the theme A Night in Paris. The East Building will transform into a Parisian escape with can-can dancers and a DJ spinning French tunes at an outdoor bar. Visitors can explore the “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” exhibit with paintings by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir and more. Join the lottery here.

Tickets will be given away through a lottery system. The lottery will open 10 days before each event, and winners will be notified via email the Friday before the event.

The lottery for A Night In Paris is set to close at noon Thursday. Limited walk-up tickets will also be available on the day of the event.

There will also be activities on the 4th Street Plaza that don’t require tickets.

National Gallery Nights is set to celebrate Día de los Muertos in October and D.C. culture in November.

National Gallery Nights dates

• Sept. 12, A Night in Paris (Ticket lottery open from Monday, Sept. 2 to Thurs., Sept. 5)
• Oct. 10: Día de los Muertos Celebration (Ticket lottery open from Monday, Sept. 30 to Thursday, Oct. 3)
• Nov. 14: To the District, with Love (Ticket lottery open from Monday, Nov. 4 to Thursday, Nov. 7)

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They were originally supposed to close on Labor Day.

Leat Corinne Unger, Cousin of Omer Shem Tov

“The locations that will remain open were selected to be most equitable to residents with one pool on both sides of the city and all DPR spray parks,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Director Thennie Freeman. 

Hearst Pool and Oxon Run Pool will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week until Sept. 22. Hearst Pool is closed Thursdays and Oxon Run Pool is closed Mondays. 

These spray parks will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Sept. 22:

• 14th and Girard Street 
• Benning Stoddert Recreation Center
• Chevy Chase Recreation Center 
• Columbia Heights Community Center 
• Columbia Heights Civic Plaza
• Eastern Market Metro Park 
• Edgewood Recreation Center 
• Fort Davis Community Center
• Fort Stevens Recreation Center 
• Friendship Recreation Center 
• Guy Mason Recreation Center 
• Hardy Recreation Center
• Harrison Recreation CenterHillcrest Recreation Center
• Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center 
• Kennedy Recreation Center 
• King Greenleaf Recreation Center
• Lafayette-Pointer Recreation Center  
• Macomb Recreation Center 
• Marvin Gaye at Division Avenue
• Marvin Gaye Recreation Center 
• Palisades Community Center 
• Park at LeDroit 
• Petworth Recreation Center 
• Potomac Ave Triangle Park
• Reservoir Park Recreation Center 
• Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center 
• Stead Park Recreation Center 
• Takoma Playground 
• Watkins Recreation Center
• Westminster Playground

Information for specific outdoor pool and spray park locations can be found at the Department of Parks and Recreation website. 

At least nine of those guns have now been found at crime scene and or with people wanted on warrants for violent offenses, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. Many of the others are still unaccounted for.

“Our city is being flooded with illegal weapons,” he said. “All three of these stores ignored the red flags.”

Washington, D.C., has struggled with gun violence in recent years. The nation’s capital saw its highest number of homicides in more than three decades last year, and more than 90% of those were carried out with firearms, the suit states.

“Many of us watch the news and we wonder where all these guns are coming from,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “Now we have part of the answer.”

In Washington, the supply of weapons is often fueled by people who buy guns for others who can’t legally possess them, Schwalb said. About 95% of guns recovered in Washington, D.C., which has strict gun laws, originally come from nearby Maryland or Virginia, Schwalb said. While some of those are stolen weapons, more come from illegal straw sales, according to data about firearm trafficking investigations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The suit seeks unspecified damages and court action to halt any future straw purchases.

The lawsuit is the first to be filed jointly and comes as cities and states around the country file civil suits against gun shops, including in New Jersey, Minnesota, Chicago and Philadelphia. Kansas City also settled a suit last year against a gun dealer accused of ignoring evidence that guns were being sold illegally.

Licensed firearm dealers do work with ATF to identify possible straw purchases, said Larry Keane, senior vice president at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry group. Still, he said that warning signs may not always be obvious at busy stores, where a buyer might encounter different employees on different days.

“The focus should be on the actions of the criminal, not trying to scapegoat retailers who do their best every day to try to prevent straw purchasing,” he said, pointing to a 2016 Justice Department survey of people in prison that found a relatively small number had gotten firearms from a retail source.

The new suit, filed with the gun safety group Everytown Law, accuses the Maryland-based stores of failing to respond to warning signs, including bulk purchasing and repetitive purchases.

The three stores sold a total of nearly three dozen similar weapons to Demetrius Minor over a seven-month period in 2021, the suit said. Nearly all were trafficked to others, including people who aren’t legally allowed to buy firearms, the suit alleges. One gun, for example, was found in a D.C. hotel room along with an illegal large-capacity magazine and another was found at the home of a stabbing suspect, the suit says.

Minor pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license last year in a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. An attorney who represented Minor could not immediately be reached for comment.

One store, Atlantic Guns, Inc., said it has “never and will never knowingly sell to someone who we have reason to believe is committing a straw purchase.” Another, United Gun Shop, declined immediate comment, and the third, Engage Armament LLC, did not immediately respond.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and court action to halt any future straw purchases.

During former President Donald Trump ‘s administration, her office under the U.S. Department of Agriculture was told it would be moving. About 75 people were going to be relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, Dodson said, but less than 40 actually moved. A rushed process that failed to consider the need to find homes, jobs for spouses and schools for children prompted some retirements, she said, and some took other federal jobs, hurting the agency in the end.

