District of Columbia
D.C. gay couple robbed, pistol whipped but U.S. Attorney has yet to prosecute
Victim says attackers shouted anti-gay slurs, hit him in face with gun last year

A D.C. gay man says an official with the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia last week explained to him why the office has yet to prosecute two male suspects identified by D.C. police who allegedly assaulted and robbed him and his partner at gunpoint near their home while yelling anti-gay slurs more than a year ago.
The gay man, who asked to be identified by his first name, Michael, said the incident took place shortly after midnight on Jan. 8, 2022, as he and his partner, who has also asked to be identified by his first name, Christopher, were walking home at the intersection of 4th and N streets, N.W., when two men wearing ski masks and brandishing handguns approached them and demanded their money.
According to Michael, the official with the U.S. Attorney’s office, whom he declined to identify, told him the delay in prosecuting the case was due to a lack of sufficient evidence to bring the suspects identified by police to trial. But he said the official told him the case remains open and under investigation.
Michael described the incident in detail in an Aug. 1 letter he mailed to Matthew W. Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, who serves as the city’s lead prosecutor.
He urged Graves in his letter to take steps to prosecute the case using information he and Christopher provided police, including the license plate number of the suspects’ getaway car and purchases made with a credit card stolen from the couple during the robbery. Michael provided a copy of the letter to the Washington Blade.
“Two men confronted us yelling homophobic slurs then robbed us at gunpoint,” Michael told Graves in his letter. “During this time, I was also pistol whipped in the face before the two escaped in a getaway car,” he wrote. “To my dismay, it has been more than a year since the incident occurred, and no progress has been made prosecuting the offenders,” he told Graves in his Aug. 1 letter.
Michael points to a D.C. police report confirming that police obtained what they believed was sufficient probable cause to obtain a warrant for the arrest of at least two suspects they identified in their investigation. The police report says the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined the police request for the warrant.
But the report does not list the incident as a hate crime, and a police spokesperson told the Blade that the two victims never told police investigators that the suspects called them anti-gay names. Michael and Christopher told the Blade they thought they mentioned the anti-gay name calling to police, but they acknowledge they may not have done so following the trauma of being robbed at gunpoint.
Michael told the Blade that the official with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the first time informed him in an Aug. 25 phone conversation that the delay in prosecuting the case was due to difficulty in definitively identifying the two suspects who robbed him and Christopher and a third suspect who drove the getaway car based on just the license number and credit card information.
“She said since they had multiple people in the vehicle, and because the gunmen were masked, they are having a hard time linking the credit card/phone information to the car’s license plate,” Michael said the official told him. “They have to specifically know who did what part of the crime to charge them,” he attributed the official as saying.
Michael said in an Aug. 28 phone interview with the Blade that he told the U.S. Attorney’s office official that he wants the office to prosecute the case, but he is doubtful the office will do so based on what the official told him.
The office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C. has a longstanding policy of not publicly disclosing its reasons for not prosecuting cases like this one.
Patricia Hartman, a spokesperson for the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s office, when contacted by the Blade, declined to comment on the case, saying, “We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of investigations.”
The Blade will update this story to include any explanation the U.S. Attorney’s office decides to publicly disclose for its reason for not prosecuting this case.
Christopher, Michael’s partner, told the Blade one of the two suspects that robbed the two men began touching and grabbing his crotch in an “unwelcome action” toward him as the suspect was checking his pants pockets for a wallet or any other belonging that the two suspects intended to steal from the two men as the armed robbery unfolded.
The man who touched his crotch did so after he pointed a gun at his chest, Christopher said.
The D.C. police report for the incident obtained by the Washington Blade says that in addition to taking the two men’s wallets, at least $100 in cash, and credit cards, the armed gunmen took Christopher’s Canada Goose jacket, which the report says had an estimated value of $1,500.
The police report includes the notation, “Prosecution Declined (May 4, 2022).”
The report, however, also states that the incident is not listed as a suspected hate crime.
