Prince Of Petworth » Blog Archive » Massive Emergency Response Presence Near Grant Circle

Massive Emergency Response Presence Near Grant Circle

08 February 2010 6:55 PM | By Prince Of Petworth in Crime - Stories

Thanks for all the tips on this. I just came back from the scene at 6:45pm Monday evening. I’ve never seen this many emergency response vehicles. Dozens of firetrucks, police cars, ambulances and the big black special operations vehicle can be seen around Illinois Ave and Webster with 7th Street, NW closed off.

Word on the street is that a man has barricaded himself inside a home near 7th and Webster Streets, NW. It is not clear if there is a weapon and it is not clear if there are people being held against their will. But given this size response something serious is clearly going on. I’ll update with more info as soon as it becomes available.

UPDATE FROM MAYOR’S OFFICE: 12:50 am – Tues., Feb. 9

“MPD has informed us that the barricade incident on the 4300 block of 7th Street NW has ended without injury. MPD has custody of the person who caused the incident. Grant Circle area streets are being re-opened.”

08 February 2010 7:11 PM | dd Said:

the cops wont let anybody on my block leave their house

08 February 2010 7:14 PM | Not there Said:

Let’s just pray no one gets hurt!

08 February 2010 7:31 PM | Victoria Said:

No offense, but I never understand this sentiment. Why didn’t you just pray against this ever happening in the first place? Or pray that it never happens anywhere? Why not just pray against all bad things happening to everyone everywhere? If you believe prayer works, shouldn’t you just be on your knees all day praying against bad things? Did you slack off one day and – oops earthquake in Hati? I know it’s kinds of just a figure of speech, but it is kind of vapid.

And please, we’ve heard all the “god works in mysterious ways” lines.

08 February 2010 7:39 PM | cynic Said:

You’d be amazed at the power of collective prayer. Open up, Vic.

08 February 2010 7:57 PM | dukiebiddle Said:

You’re, like, the worst cynic ever.

08 February 2010 8:08 PM | Victoria Said:

So tell me – I’m totally open. What have you prayed against the didn’t happen? And why did so many bad things happen in the world? Were the prayerful slacking off?

08 February 2010 8:28 PM | bad cynic Said:

You see, it’s because all of the slackers spent so much time praying that they’d have another day of no-need-to-report-to work, when there are so many struggling to find work, and love. Don’t you get it? I certainly don’t.
08 February 2010 8:47 PM | anon Said:

shut up this would be a good time to SHUT UP VICTORIA

08 February 2010 7:40 PM | Anonymous Said:

It’s a figure of speech; pull the stick out of your ass. Let’s hope nobody gets hurt so Victoria doesn’t have to get on a soapbox.

08 February 2010 8:11 PM | Victoria Said:

One word for you – Cat videos. . . .

oooh – my captcha is “going congo!”

08 February 2010 7:46 PM | John Said:

Wow, you’re so edgy and cool!

08 February 2010 8:45 PM | anon Said:

shut up !

08 February 2010 9:42 PM | Victoria Said:

All oddly argo – please explain.

08 February 2010 10:45 PM | Mal Said:

I’m with you Victoria. Never quite understood that phrase or the “belief” system behind it.

08 February 2010 7:17 PM | Anon Said:

Almost the same exact thing happened in Bloomingdale last week at N Cap and Bryant. Somebody was threatening suicide it appears and the response was massive, perhaps they had others barricaded in with them. I’ve never seen so many vehicles, this sounds eerily similar. Black SWAT van, 2-3 other special response unit vans, dozens of cop cars, a few ambulances, fire engines. Probably 30+ vehicles all told, no joke. N Cap was shut down in both directions for several hours in the middle of the night and into rush hour. Don’t know how far south it stretched, but they blocked it off starting right up at Michigan.

08 February 2010 7:20 PM | anon Said:

i hope every one envolved keeps a cool head,and all stay safe.

08 February 2010 7:21 PM | Almost been there Said:

I guess RG and his X are having some issues with his delayed departure! The shoveling didn’t work?