Now, with Trump proposing the relocation of up to 100,000 federal jobs from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia under his Agenda 47 plan, concerns about being abruptly moved are again troubling federal workers. The Republican’s proposals stir anxiety in the midst of an unusually competitive U.S. Senate race in heavily Democratic Maryland that could determine control of the Senate, with even the Republican candidate calling the plans “crazy.” The proposals also could hinder Trump’s chances to win Virginia, a state he lost in 2016 and 2020, where a U.S. Senate seat widely seen as safely Democratic is also on the ballot.

“It’s causing a lot of anxiety, a lot of discomfort within the workforce, as you are faced with these strong, negative, anti-federal worker stances and this uncertainty of what might happen to your job, your home and your livelihood,” said Dodson, who is acting vice president of American Federation of Government Employees local 3403, which represents the USDA’s Economic Research Service.

And concerns don’t end there. Federal workers also are worried about “Project 2025,” a proposed overhaul of the federal government crafted by longtime Trump allies that would eliminate thousands of jobs and remove civil service protections for some federal workers. The former president has repeatedly distanced himself from the proposal this summer.

But the plan still worries Michael Knowles. He said it calls for making the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ D.C. presence “skeletal, and agency employees with operational or security roles should be rotated out to offices throughout the United States.”

Knowles, who is president of AFGE local 1924, said most of his members took an oath to uphold the Constitution and faithfully administer the laws of the United States. He said the members, who all work in the National Capital Region, are committed to the mission of government service.

“And they would do what they need to do to carry out that mission,” Knowles said. “But I think the employees would look dimly on arbitrary or capricious decisions that didn’t seem to make any business or operational sense.”

Trump’s campaign did not return requests for comment.

The District of Columbia has the largest number of federal civilian employees, with about 160,700 jobs, according to the Congressional Research Service. Maryland and Virginia are in the top four jurisdictions, with about 138,940 in Maryland and 140,400 in Virginia. California has about 142,040.

The proposals to move a large number of federal workers infuriate local leaders in the suburbs of Washington in both Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, a heavily blue state where Trump is deeply unpopular, it’s viewed by many as retaliation by the former president, who received only 32% of the vote there in 2020.

Trump made headlines while he was in office when he denigrated Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”

Angela Alsobrooks, the chief executive of Prince George’s County who is the Democratic nominee in the Maryland U.S. Senate race, described Trump’s positions on the federal workforce “as yet another reason that we absolutely must put Donald Trump in the rearview mirror.”

“Former President Trump is a ruthless leader, retaliatory in all his ways, and what he talks about in terms of really harming federal workers is evil,” Alsobrooks said after returning from the Democratic National Convention last month.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan, her Republican opponent, condemned the relocation proposals as “crazy.” He said they “would be devastating to the region, the state of Maryland and bad for the federal government.”

“It’s like, you know, Trump trying to turn the federal government into one of his failed casinos, where he thinks he can do whatever he wants,” Hogan, who has long been one of the GOP’s fiercest Trump critics, said in an interview. “I think it would undermine our entire democracy.”

Businesses that provide services to the thousands of federal workers fear the ripple-effect threat of the proposed changes. At Census Auto Repair & Sales, for example, across the street from the U.S. Census Bureau’s headquarters in Suitland, Maryland, service manager Tay Gibson says his shop would feel the impact directly.

“I would hate to see the federal workers leave,” Gibson said. “That would be business leaving as well, and that would affect small businesses like myself.”

Libby Garvey, chair of the Arlington County Board in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, emphasized the potential hit on the local economy.

“If a large proportion of (tax payers) suddenly lose their jobs (or have to) move away, that takes a terrible, major hit to our local budget, which impacts our ability to pave the roads, make sure the water is clean, provide public safety, fire, police, emergency personnel and provide good schools,” Garvey said.

Karen Hult, a political science professor at Virginia Tech, said the move could harm Trump’s chances in Virginia.

“Federal workers around Northern Virginia, and in the D.C. metro area generally, are, in fact, a bit of a voting bloc,” Hult said “The other thing, of course, are all the contractors — the beltway bandits. They make a big difference, too.”

But Hult also said the idea of relocating federal workers could resonate with Virginians outside of the northern part of the state, who may feel a distrust of the D.C. bureaucracy.

Filipe Campante, a Bloomberg Distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University who focuses on political economy and urban and regional issues, noted that there’s a reason why capital cities exist, with the presence of federal employees nearby. Physical presence, he said, is necessary for face-to-face interactions that are important to maintaining accountability.

While Trump and his supporters see the relocation as a positive in terms of moving the “deep state” away from the seat of government, Campante said it also has a downside.

“I think it is a positive factor for accountability that you have civil servants also operating as a check on political appointees, and this would be weakened by moving these people away from where the center of the government is, so I think from that perspective it would reduce accountability,” Campante said. “Obviously, then, it depends on whether you think this accountability is good or not.”

—-

Witte reported from Annapolis and Suitland, Maryland.

We hope your final hurrah of summer was a memorable one! September is coming in with a fall-like feeling, and we’re here for it.

Here’s what to do this week in the Washington, D.C. area.

What to do in Washington, D.C.

