From dancing in the streets over new ownership of D.C.’s beleaguered football team, to unprecedented air quality warnings as smoke from Canadian wildfires invaded the region’s air, to political bombshells and scandals — plenty has transpired in the D.C. area this year. Take a look back at some of the biggest, most important and impactful local news stories.
1/17
Historic inauguration
After his landslide victory in the fall, Wes Moore took the oath of office on Jan. 18, 2023, becoming Maryland’s first Black governor.
The inaugural ceremony drew a crowd of hundreds, including state and local officeholders — and even media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who prominently backed Moore in the Democratic primary.
In his inaugural address, with his hand pressed on a Bible once owned by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Moore, a bestselling author and nonprofit CEO, pledged “bold” policies and a bipartisan vision.
Nearing the end of his first year in office, Moore remained popular with Marylanders, but the uncertain economic climate has replaced optimistic messages with talk of tough decisions, “hard choices” and billions in cuts to state agency budgets.
2/17
A shooting at Tysons
It was a police shooting that led to two grand jury investigations — and, eventually, manslaughter charges for a Fairfax County, Virginia, officer.
The shooting happened Feb. 22, 2023, outside Tysons Corner Center mall. Police said D.C. man Timothy McCree Johnson, 37, tried to steal a pair of sunglasses from the Nordstrom, then took off. He was chased on foot into a nearby wooded area where one of the officers, Wesley Shifflett, fired the fatal shots.
Police released the bodycam footage the following month. A lawyer for Johnson’s family said the video showed “an execution.” Shifflett was fired, following an internal police investigation that found he violated the department’s use-of-force policies.
But the next month, a grand jury declined to indict Shifflet, disappointing Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, who had sought the charges, and the Johnson family.
Six months later, a second grand jury — a special grand jury, convened by Descano after the earlier one failed to return an indictment — secured charges against Shifflett: Involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Descano said he hoped the indictment would help Johnson’s family on “on their journey towards healing.”
Shifflett’s attorney blasted the prosecutor, calling Descano’s decision to convene the special grand jury “purely political and shameful.”
3/17
Political scandal
In March, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office was rocked by a sudden departure: Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, John Falcicchio abruptly left his post.
A few days later, it was revealed Falcicchio had resigned after the District launched an investigation into “serious allegations of sexual harassment” lodged by a city employee. Soon after, a second complaint emerged.
It was a stunning political fall from grace for one of Bowser’s closest confidants.
Later, the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel said it substantiated claims of sexual harassment by Falcicchio against both accusers, concluding that he made advances toward the employees, and sent graphic video and sexually explicit messages to one of them.
However, neither investigations substantiated allegations that the employees were retaliated against for rebuffing the alleged sexual advances — a key part of their complaints.
Not satisfied with the thoroughness or independence of the investigation, the D.C. Council later passed legislation requiring the D.C. Office of the Inspector General to conduct its own investigation into the matter.
4/17
Congress zeros in on DC crime
In March, the U.S. Congress did something it hadn’t done in more than three decades: Blocked a local law from going into effect.
The legislation in question was a massive overhaul of the District’s criminal code. Among many other measures, the bill did away with mandatory minimum sentences for many crimes and reduced maximum penalties for burglary, carjacking and robbery.
The measure was passed unanimously by the D.C. Council late last year but initially vetoed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, who argued the measure “does not make us safer.”
Amid rising crime in the District, Congress decided to wade into the matter.
Both chambers eventually passed resolutions formally disapproving of the D.C. bill. Despite earlier opposition from the White House, President Joe Biden surprised many Democrats when he signaled his willingness to sign the Republican-sponsored resolutions.
To advocates of statehood and the District’s overall autonomy, the episode was a major setback.
Later that same month, Republican lawmakers summoned several D.C. officials and council members to Capitol Hill to demand answers about how the District was handling what they called, a “crime crisis.”
The focus on D.C.’s rising crime would only intensify in the months to come.
5/17
Leadership change in DC police
In April, a retirement announcement caught many in D.C. by surprise when D.C. police chief Robert Contee said he planned to leave the force in July to accept a role within the FBI.
Contee said in a video statement that he has been appointed as the bureau’s assistant director in the Office of Partner Engagement. He joined the force as a 17-year-old and rose through the ranks before becoming chief in late 2020. Assistant chief Ashan M. Benedict become interim police chief as Bowser started her search for the force’s new leader.
On his last day on the job, Contee told WTOP his new role would be easier on his family, create some work-life balance and allow him to help improve the bureau’s understanding of local policing.
“To be perfectly honest … the weight of the role and responsibility as chief of police of any major city police department, you know, it’s a great weight to carry, it really is,” he said.
In July, Bowser nominated Pamela Smith, a former U.S. Park Police chief, for the role, citing her more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement.
Smith joined D.C. police in May 2022 as its first chief equity officer tasked with spearheading a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, and was promoted to assistant chief of MPD’s Homeland Security Bureau a year later.
“We have a community that’s looking for someone to come in and change the trajectory of how we police,” she told WTOP. “This gives me an opportunity to really get out into the community and hear from the voices of the people when we create our initiatives and plans.”
Smith made the case for confirmation and discussed her priorities for the department in a September public hearing in front the council. After receiving unanimous approval by the council’s public safety committee in late October, Smith was confirmed in November.
She become the second woman and the first Black woman to ever serve as the agency’s permanent chief since its founding in 1861.
6/17
Bear of a tale
In the spring, there were bear sightings galore around the region.