08 February 2010 7:28 PM | Anonymous Said:

FED IS CLOSED ON TUESDAY!!!!

08 February 2010 7:36 PM | Jackie O. Said:

The cops just told us that the man in question has a high powered rifle and that we were in the line of fire when we turned from upshur onto 7th.

08 February 2010 7:41 PM | inside Said:

Yikes!

08 February 2010 7:45 PM | MK Said:

Look at that clean street!!!

08 February 2010 8:00 PM | dukiebiddle Said:

Jealous!

08 February 2010 8:17 PM | matt Said:

seriously. I think that’s south facing, so probably got some solar melting today, though.

08 February 2010 8:16 PM | m.e. Said:

anon 7:28 pm:

fed closed tmw, too? really??

08 February 2010 8:18 PM | matt Said:

yup. opm.gov says so (when you can access it)

08 February 2010 8:27 PM | Victoria Said:

Confused thread or true Dada?

08 February 2010 8:48 PM | anon Said:

SHUT UP !! VICTORIA

08 February 2010 9:47 PM | Victoria Said:

OK – Never taunt the cannibals.

08 February 2010 10:49 PM | Mal Said:

I wish you could “like” comments… LIKE!

08 February 2010 8:51 PM | neighbor Said:

I just heard screaming and what sounds like gunshots coming from my window, I live at 7th and Varnum

08 February 2010 8:57 PM | Tosen Said:

I have a clear view of the house from my bedroom window…he just dropped a tv or some heavy electronic equipment from the top floor window. Looks/sounds like a young kid (late teens early 20’s).

08 February 2010 8:59 PM | neighbor Said:

i may have spoken too soon, they sounded like muffled bangs, maybe tear gas or something

08 February 2010 11:40 PM | yourmom Said:

oh dear lord… you all are lammeeeee

09 February 2010 12:18 AM | map Said:

HAVE THESE PEOPLE HANDLING IT LOST ALL CONTROL?

09 February 2010 12:19 AM | Nearby Said:

Very interesting, standing out in the cold, listening to the bullhorn, begging the standout, we need to talk, we know you can hear us. Must be like 50-100 officers assigned to this! I am glad I am not right next door wanting to go to sleep for an early meeting!

What’s with the sounds of shotguns? Is it really tear gas?

09 February 2010 12:20 AM | anon Said:

the two of you are huge pain. this post was about aserious situation and …well as i said before shut up
!!

09 February 2010 12:30 AM | map Said:

Well there you have it.

09 February 2010 12:33 AM | friend of a friend Said:

Is it still going on? I have a friend who lives within range of the guy’s rifle and was evacuated earlier… but would really like to come home.

09 February 2010 12:34 AM | pete Said:

did they kill him, my god~

09 February 2010 12:35 AM | sel Said:

i don’t think it is over an in fact if it were they would not let anyone in until the morning because of clean up.

09 February 2010 12:38 AM | pete Said:

its over.

09 February 2010 12:43 AM | friend of a friend Said:

thanks for the update

09 February 2010 12:45 AM | marge Said:

any updates?

09 February 2010 12:48 AM | pete Said:

only that the noise has stopped and it seems they either killed him or got him to come out of his house.

09 February 2010 12:48 AM | marge Said:

That is so sad… what a troubled soul he must be.

09 February 2010 12:50 AM | pete Said:

Yeah it is sad. Glad we have a great police force to handle these tough situations.

09 February 2010 12:52 AM | Victoria Said:

If you’re talking about the prayer thing – I made it clear from the beginning that I don’t understand and am indeed seeking knowledge, and that I come from a position of respect, and am seeking facts, totally admitting ignorance, so no mocking, except in your limited mind.

Simply show me a verifiable example of prayer averting disaster and I will be eagerly converted. I believe, (mostly) in God but find it obscene and abhorrent when people who happened to escape disaster get up and say “Thank God he saved me” instead of “Thank God that he chose to kill someone else besides me.”