Sunset Cinema at The Wharf: “King Richard”: Thurs., 7 p.m., The Wharf’s Transit Pier, free

Don’t Tell Comedy: Fri. and Sat., various venues, $25

One Lacrosse Gathering Celebration: Sat., National Mall, free

D.C. State Fair: Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Franklin Park in downtown D.C., free entry

DC Bike Ride: Sat., begins on Constitution Avenue, various prices (registration closes Thursday)

Doggie Day Swim DC: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free but current D.C. dog license required

• Four pools participating: Langdon Park Pool in Northeast, Ridge Road Pool in Southeast and Francis and Upshut pools in Northwest

Jazz in The Parks: Lenny Robinson & Exploration with Special Guest Marshall Keys with opener Music with Mr. Rob: Sat., The Parks at Walter Reed, free

Women in Sports ’24 with US Open Women’s Finals on the big screen and golf simulator: Sat., noon to 8 p.m., The Wharf, free

Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns: Sat., 12:30 p.m., Audi Field

Boot ‘N Scoot At Hi Lawn: Sat. and Sun., Hi Lawn at Union Market, $10-$15

Adams Morgan Day: Sun., noon to 8 p.m., Marie Reed school and Kalorama Park, free

Injera Festival: Sun., 2-9 p.m., The Bullpen in Southeast, $15+

Washington Mystics vs. Minnesota Lynx: Sun., 3 p.m., Entertainment and Sports Arena

What to do in Maryland

Fall Twilight Concert Series: Weds., 6-7 p.m., Brookside Gardens, free

• FYI: Kiti Gartner & the Drifting Valentines (Rockabilly/Classic Country/Western Swing)

Bethesda Row Arts Festival: Sat. and Sun., near Elm Street and Woodmont Avenue, free entry

Mount Rainier Day Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mount Rainier Nature Center, free

Silver Spring Jazz Festival: Sat., 3-10 p.m., Veterans Plaza, free (no ticket required)

Festival Salvadoreñisimo: Sun., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, $50+

Things to Do DC Sep 4

National Gallery Nights return this fall. Here's how to get tickets

The Scene Aug 27

Cirque du Soleil contortionist offers a preview of ‘Ovo' at Capital One Arena

Takoma Park Folk Festival: Sun., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Takoma Park Middle School, free

Commanders vs. Buccaneers: Sun., 4:25 p.m., Northwest Stadium in Landover

Maryland State Fair: Aug. 29-Sept. 2 and Sept. 5-8, Lutherville-Timonium, $11-$16

Maryland Renaissance Festival: Through Oct. 20, Annapolis, Maryland, $26+ for adult tickets through Sept. 8

What to do in Virginia

Dog Daze canine swim: Sat., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,  The Water Mine in Reston, $10 per dog

Rosslyn Jazz Fest: Sat., 1-7 p.m., Gateway Park on Langston Blvd, free

US Asian Fest: Sat., 2-9 p.m., One Loudoun, $15-$100

Fall Plant and Garden Sale: Sat., 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mount Vernon overflow parking lot, free entry

Coming up soon

Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 World Tour: Mon., Sept. 9, 9 p.m., Capital One Arena, $40+

Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever: Thurs., Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Capital One Arena, $45+

HFStival: Sat., Sept. 21, Nationals Park, $150-$250

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Police responded to a report of a car that crashed into the McDonald’s on Marion Barry Avenue at 5:30 a.m. There was minimal damage to the McDonald’s.

According to police, the man in the vehicle had a gun in his lap. Chief Pamela Smith said that officers instructed him to drop his weapon.

DC Jail Aug 31

Families celebrate Reunification Day at DC jail

Crime and Courts Aug 31

Dog stolen at gunpoint in Prince George's County

The officers extended their firearm and the man in the vehicle grabbed one of the officer’s firearms.

“At that time, two of our officers discharged their service weapon, striking the suspect,” Smith said.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene. His name was not immediately released.

The police officers’ body-worn cameras were activated and police have reviewed the video. The two officers who fired their weapons are now on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Former Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Enis Jevric, 42, pleaded guilty in February to involuntary manslaughter and using unconstitutional, excessive force in the August 2021 shooting death of 27-year-old An’Twan Gilmore.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss also sentenced Jevric to five years of supervised release after his prison term, according to Justice Department prosecutors.

More than a dozen officers were on the scene when Jevric arrived at the intersection in Washington, D.C., where Gilmore was sleeping in the stopped car with a handgun in his waistband.

Jevric had a ballistics shield when he approached the driver’s side door. He told another officer to knock on the car’s windows, which jolted Gilmore awoke with a confused look on his face.

Video from police body cameras shows both of Gilmore’s hands on the steering wheel. When the car inched forward, Jevric fired four times into the car and then fired six more shots as it rolled down the closed-off street, prosecutors said. No other officer fired a shot.

The gun was still tucked into Gilmore’s waistband, underneath his buckled seat belt, when police entered the car.

Prosecutors recommended a seven-year prison sentence for Jevric. They said no other officer on the scene saw a basis to shoot Gilmore.

Crime and Courts Feb 23

MPD sergeant pleads guilty in death of An'Twan Gilmore

Washington DC Aug 26, 2021

DC Police Release Body Camera Video of Officer Shooting Man in Car

“Several described being ‘shocked’ that shots were fired,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Jevric had been a police officer in Washington since 2007. His attorney, Christopher Macchiaroli, had requested a sentence of home confinement without prison time.

