Police arrest one suspect involved in July hate crime

Source: MetroWeekly
By: Yusef Najafi


The Washington Metropolitan Police Department announced late Monday, Sept. 29, that a suspect involved in an apparent hate crime has been arrested. According to the MPD, the suspect is a teenage male and D.C. resident, who was apprehended on Thursday, Sept. 25, and charged with aggravated assault. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.

The youth is suspected of being involved in the July 13 attack of three gay men who were assaulted around 4:30 a.m. after leaving a private party in the 1800 block of Kalorama Road, in Adams Morgan. Among the victims was Todd Metrokin, 39, whose substantial injuries required several stitches and left a boot print on his face. He has since spoken widely about the attack, helping to raise community awareness.

In late July, the MPD announced that it was seeking five suspects involved in the attack, describing all suspects as ''black males in their late teens or early twenties,'' with one wearing a black baseball cap, white tank-top and jeans.

The Sept. 25 arrest comes more than two months after the incident occurred, yet gay Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jack Jacobson, of ANC 2B04 in Dupont Circle, who contacted Metro Weekly in July following the attack, says he is encouraged by the news.

''I think it's more important that the arrest be made correctly than that it be made immediately,'' Jacobson says. ''Of course you always hope that these arrests would happen more quickly, but it took a while for the Police to build their case and, working with the District Attorney's Office, I'm confident that this will lead to a conviction.''

The MPD have no further details at this time regarding the remaining suspects.

Says Jacobson: ''I'm hopeful that this arrest will lead to arrests of the other suspects in the case and prosecution of all them who are responsible for the attack.''

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the GLLU at 877-495-5995.