I’ve always found the idea of praying for or against something outright blasphemous, besides petty and dull. God knows what he is doing (or what the fuck good is he?) So beseeching him for or against our preferred outcome is both ostentatious and hopefully futile.

That said, I understand and accept the human urge to pray in the sense of trying to clearly connect to the divine. I just despise facile platitudes guised as prayer – like “let’s pray everything turns out all right.”

“Prayer” in this context, is really just another word for lobbying. If God can be coaxed, he is not omnipotent. If not omniptent, then what good is he?

Discuss

09 February 2010 9:33 AM | StubsDC Said:

Victoria – I am sorry for the ignoramuses whose only response to a question can be shut up. That’s why we have red state vs blue state, religion vs agnostic, black vs white issues – when people aren’t willing to talk.

I firmly believe in the power of prayer, but I also firmly believe that if God stepped in and removed all the bad in life, then how would any of us grow as humans? Remember our parents letting us make mistakes so we could learn from them? If they protected us from all bad things, what kind of adults would we be now. I feel like its similar with God – sometimes he just has to let a lot of us screw up, which sometimes leads to really bad things for other people (wars, murder, broken homes, etc). But how much would life suck if God sheltered us from all bad experiences? We wouldn’t even know it if we were having a good experience.

Anyway. While I don’t know how to say that prayer certainly averts disasters (because would we know about them if they didn’t happen) i can say that I know it has happened to me. I was driving late one night and went to turn on a road. As I started to turn, I got the worst feeling I have ever had in my life. I just knew that if I turned down that road, something bad was going to happen. So, I turned around and went another way. Will I ever know what would have happened down that road? Nope. But I’m willing to accept that in that one instant in life, I was spared from making a bad decision.

09 February 2010 12:54 AM | Jane Said:

As far as I could gather, it was a man with a rifle making suicide threats at 4315 7th St.

Those of you not allowed out of your houses were damn lucky. I wasn’t allowed *in* my house and I spent two hours outside and another 3.5 lying on a church pew contemplating my life choices. Like the choice to live in Petworth.

Good night.

09 February 2010 1:01 AM | Nearby Said:

Sad to hear the boisterous laughter of someone(s) in the group. Emergency vehicles slowly departing.

OK, I’ll shut up, it’s serious.

09 February 2010 1:02 AM | marge Said:

Sorry you feel nervous in Petworth Jane, this type of thing happens everywhere. I wish you luck in whatever you decide. I hope you have warmed up since being able to come inside.

09 February 2010 1:03 AM | pete Said:

how can someone laugh if a man died?

09 February 2010 1:12 AM | ontarioroader Said:

No one died – incident ended and the gunman is in custody.

09 February 2010 1:24 AM | Jane Said:

Marge,

Where’d you get the notion I was nervous about living in Petworth? I never said such a thing, nor am I.

Though I can assure you — having lived in cities on all three coasts of the U.S., as well as two years in Europe and two years elsewhere in DC — that this type of thing most certainly does not happen everywhere. In fact, it happens in very few places, thank god. Your worldview is a warped and rather depressing one.

09 February 2010 10:05 AM | John Said:

wow. while I think you’re 100% correct, I assume Marge was extending a note of sympathy. She had good intentions. Then again, it was 1am when you responded so maybe you were just delirious.

09 February 2010 12:38 PM | Jane Said:

Nah, I just think she sounded condescending, annoying, and a bit batty. And I don’t like it when strangers attribute emotions to me out of whole cloth. I’m not nervous about Petworth; I’m just rolling my eyes about having to deal with this shit.

09 February 2010 9:15 AM | RD Said:

Troubled suicidal people are location specific to Petworth?

09 February 2010 6:45 PM | akuu Said:

my woe started as early as 5.30pm when the cops began to arrive. I was never allowed in until 1.pm. Prayer is good though. Its not lobbying. When you pray you let your wish known to a higher power. You feel better you’ve spoken your mind. Better to speak than to shot up. All decision are God’s, though you’ve expressed your wish and acknowledged the power of the Almighty. Does he listen to us, Yes definitely. But his will is perfect. This is WISDOM.