D.C. police spokesperson Paris Lewbel provided a statement to the Blade saying the two men did not tell the officers responding to the scene of the incident or detectives in follow-up interviews that the suspects called them anti-gay names.
“We have reviewed the BWC [Body Worn Camera] footage of the officers who responded to the scene and interviewed the two victims of the crime,” the police statement says. “They never told officers that the suspects made any statement or anti-gay remarks,” it says.
“In a review of follow-up interviews by detectives, they also never stated the suspects made any statement,” the statement continues. “Had they told the responding officers or detectives, this case would have been classified as a Hate Crime,” it says.
The statement adds, “The detectives conducted a complete and exhaustive investigation of this offense, and based on probable cause, they submitted arrest warrants to the United States Attorney’s Office; after a review, the USAO declined to pursue charges at that time, and MPD closed the case administratively.”
The police statement concludes by saying, “We cannot comment about USAO’s decision and refer you to them for additional information.
Both Michael and Christopher told the Blade they thought they told police about the anti-gay slurs made by the two suspects who robbed them, but they now believe they may not have disclosed that information under the stress and anxiety they experienced after having been robbed at gunpoint.
“I think we were mostly just in shock at the moment,” Christopher told the Blade in a phone interview. “I don’t know if we focused on that,” he said in recalling that he and Michael were questioned by police officers at the time of the incident for about two hours.
“I’m used to being called a faggot,” Christopher added. “I’m not fazed by that anymore,” he said, pointing out that those feelings and the stress at the moment may have prompted him not to raise the issue of the anti-gay slurs by the two suspects.
Spokespersons for the D.C. police and the U.S. Attorney’s office did not respond to a question by the Blade on whether they might bring a hate crime charge against the suspects if the case is eventually prosecuted.
Under the D.C. hate crimes law as recently amended, hatred need not be the only motive for the underlying crime for which a hate crime designation could be added. Although armed robbery was the underlying crime in this case, prosecutors can add a hate crime designation if they believe there is sufficient evidence to do so.
Michael states in his letter to U.S. Attorney Graves that he and Christopher provided D.C. police with a photo of the rear of the getaway car capturing the license plate number after the two suspects entered the car with a third person driving the vehicle. Christopher said he took the photo with his phone that the suspects, for unknown reasons, did not take. They took Michael’s phone but minutes later tossed it out the window of the getaway car as it drove off.
According to Michael’s letter to Graves, he and Christopher promptly reported the incident to D.C. police, provided police with the photo of the car license number and subsequently provided police with information about how one of the credit cards stolen from them was used to order food through a food delivery service.
“With the help of online account information provided by the food delivery service, MPD told us they had enough telephonic evidence to corroborate our stories and for an arrest warrant,” Michael says in the letter.
Defense attorneys familiar with this type of case have said “probable cause” by itself may not be sufficient to convince a jury to render a verdict of guilty. Defense attorneys point to the requirement under criminal law that prosecutors must convince a jury that someone is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which is a more stringent criteria than probable cause.
Michael said one or more of the detectives involved in the case told him they believed the evidence obtained from the license plate number of the getaway car, the use of at least one stolen credit card, and information from the food delivery service DoorDash that one of the suspects made purchases through the stolen credit card was substantial enough to charge the suspects, who Michael said the detectives declined to identify by name.
“I do believe that even if one could not prove armed robbery beyond a reasonable doubt, other illegal acts, such as credit card fraud, could be proven,” Michael said in his letter to Graves.
District of Columbia
D.C. to receive $300,000 from Gilead for ‘illegal kickback scheme’
Alleged effort to pay doctors to prescribe company’s HIV meds

D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced on July 15 that the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences will pay $316,413 to the District as part of a settlement of civil allegations that it engaged in an illegal kickback scheme with doctors to promote and sell its HIV medication.
A statement released by Schwalb says Gilead allegedly violated D.C. and federal false claims laws “by paying doctors and other healthcare providers to promote and prescribe its suite of HIV medications over those marketed by its competitors.”
The statement adds, “Because the resulting insurance claims filed with the District’s Medicaid program were induced by kickbacks, they violated the District’s False Claims Act ((FCA).”
