Fort Dupont Park |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Friday, September 22, 1995 On the afternoon of September 18th, a park maintenance employee discovered the body of an unidentified male in a secluded wooded area of the park near the Ridge picnic area. Foul play is suspected. An autopsy is being conducted, and an investigation is underway. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCFO]
The body of J.B., 18, of southeast Washington, was found on the shoulder of Fort Davis Drive in Fort Dupont on Saturday, May 24th. Preliminary investigation indicates that J.B. died of a gunshot wound. Park Police and city detectives are investigating. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO, 5/27]
On October 3rd, Park Police officer Eric Tam came upon a substantial amount of dumped material - 18 plastic bags filled with trash and two trash-filled containers - in Fort Dupont Park. A search of the debris yielded the address of a local car wash. Tam investigated and found that the car wash had contracted trash pick-up to a Mr. E., and that E. would be returning to the car wash the next day for another load. Park Police detective Dave Dyer and members of the city's environmental crimes unit set up surveillance at the site. E. subsequently returned, loaded his truck with additional construction debris, drove a short distance, and dumped it in a public alley. E. and his co-worker were arrested and have been charged with three counts of commercial dumping. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 10/8]
A 15-year-old boy from Fort Washington, Maryland, was shot in Fort Dupont Park on November 7th. He was taken to a city hospital with gunshot wounds to the head and wrist, but was soon reported to be in good condition. Investigation led Park Police officers to another 15-year-old, who was arrested at his home in Maryland on November 8th and charged with assault with intent to kill while armed. At the time of the report, he was awaiting extradition to the District of Columbia. A second suspect is being sought. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 11/9]
Damage assessments and the organization of repair and rehabilitation operations are underway at parks throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. Assisting with and supporting these efforts are JD Swed's Type 1 team (currently relocating from Charlotte to Williamsburg), Rick Brown's Type 2 team, and Clay Jordan's Type 3 team at Shenandoah. Here's a rundown on the current status of affected parks (south to north): National Capital Area Damage was substantial throughout the DC area:
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations, which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essential documents from the incident management teams will be available at the IMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details. Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; Ken Garvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Bob Martin and Doug Wallner, NERO; Mary Doll, PIO, Outer Banks Group; Wouter Ketel, IC/Chief Ranger, and Donna Tipton, PIO, CALO; Laura Joss, Superintendent, FOMC; Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA/THST; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH/MAWA; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Laurie Coughlan, Superintendent, HAMP; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; Bill Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS.
A Park Police officer spotted a stolen Jeep Cherokee in the area of
Fort Dupont Park in southeast Washington around
7 p.m. on February 15th. A short pursuit ensued, with the
driver eventually stopping, bailing out, and fleeing into an alley. The
officer attempted to capture him. A scuffle ensued and the man was shot.
He then fled the area and entered park woods. A Park Police canine
officer arrived on the scene and searched the woods, finding the injured
man. He was arrested and transported to a local hospital, where he was
treated and released into the custody of the Park Police. The man was
charged with numerous violations, including assault on a police officer
and unauthorized use of a vehicle (stolen car). The investigation is
ongoing.
Officers Scott Brecht and Eduardo Delgado were on patrol near the Fort Dupont ice skating rink at 3:20 a.m. on April 25th when they came upon a parked van with two men asleep in the driver's compartment. One door was slightly ajar and the odor of marijuana emanated from the van. The officers woke the two men, had them step out of the vehicle, then conducted a search of the van. They soon found a baggy of suspected marijuana, then a 24.5 ounce can of Big Puncture Seal tire repair fluid that turned out to have a false bottom. Inside were 346 small green ziplock bags with rocks of crack cocaine inside. Field tests were positive for cocaine base. Both men were arrested for possession with intent to distribute. [Submitted by Commander, Planning and Development, US Park Police]
The Park Police were notified of a single-vehicle accident at Fort Davis Drive near Massachusetts Avenue just after 8 p.m. on July 13th. Officers found that a Ford pickup had been heading east on Carpenter Street when the driver, P.B., 48, failed to negotiate a turn in the road. The truck went through some woods, then rolled over in a grassy area in Fort Dupont Park. The passenger in the truck, R.B., 51, was pronounced dead at the scene. P.B. was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. Speed and alcohol were determined to have been contributing factors in the crash. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer] September 18, 2022 A Black employee was hired as a a temporary maintenance worker at the park in 2019 for a one-year term with the possibility of a contract renewal for a second year. That year, the agency informed the individual and others that a reorganization would result in some employees being reassigned to other facilities. The individual was unhappy about their reassignment because they felt Fort Dupont offered the better career prospects due to visibility with management. The individual expressed a concern that white employees were being promoted while Black employees were not. The NPS disciplined the individual for the comment, but rescinded that action after the Union filed a grievance. The NPS decided not to renew the individual's contract. An Arbitrator found that the NPS used the individual's comments about race, which are a protected activity, in its determination about the renewal, essentially as a retaliatory motive. The Arbitrator concluded that the individual was owed compensation for the non-renewed year of wages, which the NPS filed exceptions to in February 2022. On September 7, 2022, the Federal Labor Relations Authority affirmed this ruling, denying the exceptions and mandating the backpay to the individual. Source: Federal Labor Relations Authority | |