19-year-old charged with murder in Woodbridge triple shooting, police say
Daquil Raheem Smith is being held without bond, charged with the murder of 22-year-old Matthew Joseph Costanzo, according to police. Author: Matt Pusatory (WUSA9) Updated: 9:46 AM EST December 23, 2020
WOODBRIDGE, Va. A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder following a shooting in Woodbridge Tuesday night, Prince William County Police said.
First Sergeant Jonathan Perok, Prince William County Police public information officer, said 22-year-old Matthew Joseph Costanzo was shot and killed Tuesday.
Officers responded to a reported shooting in the 12700 block of Harbor Drive in Woodbridge just after 9:30 p.m., Perok said in a release Wednesday. When officers arrived, they found Costanzo dead on the scene. An unidentified 18-year-old woman was also shot and treated for her injuries in the parking lot of the Tackett’s Mill shopping complex. A third, unidentified 19-y
When Chief Newsham’s upcoming retirement was announced last month, several D.C. Council members stressed that the next police chief must be someone who can fight racism and restore the public’s trust in its officers.
Chief Contee’s appointment must be approved by city lawmakers. Council member Charles Allen, chairman of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, said the vetting process will be announced in the new year, adding that “the public will play an important role and the committee will create several ways for input to be heard.”
The Ward 6 Democrat also reiterated statements he had made about the qualities the next police chief should have, including being “prepared to tackle systemic racism in the District” and taking “a public health approach to eliminating violence.”
By Emily Zantow - The Washington Times - Tuesday, December 22, 2020
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is set to announce Tuesday that she has picked Robert J. Contee III to serve as the new acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Miss Bowser is scheduled to discuss the appointment during a press conference at 11 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the mayor.
Chief Contee, a 31-year veteran of the department, will serve as the acting chief beginning in January, and he must receive final approval for the position from the D.C. Council.
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Prince William graduates 29 new police officers
The Prince William County Criminal Justice Academy Basic Law Enforcement 47th Session graduated on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in a modified ceremony due to the pandemic at the Police Association Hall in Manassas. This class was composed of 29 Prince William County Police officers.
The 29 men and women completed a 24-week course of training in all aspects of police work, including classes in firearms, use-of-force decision making, driver training, legal training, patrol techniques, criminal investigation, and crash investigation.
The starting pay for Prince William police officers is about $53,000 per year.
Shadrack K. Arko is a graduate of Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Va. He is fluent in Twi.
Updated on December 15, 2020 at 7:47 pm
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Community activists in Prince William County are turning up the pressure on the Board of Supervisors, demanding that they pull back their offer to hire D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham.
Newsham is set to become the new Prince William County Police chief in February.
A group of Prince William residents made their protest public Tuesday, marching outside the government center as the Board of Supervisors met. They believe Newsham is the wrong choice as this county’s new chief, pointing to the way demonstrators were treated last summer. Download our NBC Washington app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.