Gilead’s $316,413 payment to D.C. is part of a total of $202 million the drug company agreed to pay in April of this year to 46 states and the District to settle a lawsuit initially filed against it in 2016 over illegal kickback allegations.
“For years, Gilead Sciences illegally boosted sales by paying lavish kickbacks to doctors, and in so doing, cheated both District patients and taxpayers,” Schwalb said in his statement.
“Gilead develops, manufacturers, and sells medications for the treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS,” the statement continues. “A federal and multistate investigation revealed that between 2011 and 2017, Gilead administered a kickback program for its suite of HIV medications whereby 548 healthcare providers received over $23.7 million in honoraria payments, in addition to extravagant meals and paid travel expenses,” the statement says.
It says these payments were part of Gilead’s “HIV Speaker Programs” intended to entice the doctors to prescribe Gilead’s drugs. “Throughout this period, Gilead caused claims for payment for its HIV medication – induced by the illegal kickbacks – to be submitted to the District’s Medicaid program,” Schwalb’s statement says.
In a statement at the time of the settlement in April, Gilead said it “entered into this agreement to avoid the cost and distraction of potential litigation regarding this legacy compliance matter.”
The statement adds, “Gilead’s speaker programs have served to educate healthcare professionals about the appropriate use and benefits of these important medications … Gilead’s therapies have transformed the treatment paradigm for HIV, and Gilead will continue to drive innovation to meet patients’ needs.”
While under criticism for the alleged kickback scheme, Gilead received favorable news coverage in June when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new HIV prevention medication developed by Gilead called lenacapavir that needs to be taken by injection once every six months.
Public health experts and AIDS activists called the new HIV prevention, or PrEP, drug, which testing showed to be greater than 99 percent effective in preventing HIV infection, a major advancement in the years-long effort to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and worldwide.
District of Columbia
Gay Ward 1 Council candidate expresses ‘passion’ for public service
Brian Footer says listening to residents’ concerns is focus of campaign

Gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Brian Footer, who has announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat up for election in 2026, says his campaign includes a diverse coalition of supporters dedicated to addressing the concerns of Ward 1 residents.
In an interview with the Washington Blade, Footer outlined his plans for addressing a wide range of issues impacting Ward 1 and the city as a whole, which he said affect all city residents, including LGBTQ residents.
“On the City Council I’m going to be especially focused on making housing more affordable, improving public safety, and making it easier to do business in our community,” he said. The needs and concerns of the city’s senior citizens is also an issue of great interest for him, he told the Blade.
“Public service is something that has always been ingrained in me,” he added. “And local government is where I’ve chosen to channel that passion, because it directly impacts people’s lives.”
Footer, a Democrat, initially will be running for the Ward 1 Council seat in the city’s June 2, 2026, Democratic primary. If he were to win the primary and the November 2026 general election, he would become the Council’s second openly gay member.
Incumbent Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau (D) told the Blade last week that she wasn’t ready to discuss her plans for the future and whether she would run for re-election. Longtime Ward 1 community activist Terry Lynch has announced his candidacy for the Ward 1 Council seat as a Democrat.
Blade: Can you tell a little about your background, where you were born and raised and where you are from if you are not a native of the D.C. area?
Footer: I’m proud to say I’m a third-generation native of the D.C. area. From my grandfather’s dental practice just north of Dupont. From my parents meeting while working at G.W. Hospital. Or three generations of Footers attending the Hebrew School of Washington Hebrew. D.C. is my home and part of my family’s history.
And for the past 20 plus years as an adult gay man, D.C. has been my chosen home, in large part due to the vibrant and proud LGBTQ+ community. Public service is something that has always been ingrained in me. And local government is where I’ve chosen to channel that passion, because it directly impacts people’s lives.
I started my public service journey as a U.S. House page working for Dick Gephardt. And cut my teeth in local policy working for the New York City Council’s Speaker, Christine Quinn, managing her aging and veterans affairs portfolio. That’s where I got to experience how local government can truly impact people’s daily lives. …
I chose to extend my public service by first running for ANC in 2014…. And I came back to the ANC in 2022 and served as chair of 1E since then.