“Sgt. Jevric has spent the better part of his life helping people, not hurting people, protecting life, not taking life,” the defense lawyer wrote.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office announced Friday morning that the D.C. government is paying off the debt – buying it for pennies on the dollar and forgiving it.

“Residents will start to get notified today via letter from undue medical debt that their debt has been completely wiped off the books and their credit restored,” D.C. Budget Director Jenny Reed told News4 early Friday.

The District worked with several medical providers to buy the debt.

“It is [not all medical providers]. And those that participated wish to remain anonymous, so that’s why we will be notifying residents directly via letter starting today,” Reed said.

The letters will be marked as coming from Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that D.C. worked with buy down the debt.

The District bought the nearly $42 million of medical debt for less than $225,000, officials said.

Reed called it “a great investment” for the District to help residents move forward.

“So a lot of hospitals and providers, they have this debt on the books for decades, right? Because we know that for a lot of low income residents, they just can’t afford to pay these really big bills, and it sort of follows them throughout their life, right? On their credit report, it makes it harder for them to do other things that they need to get out of debt and get on a pathway to the middle class,” Reed said. “So we’re able to work with them to buy it in bulk for pennies on the dollar.”

Medical debt is one of the leading reasons that people go into bankruptcy in the United States, Reed said.

“So by wiping this off, we’re giving people a fresh start,” she said.

Nearly 63,000 people will benefit, according to the mayor’s office.

D.C. residents were eligible if:

• their income was less than four times the federal poverty level
• or if their medical debt was more than 5% of their annual household income

The debt relief effort is seeking to address “health inequities and racial disparities related to medical care,” the mayor’s office said.

A little more than half of the total debt relief ($26 million of that total $42 million) will apply to D.C. residents making $25,000 per year or less, the mayor’s office said. While demographics information on the recipients was not immediately available, the mayor’s office said that 80% of the recipients live in D.C. zip codes that are majority Black or Latino.

While the District has been facing some budget deficits, Reed said the money for the debt forgiveness is coming from surplus funds from last fiscal year.

The plan was part of the budget proposal submitted last year to the D.C. Council, which approved it.

“And again, $225,000 out of a $20 billion budget, we were able to just set this aside,” Reed said.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith got emotional Thursday while talking about David’s death, calling what happened a tragedy. Outside the department’s Special Operations Division, a memorial grew around his police cruiser, which was covered in photos and flowers.

At David’s church, National Community Church in Southeast D.C., he was remembered as a man with a big heart and a big smile who loved to give back.

As a member of the congregation, he also provided security for the church.

“Very easy to talk to, very easy to engage and a non-threatening presence, in spite of the badge, in spite of having all the regalia,” Pastor Ernest Clover said.

“Officer David was the epitome of community policing,” a fellow officer wrote on Facebook. “He regularly worked overtime at the Metro stations and would challenge high school students with trivia before they could pass, just to make sure they were keeping up with their studies.”

Metro recently honored David for helping disarm a woman who was threatening officers with a knife at the Fort Totten station.

Since 2007, David worked as a crime scene search officer, recovering illegal guns across the city.

“For him this wasn’t just a job,” Carroll said. “Every day he went out, he engaged the kids that were out there, trying to put them on the right path. Talking to people, making sure they were doing the right things.”

One officer said you could never tell when David had a bad day because he always had a smile on his face.

“Praying his family would know, OK, I know my dad did all this other stuff and I know he was at that church, but I didn’t know he had that type of impact,” Clover said.

It began with a police stop of a suspicious car

It began near DC-295 in the 4500 block of Quarles Street NE at about 5:40 p.m. Wednesday. Police were conducting a routine stop for what they described as a suspicious car when a suspect ran from the car and onto 295. Officers saw the suspect throw a gun into a storm drain, Executive Assistant Chief of Police Jeffrey Carroll said.

David, a 25-year veteran, was retrieving the gun when it went off.

Police are still looking for the suspect who threw the gun into the drain. He fled the scene after jumping on the back of a motorcycle.

The person who drove the motorcycle came forward and was cooperating with investigators, police said Friday. He said he was driving in the area when the suspect jumped on his motorcycle and he thought the person was in trouble and needed help, police said.

On Thursday, Smith urged the suspect to turn himself in. MPD, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering a $50,000 reward in the case.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Smith told reporters ATF is examining the gun. The serial number was scratched off.

MPD’s Internal Affairs Division is investigating to see if department protocols were followed in the recovery of the weapon.

Smith indicated that David had a body-worn camera.

CORRECTION (10:12 p.m., Aug. 30, 2024): Wayne David was an “investigator.” This article previous referred to him as an “inspector.”

An affidavit released after White’s arrest alleges the D.C. Council member took bribes to influence violence interruption contracts within D.C.’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. White has not been indicted, nor commented on the allegations, though he did post a video on Instagram thanking those who’ve continued to support him.

Government leaders who briefed News4 about the review Thursday acknowledged violence interruption work has an effect in lowering gun violence in D.C. communities. But all contract renewals in that space are halted pending the results of the internal review. They are grants and contracts that hire people and neighborhood organizations to do therapy, mediation and peace brokering in spots prone to gun violence.

D.C.’s chief risk officer is looking at contracts in the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and more closely in the Credible Messenger program. Credible Messenger is mentioned throughout court documents detailing bribery allegations against White.

