This story’s headline REPORTS a very good, scrupulously fair summary.

But let us ask, or at least consider a few more questions of MPD (and by necessary extension, USAO-DC)– with a community’s justified growing frustration…

How is the motive for firing a potentially lethal bullet at a gay man, after a violent confrontation has been significantly abated (by a courageous off-duty police officer, BTW) NOT reasonably considered a ‘hate crime’ — i.e., ‘bias-related’ as prescribed by long-standing, well-settled DC law?

Has MPD, under its current leadership, developed a routine bias of its own against enforcing DC’s Bias-Related Crimes Act– also a federal responsibility, in this MOST FEDERAL of all U.S. districts?

What about USAO-DC under Holder’s vs. Reno’s view of hate crimes enforcement by USDOJ?

Why MPD’s rush-to-judgment against a ‘hate’/ bias’ motive in the GA. Avenue case? The victim in that case has been clearly reporting TWO separate incidents, in time, and after being violent dragged there– at a secondary place, with at least one assault likely being PRIMARILY anti-gay ‘hate’ (‘bias-related’). The victim also reports likely TWO different sets of assailants. Why is MPD ignoring those facts?

Has MPD categorized that ‘GA. & Irving’ case as an “aggravated assault” like the IHOP case? With a bias motive? The elements appear to be there.

In the third hate crime (IMHO) against a LGBT victim that week, why has MPD failed to report their specific efforts to investigate the assault of a trans woman on WV and Mt. Olivet Road, NE (who also required hospitalization)? A MPD spokesperson promised information as to why that violent assault– irrespective of its motive– was NOT INCLUDED in MPD’s Daily Crime Reports published on the MPD-5D listserv. Why hasn’t MPD done so, as of this late date? Why the seeming coverup? Indeed, why hasn’t the Chief of Police addressed an appearance of official malfeasance in that case?

Time and again, in word and deed, we see MPD, under Chief Lanier, applying a soft-pedal and making excuses for not enforcing DC’s tough Bias-Related Crimes Act on behalf of many LGBT victims of violent crimes. Why?