Blade: Can you say a little about how you describe your occupation and your working career?
Footer: I would say that I am an expert in the Older Americans Act. And that is an amazing space to make sure that we’re supporting our senior community to a place of dignity and respect. And so, I worked for government for many years, like 10 or 11 years. I started at the federal level, went down to the state level and eventually found my passion at the local level.
And that’s where I started getting my expertise in the aging space. And currently I work at KPMG as a healthcare consultant. And my clients there are the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
Blade: Have you been involved in local D.C. community affairs for
a good amount of time?
Footer: Yes, in 2014 I decided to run for ANC. And as I mentioned, I have a passion for really getting into local issues. And so, running for ANC was an opportunity to extend my experiences and I’ve had an amazing time doing that. And then I ran for the Ward 1 Dems position. I was chair of that. And that took me through the 2016 presidential election.
And then in 2022 I decided to run again for ANC just a couple of blocks away. And I represent the southern part of Howard University and the northern part of Shaw. And I’m on the southern boundary of ANC 1 E, which represents Howard University, Park View, and Pleasant Plakins, with Georgia Avenue running through all SMDs [Single Member Districts].
Blade: What neighborhood do you live in now?
Footer: I live in the northern Shaw neighborhood, kind of the east side of U Street. So, I live in a building called Atlantic Plumbing. It’s right next to the 9:30 Club.
Blade: You mention on your campaign website that you feel things are not going as well as they should in the city in a number of different areas. Can you tell a little about what those areas or issues are and what you would do to correct or fix them?
Footer: So, on the City Council I’m going to be especially focused on making housing more affordable, improving public safety, and making it easier to do business in our community. And these are urgent issues. And people need relief now, not a decade from now. And so, with respect to public safety, we have been given a false choice between law enforcement and compassionate long-term solutions that get people back on their feet.
We need both. And they have to be coordinated. We have a lot of public safety programs in place, but they’re not working because we’ve thrown everything at the wall and aren’t doing any one of them very well. We have the information and data about crime and safety in Ward 1 to focus on targeted policies that will actually work if only we’re committed to them and follow through. I mean better coordination between agencies, more consistent support for violence prevention programs, and urgent improvements for things like street lighting, trash, and behavioral health services. So, we need to feel safe and be safe. Right now, too many residents don’t feel either.
With respect for housing, the rent is too high. It is unaffordable for lots of families. And so, over the past 10 years, rent has increased more than 66 percent while the consumer price index for the area increased by approximately 25 percent; that means that rent prices have been increasing by a rate of more than double that of general inflation.
We’ve been given a false choice between supporting business or supporting renters. I’m in favor of working with the business communities to build as many new homes as possible. It doesn’t have to come at the expense of renters and owners’ rent. There are solutions that have been implemented elsewhere in the country we should emulate. We should use the power of local government to make it easier and cheaper to build while bringing renters and the business community to the table.
As for small businesses, there are plenty of good programs in D.C. to support small businesses. Right now, however, different parts of the D.C. government don’t talk to each other. And we’re putting the onus on business owners to navigate this bureaucratic maze. We should be making it a lot easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to get the licenses they need, pay their people a living wage, and serve our community.
Blade: Can you say a little about the current Ward 1 Council member? Do you feel she is not doing what you feel should be done on these issues?
Footer: So, you know, what I’ll say about Council member Nadeau, she has served Ward 1 for many years. And I respect anyone who steps up for public service. Whether she decides to run again or not, my decision to enter this race comes from listening to neighbors who are ready for a new vision. One that’s focused on safety, stability, and a city government that truly works for everyone.
I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for the future of Ward 1. I bring a different leadership style. I listen first. I build coalitions. I act boldly and I follow through. This campaign is about what we can do differently and better to make people feel safe, supported, and seen. Ward 1 deserves that conversation no matter who is on the ballot.
