Shots on the block
I'm more annoyed than scared.Around maybe 8 something somebody decided to do a drive by. I know because I heard very loud-loud shots and a vehicle speeding by. I was just about to go out and do a little more work in the yard by street light when I heard the shots. Once it registered in my head what had happened I called the cops and opened the door. The thing brought out a lot of neighbors, yeah we're not the type to stay inside.
The police response was incredible. About a minute or two after I had called, I saw a cop car someone had intercepted. About a few minutes after that, another patrol car and another, and a helicopter. Yes, a helicopter. How did a helicopter get out here so fast?
As several bunches of us were standing around trying to piece together what the hell happend someone began to wonder, "where's the amubulance?" About two minutes after that statement, a firetruck comes.
The police had blocked of the street and were there for a good long while. Like a hour and a half, if not 2. I have no clue about the state of the victim and I know I should be happy that the police are taking this so seriously and putting in the work. As opposed to what we are sometimes resigned to think, that you hear the shots, you call the cops, and you wait and nothing happens. Really what we need is a walking the sidewalks beat cop. But that's another rant, for another day.
posted by Mari @ 26.5.06
16 Comments:
It was about 9pm (I know because I got home like 5 min. earlier), and there were 8-10 shots fired. Toby and I went up on the roof to take a look, and man, like IMMEDIATELY a helicopter was there with the spotlight. We couldn't believe how fast that thing appeared. We walked down to the scene and talked to an EMT guy. It was one guy, shot in the groin (ow). We have never seen this kid before (imposing on someone else's turf, maybe?). I, too, commented on how quickly help arrived and told Toby that at least THAT was good. Quick reponse. Still sucks that it happened, but...
Kelly
Wow. So I was going to create a post abot this, but I'll just use the comments field. We were out for dinner last night and came home to several blocks taped off, a dozen cop cars, detectives walking around, etc. The police wouldn't tell us what happened and I finally just said, "well, was someone shot?". Answer: "uh, yea, I cant tell you anymore".
Worried about neighbors but unable to get to my home, we did what anyone would do. Went to Bar Pilar for a beer. After a beer, we came back and it was pretty much cleared out. There were a few officers left around so I walked up and asked if I could get more information on what happened. Here's the conversation.
Truxtonian: "Excuse me, I live right over there. Can I asked what happened?"
Officer: "Someone was shot."
T: "Wow, can I ask who it was-- I mean was it one of the guys from the corner or someone that lives here?"
O: "Looks like it was a 'regular' from the corner"
T: Sighs with relief. "Did someone die?"
O: "Well, right now it looks like somone got shot in the their privates."
I actually said "good!" and the officers were trying to hold in a chuckle or two.
So apparently, the victim in the shooting got shot in his privates. What's funny, and ironic about this, is that I was joking at dinner that as long as the thugs in DC are decent shots (which they're not), the crime problem should take care of itself. Of course that's not going to happen, but it would be nice if it worked out that way... however, in this case, it may prevent the victim from making baby thugs.
I have to say that the police response to things like a drive-by and a fight is pretty impressive. When I first moved to my neighborhood, two women got into a fight in front of the corner store. Within five minutes of the fight starting, the police were there breaking it up and arresting them.
Shoot, the above comment was mine.
--- Trinidad Slim.
We had shots fired on the corner of 5th & Q Wednesday night too. And no one was hurt but the cops showed up so fast, they were able to search a couple of the suspects and found 2 guns. The amazing part of it is that 1) I watched on of my neighbors run toward the direction of the gun shots to get a view of what was going on and 2) 3 cop cars showed up in about a minute and they actually investigated. Last time this happend about a month ago and no one was shot, they just said there was nothing they could do and left.
Yeah, we had a neighbor run after a car after shots were heard..... whether the car was involved, unknown. We're a crazy bunch.
But really, where the heck did the helicopter with the spotlight come from?
re: the helicopter: My guess is that it's the same one that flies over Brookland/Woodridge about twice a week whenever someone's running around when/where they shouldn't. The closer the chopper, the more likely we are to stay off the porch.
Do you think they installed that "shot track" technology without telling us? Thats the microphones on trees that automatically trace where gun shots are coming from and dispatch police cars. We couldn't be that lucky. While I hope this all ends I really hope its not because all the thugs shoot eachother. What amazes me is that the gangs are 5th and 0 and 7th and O etc. I mean damn two blocks each couldn't they consolidate?
A friend of mine said there were 8 gunshots seemingly right outside his door last night.... At 13th & Irving (Columbia Heights) around 11 p.m. His roommate called the police, who said it had already been reported. But, they never did see police pass by in front of their house.
A brooklander here. The helicopter flies over Brookland so often that it referred to as the ghetto bird on the brookland listserv.
Back to the original post, keep pushing MPD if you want officers to walk the beat in your neighborhood. In Brookland, the community has been begging for this for some time. Now we finally have an officer who's assigned to walk 12th Street.
Just a heads up:
You made wonkette.com with this post.
Truxtonian, assuming you were not joking, I'm REALLY not sure what I think of your "thugs making baby thugs" statement. Forgot most of the college logic classes. Isn't that like saying Australians are thugs? This is a just question, your answer, or anybody else's may help me form an opinion on the subject.
I myself think that criminals shooting only criminals may in some cases be productive.
caro_alcuaz@yahoo.com
Caro, I think it's a mix of being facetious, a little humor as a defense mechanism and maybe a little truth.
Of course I don't want anyone hurt. No violence is clearly preferrable to any violence. But if it HAS to happen, let it be violence that somehow might prevent future violence. I guess that's my only point.
I got one word shadenfreude. It's probably mispelled but it is a lovely German word meaning taking pleasure at the misfortune of others.
Were there gunshots Sat. night/ Sun. morning at around 1:45a.m.? Or was that another noise?
-Amy
I think the helicopter got there so fast because it was already airborne. Given some of the posts, it sounds like a busy week in the 'hood. Maybe the cops knew of a shipment coming in or that it was "pay-up day" or something like that to where they were prepared.
ghettobird...awesome.
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