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Tag: jeffery carroll

  • Incoming interim DC police chief wants to rebuild community trust – WTOP News

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    Carroll wants to improve department morale and engage with community members. He’s planning to meet with and listen to citizens advisory councils, businesses and other community groups, and is hoping to recruit and retain more officers.

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    Incoming interim police chief on the future of the investigation into DC’s crime numbers

    Jeffery Carroll has always wanted to be a police officer.

    Growing up, he was a Law Enforcement Explorer, a program that allows young people to learn about career possibilities by working with local law enforcement. For three summers in college, he worked for Ocean City’s police department as a seasonal police cadet.

    When D.C. police hired him, he was in the agency’s seasonal police academy with the hope of becoming an officer.

    Carroll has worked for the department for decades, spending time in the first, third and sixth police districts, the Internal Affairs Bureau, the Special Operations Division and the Homeland Security Bureau.

    “One of the goals I’ve always had is to be the chief of police anywhere,” Carroll told WTOP. “But really here, at the Metropolitan Police Department, it’s such a great honor. It’s such a unique agency.”

    On Jan. 1, Carroll is set to become the interim D.C. police chief. Mayor Muriel Bowser tapped Carroll for the role to replace Chief Pamela Smith, who announced she will be stepping down at the end of the year to spend more time with family.

    Carroll’s tenure will start with department under scrutiny

    Reports from both the Department of Justice and House Oversight Committee accused Smith of encouraging leadership to manipulate crime data, with the intention of making D.C. appear safer than it is.

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has asked the city’s inspector general to launch its own investigation, and Carroll said Monday that an independent audit team with the department will look at crime reports to “make sure they’re being classified appropriately.”

    Officers will also be retrained on classifying crime, he said, to make sure the reporting system has “checks and balances that are built into it to make sure that if things are changed or modified, it’s making the appropriate requirements for revalidation approval.”

    When Carroll learned about concerns related to crime data, he said he notified the Internal Affairs Division, which launched an investigation. When reports are finished, he said, department leaders will review recommendations for other changes that need to be made.

    “Obviously, there’s concern from the community,” Carroll said. “It does raise a level of distrust or concerns about the numbers. That’s why, I talked a little bit about this when the mayor nominated me, but going into it, the reports aren’t done.”

    Separately, Carroll will start the role in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge. While the crime emergency expired in September, National Guard troops and other federal officers remain in the city.

    After two West Virginia Guard members were shot near Farragut Square during Thanksgiving week, D.C. police patrolled the city alongside the National Guard.

    “MPD members are not actively going out with the National Guard members every day, but we do have a strong relationship with the National Guard. We use them every year for July 4. They support us for a variety of the national special security events,” Carroll said.

    The Guard has liaisons in D.C. police’s Joint Operations Command Center too, Carroll said.

    Some community members have criticized the agency for collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, but Carroll said the department “does not engage in civil immigration enforcement by policy. We don’t inquire about people’s immigration status.”

    D.C. police officers who are part of the city’s Joint Task Force are “not out with ICE members. MPD is not a part of any team that has ICE members on it,” Carroll said.

    While D.C. officers won’t inquire about immigration status, other federal law enforcement agencies “do have the authority and they might,” Carroll said.

    As is described in a mayor’s order that came after the crime emergency expired, D.C. police regularly collaborate with “every federal law enforcement agency except for ICE,” Carroll said.

    According to D.C. law, the council has to confirm a new police chief within 180 days, and Carroll said Monday he’d be interested in the permanent post if offered. But Bowser isn’t running for reelection, so it’s unclear how long his time leading the department will last.

    Separately, Carroll has been named in lawsuits that describe police misconduct against protesters.

    Ushering in ‘new era of honest leadership’

    In a statement after his appointment, the D.C. police union said it’s confident Carroll “will usher in a new era of honest leadership.”

    Carroll said he wants to improve department morale and engage with community members. He is planning to meet with and listen to Citizens Advisory Councils, businesses and other community groups, and is hoping to recruit and retain more officers.