Government officials said the review will look at how those contracts were awarded, overseen and invoiced. Many of them renew Oct. 1, and all of them are on hold, so decisions have to be made quickly.

In an off-camera briefing with two D.C. government leaders, they said they weren’t aware of any subpoenas issued to D.C. employees or agencies by federal prosecutors but said the city has ways of giving them documents without a subpoena.

They also said no D.C. employee has been suspended, put on leave or otherwise sidelined in connection with the review or allegations — not even the employee believed to be mentioned in the court affidavit who may have been pressured by White.

DC Council Aug 23

DC Council committee to consider Trayon White's future after his federal arrest

DC Council Aug 21

How Trayon White's arrest may shake up the Ward 8 election

DC Council Aug 21

DC mayor's office to review Trayon White's violence interruption work

The most serious and pressing concern expressed by the government officials is three contracts believed to be held by the company that allegedly paid the bribes to White.

Those contracts are with Child and Family Services, violence prevention and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services — helping some of D.C.’s most vulnerable kids.

The city acknowledges those contracts can’t be stopped, but the work will most likely have to be shifted quickly to someone else.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Whether your song of the summer was brought to you by Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey or Chappell Roan, it’s time to crank up the volume one more time (or a hundred, we’re here for it!). It’s Labor Day weekend, summer’s grand finale.

The hot weather isn’t going anywhere for a while, though. So while your local pool may be having its last hurrah this weekend, you can squeeze in an encore with a beach trip and other water adventures.

Speaking of the forecast: Monday will have the best weather of the weekend, after rain chances on Saturday and Sunday.

We’re still wagging and sniffing for your gold medal-worthy pet posts. Next Friday, we crown the Pat’s Prized Pet for 2024. Honestly… stop everything and treat yourself to these talented pets:

Don’t forget to share your pictures and videos on social before Thursday, Sept. 5 at noon – here are the details!

Weekend highlights

DC JazzFest
Through Sun., various venues and The Wharf, tickets start at $25
🔗 Details

DC JazzFest is coming back for its 20th year with music around the DMV, including some free shows. Think of it as a choose-your-own musical adventure.

The Wharf is going full festival mode this weekend, with two outdoor stages hosting shows from noon to 10 p.m. General admission standing tickets for those performances cost $25 per day. Kids and dogs are allowed!

By night, follow the music indoors to venues including The Anthem, Union Stage and Arena Stage. Seated or VIP tier tickets ($150-$500) grant you access to these shows. BUT, you can buy single tickets to some indoor shows, including most things at Union Stage.

Here’s the full schedule, including details on weeknight concerts.

Pro tip: Don’t miss the free performances!

• Free concerts will happen along The Wharf’s promenade
• Ebban & Ephraim Dorsey: Thu., 6 p.m., Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage 
• Shannon Gunn’s Saffron Ensemble: Fri., 6 p.m., Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage

Free pick
Greenbelt Labor Day Festival
Fri. to Mon.
🔗 Details

Greenbelt is working overtime to bring you a four-day Labor Day Festival with great food, music, a carnival and rides.

It’s free to go, but ride wristbands cost extra. You can pick up a voucher for a $20 ride wristband at the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket through Thursday. Otherwise, all-you-can-ride wristbands will cost $35.

The Historic Roosevelt Center is the place to be for a party that’s been happening for 70 years!

Check out the full schedule here.

Don’t Tell Comedy
Fri., plus later dates, various venues
🔗 Details

Don’t Tell Comedy, which specializes in pop-up shows, is coming to venues in D.C. this weekend and later in the fall.

Free pick
Patsy Cline Block Party
Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Patsy Cline Historic House in Winchester, Virginia
🔗 Details

If you’re feeling a little crazy, head to Winchester, Virginia for the Patsy Cline Block Party. Cline’s hometown festival features a lot of music.

To celebrate what would have been her 92nd birthday, there will also be food trucks, old-school soft drinks at Gaunt’s Drugstore (where the singer spent her teenage years as a soda jerk!) and tours of the historic house for just $5.

Winchester is also hosting Hungry for History Week with food demos, tastings and more, so you won’t go hungry during a full day out.

Free ice cream at SMiZE & DREAM
Sun., noon, Woodley Park

Tyra Bank’s Woodley Park ice cream shop SMiZE & DREAM is giving out 200 free scoops on Sunday to celebrate a good review from a popular TikTok food critic Keith Lee. The giveaway begins at noon.

Lee didn’t like everything he ate in D.C. but had good things to say about SMiZE & DREAM and their local flavor, That Woodley Park Thang.

Concerts this weekend

Roots/Digable Planets, 8 p.m. Saturday, Wolf Trap, $65+

Classic hip-hop lineups don’t get better than this. The Roots are the greatest live hip-hop band ever. Digable Planets delivers pure poetry and some of the smoothest, jazziest tracks of the genre. And starting it off is Grammy-winning Arrested Development. Details.

Ken Vandermark & Paal Nilsen-Love Duo, 7 p.m. Monday, Rhizome, $15-$25

Holiday weekend means a Monday concert pick. MacArthur Prize-winning reedist Vandermark pairs with drummer PNL for broad and challenging improvised jazz. Details.