Blade: The local D.C. government and its current laws, including the Human Rights Act, are recognized as being supportive of the rights of the LGBTQ community. As a gay candidate, is there anything else you think needs to be done to protect the rights and the wellbeing of the D.C. LGBTQ community?
Footer: I will say I’m proud to be a gay man and part of D.C.’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community. And my involvements in the community over the years have been both personal and political, from organizing alongside queer leaders, advocating for inclusive policies, to showing up for the community when it matters most.
In D.C., I have worked with and supported local LGBTQ+ groups in a variety of ways, from volunteering for the Victory Fund in my early career to organizing LGBTQ+ senior housing round tables for SAGE and other housing advocates. But beyond formal affiliations, my queer identity informs how I lead. It’s with empathy, resilience and a deep appreciation for chosen family and intersectionality.
That’s why I’m running – to make sure queer people in Ward 1 and across the city feel seen, heard, and supported. And just to answer your question a little more directly, I think that there are two things in particular that are going to be important that I want to work towards and bring a lot of attention to.
One of them is dealing with housing. LGBTQ+ seniors are twice as likely to live alone and four times less likely to have children compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers. And so national surveys show that many LGBTQ+ seniors fear having to go back in the closet when entering assisted living or retirement communities or nursing homes. And so, stories of misgendering and lack of cultural competency among staff are common.
So, affirming and safe and affordable housing isn’t just about comfort. It’s about dignity and safety for our seniors. And the second topic we see a lot about is to support organizations like SMYAL, because up to 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness in D.C. identify as LGBTQ+. So, we need to make sure that we have those services to support people.
Blade: The D.C. Council has been considering a proposal by Mayor Bower in her FY 2026 budget to repeal a law impacting restaurants and bars, including the city’s gay bars, known as Initiative 82 that was passed twice by voters in a ballot initiative, which calls for ending the so-called tipped wage and requiring the businesses to pay the full minimum wage to restaurant and bar workers. Businesses and many of the tipped workers say the law has had a devastating impact on the businesses and they support repealing it. Do you have a position on that?
Footer: I think this is a good example of what I’ve said before that we are consistently being given false choices, right? And so, I think that we need to do our due diligence in order to find what is the common ground. You won’t find a small business in D.C. that doesn’t want to pay their people a living wage. And so, the question becomes how do you support our small business community to be able to thrive and also make sure that they’re supporting their employees.
And so, the specifics of whether I would vote for repealing it – I would say I’m not in favor of repealing what the voters have now said twice. But I do think the economic situation of our city has changed since the last time the voters had the opportunity to address this issue. And so, I figure it’s the City Council and the mayor’s job and the city government’s job to find out how we can make sure we’re blending those two things. It shouldn’t have to be a binary choice.
Blade: So, at this point are you saying you would not support the full repeal of the law?
Footer: At this point I don’t know if I would support a full repeal.
Blade: One other issue we have learned is that another candidate, longtime community activist Terry Lynch, has entered the race for the Ward 1 Council seat. Have you had any interaction with him over the years?
Footer: I haven’t. I recently reached out to him, and we’re supposed to get together soon to catch up. But I’m not very familiar with Terry Lynch. I’m looking forward to meeting him
Blade: The local LGBTQ group GLAA DC, formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance, issues ratings for candidates running for the D.C. Council and for mayor. They base their ratings on a candidate’s record on LGBTQ issues and their response to a questionnaire the group sends to all candidates. Two of the questions they always ask is do you support decriminalizing sex work between consenting adults and decriminalizing possession of recreational drugs such as cocaine. How would you answer those two questions?
Footer: We just started to do a lot more research into that. And I don’t have a position on that just yet. But you’re not the first person to bring up that topic. It’s definitely something we’re going to do research on and have a better understanding on how that directly impacts people in Ward 1. So, I’ll have a more formal answer and be able to talk through the specifics of that.
District of Columbia
Trans woman attacked, beaten near Lincoln Memorial
D.C. police list June 29 incident as suspected hate crime

D.C. police are investigating an incident in which a 43-year-old transgender woman says she was attacked and assaulted by three men around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29, as she was riding her battery powered scooter near the Lincoln Memorial.