    “It doesn’t feel like it’s working, just feels like you’re coming, you’re meeting people,” Carroll said. “Sometimes it’s in a bad situation. Sometimes it’s in a good situation. But at the end of the day, it really is to try to make things better.”

    When he isn’t focusing on work, Carroll said he spends time with his wife and three kids, “just same thing that any other father would be doing — sporting activities and cheer activities and things like that.”

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    Scott Gelman

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  • Bowser talks about the next steps in the District’s response to the House Committee’s report on crime data manipulation – WTOP News

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    D.C.’s inspector general will be looking into the House Committee’s reports on accusations against the District’s outgoing police chief.

    Outgoing D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith has been accused by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of manipulating crime data to maintain the appearance of low crime in the District.

    On Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser talked about the next steps D.C. is taking following the release of the report.

    Bowser said that they are digging further into the reports and data as they look into the allegations of crime data manipulation by outgoing Chief Smith.

    “The reports that have been issued leave a lot to be desired in terms of evidence and context,” Bowser said.

    She said she will be asking for an internal review of the accusations.

    “I am going to be asking the D.C. inspector general to look at the questions that were raised in those two reports,” she said.

    When asked about those people who have left the department and how far back the review will go, Mayor Bowser said, “I expect that the inspector general’s review will be inclusive of all the data allegations.”

    On Monday, Bowser lambasted the U.S. House Oversight Committee’s report accusing the city’s police chief of leading a pressure campaign to alter crime data. She questioned the Republican-led committee’s political motivation, methodology and timing.

    “The interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release,” Bowser wrote in a letter.

    Last week, Smith announced that she would be stepping down on Dec. 31 after two years in the position. Smith has said she doesn’t believe any crime numbers were manipulated during her tenure.

    Bowser has tapped Jeffery Carroll to serve as interim chief of the D.C. police department following Smith’s resignation.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Valerie Bonk

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  • National Guard members shot in DC identified; shooting investigated as terrorism

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    An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence at a time when the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said at a Thursday news briefing that the guard members shot were Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. The guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon’s shooting.Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove across the country to launch an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington.Video below: Trump condemned National Guard shooting as ‘heinous assault’The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Attack being investigated as terrorist actFBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”Pirro said: “We have been in constant contact with their families and have provided them with every resource needed during this difficult time.”Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.“Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bower said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”Suspect worked with CIA during Afghanistan WarThe 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over allegations of gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.Lakamal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.Prior to his 2021 arrival in the United States, the suspect worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,” John Ratcliffe, the spy agency’s director, said in a statement. He did not specify what work Lakamal did, but said the relationship “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said on Wednesday that investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.Troops held down the shooterThe shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said. “It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.“At this point, we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a sidewalk covered in broken glass.

    WASHINGTON —

    An Afghan national has been accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence at a time when the presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

    Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said at a Thursday news briefing that the guard members shot were Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. The guard members were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon’s shooting.

    Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, drove across the country to launch an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. The suspect currently faces charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said that “it’s too soon to say” what the suspect’s motives were.

    The charges could be upgraded, Pirro said, adding, “We are praying that they survive and that the highest charge will not have to be murder in the first degree. But make no mistake, if they do not, that will certainly be the charge.”

    The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

    The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington.

    Video below: Trump condemned National Guard shooting as ‘heinous assault’

    The suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

    Attack being investigated as terrorist act

    FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism. Agents have served a series of search warrants, with Patel calling it a “coast-to-coast investigation.”

    Pirro said: “We have been in constant contact with their families and have provided them with every resource needed during this difficult time.”

    Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser interpreted the shooting as a direct assault on America itself, rather than specifically on Trump’s policies.

    “Somebody drove across the country and came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Bower said. “That person will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

    Suspect worked with CIA during Afghanistan War

    The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.

    The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over allegations of gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

    Lakamal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

    Prior to his 2021 arrival in the United States, the suspect worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,” John Ratcliffe, the spy agency’s director, said in a statement. He did not specify what work Lakamal did, but said the relationship “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan.

    Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.

    Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.

    “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”

    Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said on Wednesday that investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.

    Troops held down the shooter

    The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.

    “It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.

    “At this point, we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.

    At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

    Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a sidewalk covered in broken glass.

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