Labor Day brunch

It’s not a long weekend in D.C. without brunch! Plenty of restaurants will extend their brunch offerings to Labor Day. Here are a few we’ve heard about:

• The District: All-Purpose Riverfront, Boundary Stone, dLeña, Founding Farmers, El Presidente, Hen Quarter Prime, Le Diplomat, Maker’s Union (The Wharf only), Matchbox, Palette 22, Pastis, Pisco y Nazca, The Saga, Seven Reasons, St. Anselm, Throw Social
• Maryland: ala, Founding Farmers, Matchbox, Pinstripes (Brunch & Grill Feast)
• Virginia: Founding Farmers, Hen Quarter Alexandria, The Majestic, Maker’s Union (Arlington and Reston), Matchbox, The Ridley, Royal Restaurant, Surreal

Things to do in D.C.

Last chance – Pixar Putt: Through Mon., The Wharf, $30 for adult tickets

DC JazzFest: Through Sun., various venues and The Wharf, tickets start at $25

Stand-up comedy at Room 808: Weds. to Sun., Petworth, prices vary  but several shows are free

Underground Comedy at Hotbed: Weds. to Sun., Adams Morgan, prices vary but several shows are free

Childish Gambino: Thurs., Capital One Arena, $125+

Sunset Cinema: “Soul”: Thurs., The Wharf, free

Nationals vs. Cubs: Fri., Sat., Sun., Nationals Park, $18+

• Two Friends performs for the Nationals Summer Concert Series on Friday after the game beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Extraordinary Cinema: “Chocolat”: Fri., movie set to begin at dusk (about 8:15 p.m.), The Kennedy Center REACH Lawn, free

DC Festival of Magic: Fri. to Sun., Capital Hilton (Northwest D.C.), $99 for a weekend pass, individual shows start at $15

Joy of African Movement: Sat., 9-10 a.m., Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, free

DC Afro Latino Fest: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Franklin Park, free

Washington Mystics vs. Connecticut Sun: Sat., 3 p.m., Entertainment and Sports Arena, $31+

Late Skate: Sat., until 10 p.m., Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion, free

NSO Labor Day Concert: Sun., 8 p.m., West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, free

Labor Day: Yoga + Sound Experience: Mon., 9-10 a.m., National Building Museum, $30

SPILL FEST: Afro-Caribbean Music and Food Festival: Mon., The Bullpen in Southeast, $15+

Things to do in Maryland

Greenbelt Labor Day Festival: Fri. to Mon., free entry, ride wristbands $20

A Night With The Legendary Comedian Earthquake: Fri. and Sat., MGM National Harbor, $98+

Capital House Music Festival: Sat., 11 a.m. to 9 a.m., Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Silver Spring, free

Paint the Town Labor Day Show: Sat. to Mon., Kensington, free

Maryland State Fair: Aug. 29-Sept. 2 and Sept. 5-8, Lutherville-Timonium, $11-$16

Maryland Renaissance Festival: Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 20, plus Labor Day, Annapolis, Maryland, $26+ for adult tickets through Sept. 8

• Seniors age 62 and up can go for free on Monday, Sept. 2

Labor Day Art Show: Sat. to Mon., Glen Echo Park, free entry

Frederick Arts & Crafts End of Summer Celebration: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown Frederick, free

Summers Farm Sunflower Festival: Sat. to Mon., plus Sept. 7-8, Middletown, $16.50 online, $20.50 at the gate

Kensington Labor Day Parade and Festival: Mon., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free

Things to do in Virginia

Fairfax County Animal Shelter’s “Clear the Shelters”: Adoption fees waived Fri. to Sun.

Jason Aldean: Highway Desperado Tour: Fri., 7:30 p.m., Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, $68+

Comedy: Guy Branum: Fri., Sat. and Sun., Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $20-$25

Patsy Cline Block Party: Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Patsy Cline Historic House in Winchester, free

Yoga in the Galleries at Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington: Sat., 11 a.m., 3550 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, $10-$20 suggested donation

Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits: Sat., 7 p.m., Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, $118+

Virginia Scottish Games: Sat. and Sun., The Plains, $20 (one-day pass)

Dog-friendly tour of Mount Vernon: Sat. and Sun., Mount Vernon, $10 in addition to general admission

LoCo Kid’s Fest: Mon., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Segra Field Parking Lots in Leesburg, free

Fairfax City Restaurant Week: Sept. 2-8

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She was scheduled to tour the newly renovated Garfield Elementary School with other education leaders to celebrate the first day of school for pre-K at 10 a.m.

In the X post, she said that she was disappointed that she won’t be able to celebrate with the “little learners” and that she will continue to follow public health guidelines.

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Title insurance is familiar to anyone who owns a home or is currently buying one. It’s an important part of the process that ensures the home bought actually belongs to the buyer.

The four title companies – Allied Title & Escrow, KVS Title, Modern Settlements and Union Settlements – face $3.29 million total in penalties.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb told News4 the title companies broke the law and cost District homebuyers money.

“It is illegal, reprehensible to be squeezing more profits out of people by virtue of violating the law,” Schwalb said.

The scheme DC officials described

The title companies offered real estate agents “exclusive, lucrative, and discounted investment opportunities in either the companies themselves or in shell entities” in exchange for client referrals, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

The D.C. attorney general says it is common for a real estate agent to suggest a title insurance company, but it is illegal for the agent to receive any compensation for doing so.