District resident Cayla Calhoun, a popular bartender and sommelier at the D.C. restaurant Annabelle, told the Washington Blade she is struggling to recall the details and possible multiple locations of the attack due to the severe head injuries she has suffered.
A police report says Calhoun was found lying on a curb at the intersection of 19th Street and Constitution Avenue around 6 a.m. on June 29.
A GoFundMe appeal posted by her friend Ellen Vaughn, which reports Calhoun was found semiconscious at that time and taken to George Washington University Hospital, says her injuries include two concussions, multiple broken ribs, seven cranial fractures, and a fractured elbow.
The police report says Calhoun called for an ambulance at the 19th and Constitution Avenue location and told the emergency medical technicians who arrived at the scene that her injuries were caused by her falling off of her skateboard multiple times.
The police report says three days later, on July 3, while at the hospital, Calhoun told police “that she now remembered being assaulted by three males at 19th and I Street, N.W.,“about three quarters of a mile from where the ambulance technicians found her on Constitution Avenue.
Calhoun told the Blade she believes her memory was faulty at the time she first spoke with the ambulance technicians and police due to her head injuries. She said she is now beginning to recall that the three male attackers, whom she describes as white males, first approached her as she was riding her scooter near the Reflecting Pool close to the Lincoln Memorial.
She said the incident occurred while she was taking her routine after-work scooter ride shortly after she completed her bartending shift at Annabelle at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. She said her sometimes daily after-work scooter ride, which she took on the night of the attack, involves traveling along a bike path on the Rock Creek Parkway past the Kennedy Center to the Lincoln Memorial.
From the Lincoln Memorial she rides along the Reflecting Pool toward the Washington Monument, around which she circles before starting her ride home, heading north on 15th Street to her residence at 15th and R Street, N.W.
She said that on the night of the attack she now recalls passing three men who were also on scooters somewhere near the Lincoln Memorial and the reflecting pool.
“As I passed them, they yelled faggot and pedophile at me,” she told the Blade. “I was pulling onto the area there by the reflecting pond. And I figured I would ride right away.”
As best she recalls, the men followed her “and pushed me off my scooter and continued to yell slurs.” She said she recalls trying to ride away from the men and that her interaction with them may have continued in other nearby locations. But due to her head injuries she said she does not recall being assaulted by the attackers, although the multiple injuries to her head and body convinced her they had to have struck her in some way multiple times.
“I have a space where I can see myself in that moment thinking to myself this is not good,” she said. “Somebody is making fun of you. You need to go as fast as you can and you need to find people. And that’s the last thought that I remember happening until the hospital.”
The D.C. police report lists the incident as an Aggravated Assault and identifies the weapon as “hands/feet.” The report lists the suspected motive as “Hate-Bias” based on the victim’s “Gender identity — anti-transgender/transsexual.”
A D.C. police spokesperson said the case remains under active investigation and that anyone with information about the case should contact police at 202-727-9099.
The attack against Johnson took place six days before another D.C. transgender woman, Dream Johnson, 28, was shot to death around 12:30 a.m. on July 5 in front of an apartment building at 2013 Benning Rd., N.E., according to a D.C. police report.
Police have yet to identify a motive in that case. But one of Johnson’s family members, her aunt, has said she learned through someone who spoke to a witness to the shooting that three men had approached Johnson while she was walking along Benning Road and one of them called her a derogatory name before one of them shot her multiple times.
Police are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder. Anyone with information about this case is being asked to contact Homicide Detective Natasha Kennedy, the lead investigator, at 202-380-6198.
Local transgender rights advocate Earline Budd said close to 100 people turned out for a candlelight vigil held in Johnson’s honor on Saturday, July 12, at D.C.’s River Terrace Park. Among those who spoke at the vigil were Japer Bowles, director of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
Further details about the Cayla Calhoun case can be accessed through her friend’s GoFundMe appeal.
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