“Whether it’s cash, whether it’s a fancy yacht trip, whether it’s in distribution or a dividend in a joint venture that’s established to funnel fees,” Schwalb said, “all of that is illegal.”

In addition to profits from referrals, Allied Title & Escrow threw multiple parties on yachts in the Chesapeake Bay for real estate agents, the office said. The parties were “rewards for referrals and intended to incentivize the agents’ continued loyalty and future referrals,” authorities said.

The most clearly illegal version of a kickback scheme is one where a title company directly pays a real estate agent money for referring a client to a title company. Instead of that “front door” version of illegal activity, Schwalb said, the four title companies tried to take “the back door.”

“They tried to go through the back door with this surreptitious scheme of creating a joint venture or an entity, and giving the agents discounted interests in those entities, and then passing the money through the entities as if they were distributions or dividends,” Schwalb said.

The schemes had negative effects for homebuyers in a city where closing on a home is already expensive, Schwalb said. Since real estate agents involved were pointing their clients to certain title companies, it limited those clients’ ability to shop around for the best price.

“We want home buyers to be able to trust that the referrals that they’re getting from their agents are not contaminated with an undisclosed conflict of interest,” Schwalb said.

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The penalties

The $3.29 million in penalties is the total the title company will pay. Here’s the breakdown, under the terms of the agreement:

• Allied will pay $1.9 million to D.C.
• KVS will pay $1 million to D.C.
• Union will pay $325,000 to D.C.
• Modern will pay $65,000 to D.C.

The attorney general’s office said at least $2 million of the settlement will go to homeowners who may have lost money because of the schemes.

A claims process will be made publicly available on the attorney general’s website for anyone who used one of the four title companies to close on a home.

All four companies agreed to stop giving real estate agents rewards for referring clients, and to either “divest real estate agents from their ownership interests in the companies or cease the companies’ title insurance operations in the District,” the office of the attorney general said in a statement.

The office is “keeping an eye” on the real estate agents involved in the scheme, Schwalb said, but the settlement announced Thursday is only with the title companies.

The title companies’ responses

News4 reached out to each of the title companies involved in the settlement for comment.

A spokesperson for KSV Title said: “KVS Title strongly disagrees that its joint ventures operated improperly or harmed consumers, and denied any wrongdoing in its agreement with the Office of the Attorney General,” the statement reads. “KVS Title is proud of the work its joint ventures performed for consumers, but ultimately decided it was in the best interests of the company to settle these claims and avoid costly and protracted litigation.”

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A spokesperson for Modern Settlements said: “We do not agree with the allegations made by the Attorney General,” the statement reads. “Modern Settlements has always been and continues to be committed to playing by the rules and providing consumers with an exceptional experience at competitive prices.  We made a business decision to pay DC $65,000 rather than go through the drawn out process of a more extensive legal battle.”

The other two title companies, Allied Title & Escrow and Union Settlements, have not responded to a request for comment as of this writing. News4 will update you here if they do.

In a hearing Tuesday, the Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which White had chaired, splitting it into two subcommittees to be overseen by other councilmembers. This now leaves White without a committee chairmanship.

White, the Ward 8 councilmember, still will be allowed to vote on legislation and other Council matters.

The council voted unanimously with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on the vote.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the D.C. Council has met since White was arrested and charged with taking a bribe to steer government contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The D.C. Council has hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of White, which will cost D.C. taxpayers $400,000, an official told News4.

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However, White’s colleagues on the Council voted to close their discussion of the investigation to the public. News4’s Mark Segraves was one of the reporters forced to leave the meeting.

By law, Council meetings are open to the public, but just a few minutes after starting, the members voted to close the meeting to the public while they discussed their investigation into their colleague.

“We have to close the doors to the public because we’re discussing a sensitive personnel matter and an ongoing investigation,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said. “As experienced as you are, Mark, you know that it’s important to preserve the integrity of an investigation, and as it’s just beginning, there’s certain things that we have to discuss that are not yet for public domain, and we intend fully to be transparent.”

McDuffie is heading the ad hoc committee that will decide what discipline, if any, to recommend the Council impose on White, including the possibility of removing him from office.

“We have to do what’s in the best interest of the public while holding our colleague accountable,” McDuffie said. “That is exactly what I intend to do, conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

McDuffie told reporters the Council has engaged a private law firm to conduct the investigation.

When asked about the cost of the law firm’s fee, McDuffie responded: “I can tell you it’s $400,000.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has said the independent investigation will look into both the bribery charge and also whether White actually lives in Ward 8, as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living, according to prosecutors.

White did not show up in person for Tuesday’s Council hearing but did participate in the Council’s breakfast meeting and hearing virtually.

The council voted unanimously to reorganize White’s committee, with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on that vote.

Mendelson says the findings of the independent investigation will determine whether the D.C. Council votes to remove White from the Council entirely. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

Adriano Demorais, 33, was arrested Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said.

Demorais was feeding dogs at the day care’s Navy Yard location on the morning of Feb. 16, when he forcefully kicked a puppy named Bronny, who was a mountain-cur/German shepherd mix, according to the attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said Bronny collapsed seconds after Demorais kicked the puppy in the left side of the stomach. The puppy was transported to a nearby veterinary facility but could not be revived, District Dogs previously said.

Demorais admitted to kicking Bronny out of frustration over the puppy being too energetic while he was trying to feed the dogs, the attorney’s office said. District Dogs fired Demorais after the incident.

A necropsy, similar to an autopsy for humans, confirmed Bronny’s cause of death was blunt abdominal trauma with subsequent hemorrhagic shock.

If convicted, Demorais faces up to five years in prison.

It wasn’t immediately clear if he has an attormey.

In a hearing Tuesday, the Council voted to reorganize the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which White had chaired, splitting it into two subcommittees to be overseen by other councilmembers. This now leaves White without a committee chairmanship.

White, the Ward 8 councilmember, still will be allowed to vote on legislation and other Council matters.

The council voted unanimously with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on the vote.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the D.C. Council has met since White was arrested and charged with taking a bribe to steer government contracts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The D.C. Council has hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of White, which will cost D.C. taxpayers $400,000, an official told News4.

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However, White’s colleagues on the Council voted to close their discussion of the investigation to the public. News4’s Mark Segraves was one of the reporters forced to leave the meeting.

By law, Council meetings are open to the public, but just a few minutes after starting, the members voted to close the meeting to the public while they discussed their investigation into their colleague.

“We have to close the doors to the public because we’re discussing a sensitive personnel matter and an ongoing investigation,” Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said. “As experienced as you are, Mark, you know that it’s important to preserve the integrity of an investigation, and as it’s just beginning, there’s certain things that we have to discuss that are not yet for public domain, and we intend fully to be transparent.”

McDuffie is heading the ad hoc committee that will decide what discipline, if any, to recommend the Council impose on White, including the possibility of removing him from office.

“We have to do what’s in the best interest of the public while holding our colleague accountable,” McDuffie said. “That is exactly what I intend to do, conduct a thorough, independent investigation.”

McDuffie told reporters the Council has engaged a private law firm to conduct the investigation.

When asked about the cost of the law firm’s fee, McDuffie responded: “I can tell you it’s $400,000.”

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has said the independent investigation will look into both the bribery charge and also whether White actually lives in Ward 8, as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living, according to prosecutors.

White did not show up in person for Tuesday’s Council hearing but did participate in the Council’s breakfast meeting and hearing virtually.

The council voted unanimously to reorganize White’s committee, with White voting “present” on the matter. There was no public debate or discussion on that vote.

Mendelson says the findings of the independent investigation will determine whether the D.C. Council votes to remove White from the Council entirely. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.

“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”

“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.

The Department of Public Works noticed a lot of the cars responsible for dangerous and risky driving in the city come from outside of the District, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

DPW has been targeting entertainment districts like Adam’s Morgan on the weekends to find and tow drivers that, in some cases, have racked up thousands of dollars in D.C. traffic violations but never paid them.

“They are skirting the law and they are speeding through the streets — our streets,” D.C. Parking Enforcement Administrator Johnny Gaither said. “They are running red lights and they are running stop signs.”

Towed drivers can’t get their cars back unless they pay their fines in full. DPW said it opened a third impound lot because so many vehicles are being towed. 

Officials say signs that tell drivers how fast they’re driving allows them to collect information and the put resources where they are going to have the greatest impact. 

There are also electronic signs that recognize when drivers are using their phones while driving. 

“This is instantaneous, and then we’re actually seeing it change behavior, not weeks on end, but in that moment,” D.C. Highway Safety Office Director Rick Birt said.

No fines are attached to the signs yet. 

The goal of D.C.’s Vision Zero was to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by this year, but there have been 34 deaths on District streets so far in 2024.

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Traffic camera video shows the pack flooding the streets of Arlington, including Wilson Boulevard and North Oak Street. Some of them are seen running a red light in Rosslyn as pedestrians crossed the street.

At one point, Arlington County police arrived to redirect the group. Police said they monitored the motorbikes and ATVs for the safety of pedestrians and motorists. No injuries or property damage was reported. 

Riding the ATVs on public streets is illegal. Police said their investigation is ongoing.

Arlington County police say anyone who sees ATVs on the street should report them.

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In the order, IAD Commander John Knutsen told all members of the IAD: “The IAD member shall not contact nor attempt to interview the media representative in order to identify the individual (Source) that provided the unauthorized information to the news media.”

The directive was issued Aug. 19. That morning, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith told News4 a junior investigator made the decision on his own to call a reporter and ask for sources.

“That is something we should not do,” Smith said. “They should never do that … You should not see that happen again.”

In an Aug. 15 call to the News4 I-Team, an Internal Affairs agent asked reporter Ted Oberg what internal police documents he received and from whom. The documents in question revealed unanswered 911 calls from a family of an unresponsive 5-month-old child during one of D.C.’s 911 outages. That child later died. It is unclear if a faster 911 response would have changed that outcome.

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At the time, the official D.C. timeline did not include the unanswered calls. D.C. leadership has since acknowledged the family placed calls to 911 that were not answered by call takers.

The directive does leave room to call journalists in a criminal case after getting written permission from police leadership.

“Investigations of a criminal matter and/or in instances in which an interview of a media representative is necessary in order to dispose of a case, the IAD member shall request in writing and through the chain of command, permission from the Assistant Chief, Internal Affairs Bureau, to interview the media representative. The IAD member shall only contact and interview the media representative with written approval from the Assistant Chief, Internal Affairs Bureau. If contact with a media representative is approved, the media representative shall not be compelled to provide an interview or disclose a source.”

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