They started in Kensington and Chevy Chase — in Montgomery County, Maryland, — in late April. Then in May, residents of a Rockville, Maryland, neighborhood spotted a black bear clambering across backyards and patios. Eventually, the furry visitor zeroed in on homeowner Scott Butterworth’s backyard beehives and, with easy access to this sweet treat, decided to stick around the neighborhood. That’s when the Maryland Department of Natural Resources stepped in, using doughnuts, molasses and vanilla to lure the bear into a trap so he could be relocated back into the wild.
Now, bear with us, because that wasn’t the only ursine interloper spotted in a residential D.C.-area neighborhood this year.
One early June morning, a large black bear briefly ran loose through backyards in Northeast D.C., then scrambled up a tree on Franklin Street and perched there for a few hours. The unusual visitor drew a crowd of neighbors as well as news crews — who trained their cameras on the bear, who apparently tired after his feat, settled down in the branches for a little nap.
After a few hours, with the crowd below only having grown, the bear roused himself, scaled down the trunk of the tree and took off for another backyard — with authorities in hot pursuit.
It all ended sweetly for the bear, though. Animal control personnel with the Humane Rescue Alliance were able to safely immobilize the bear with a tranquilizer. The last he was seen, the bear was on his way back into the woods of Maryland to “go off and live a happy life.”
7/17
Sonic boom
To nearly everyone in the D.C. region, the first indication that something had gone terribly wrong in the skies above the capital on June 3 was a massive boom heard from Annapolis, Maryland, to Woodbridge, Virginia.
The phones in the WTOP newsroom that Saturday afternoon began ringing off the hook with callers reporting the loud rumble in the skies.
It turned out that the pilot of a Cessna Citation headed for an airport in Long Island, New York, had gone off-course and stopped responding from the cockpit. That caused several F-16 military fighter jets to scramble to intercept the plane — triggering the sonic boom — before the small business jet crashed in the Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
The four people aboard who died were identified as Adina Azarian, 49, a luxury real estate broker; her 2-year-old daughter; Evadnie Smith, 56, the family’s nanny; and pilot Jeff Hefner, 69.
By all accounts, it appeared to be a tragic accident, according to authorities, who indicated the leading theory was a loss of pressurization inside the cabin that incapacitated the pilot and the other occupants.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
8/17
Code Purple
In June, smoke from wildfires in Canada drifted down to the East Coast of the U.S. — triggering near-unprecedented health alerts throughout the D.C. region.
Hazy, orangish clouds descended on familiar D.C. landmarks and N95 masks — more recently used during the COVID-19 pandemic — suddenly popped up on people’s faces again.
The slow-moving shroud of smoke sent air quality readings to their lowest point in decades for several days in early June. At some points, the region reached a rare “Code Purple” level — which the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as “very unhealthy” air for everyone.
Health officials warned residents with lung or heart illnesses, as well as children and the elderly, to avoid outdoor activities whenever possible. Many school districts canceled outdoor activities and some municipal services were suspended out of concern for workers’ health.
Eventually, the winds shifted and the unhealthy air drifted away, but even the experts called the sheer number of days in the region with compromised air quality an “eye-opener.”
9/17
Commanders sale approved
After 24 years as the owner of Washington’s NFL franchise, Dan Snyder agreed to sell the Commanders for the largest amount paid for a North American professional sports team.
After agreeing to a deal on principle in April, Snyder sold the Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales that includes Magic Johnson after NFL owners unanimously approved the sale in July for a record $6.05 billion.
The sale brought the end of Snyder’s tumultuous ownership tenure. He previously claimed he never planned to change its former name until pressured by sponsors in 2020. After multiple investigations by the league and Congress into Washington’s workplace misconduct and potential financial improprieties, a congressional report found Snyder played a role in a toxic culture, The Associated Press reported.
In July 2021, the NFL fined the team $10 million after a misconduct investigation. Snyder stepped down from day-to-day operations and along with his wife, Tanya, hired Banc of America Securities to help explore a possible sale.
Once the sale was finalized, Washington fans cheered with glee around the D.C. region. Harris and company were welcomed with open arms at a pep rally at FedEx Field less than 24 hours after the deal’s approval. In his letter to fans, Harris stressed the importance of earning the fans’ trust, with Johnson calling for their passion and love to help lead the Commanders.
The buzz surrounding the Commanders re-energized the fan base. They packed the first day of training camp in late-July and sold out Washington’s season opener against the Cardinals in September.
10/17
Tragedy at District Dogs
Tragedy struck in August, when flash flooding caused by heavy rain led to the death of 10 dogs at District Dogs, a doggy day care in a flood-prone area of Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast D.C.
Amid the strong summer downpour, the water rose nearly six feet in the span of a just a minutes, authorities said, causing one of the walls to give way and inundating the building. Some employees were forced to swim out the front door.
“The emotion is hard to watch,” D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said during a news conference that night delivering the shocking news that several pets had died in the flood inside the pet day care and boarding facility.
Questions soon emerged about the city’s emergency response to the flooding, as well as how the business was allowed to stay open even though the same location had been seen seriously flooding previously.
The head of the District’s 911 call center later acknowledged a delay by dispatchers in alerting first responders about several 911 calls from panicked District Dogs staffers in the building citing a miscommunication about the situation’s severity.
Multiple District Dogs employees had called 911 to report the building was “flooding horribly” and that the “walls collapsed,” but the calls were apparently characterized as a “water leak” and given low priority.
“What I’m facing is a city failure,” Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker told WTOP at the time of the flood. “One that has existed for many years.”
11/17
Foggy Bottom on High Alert
In early September, the George Washington University community in D.C. sheltered in place for nearly five hours as officers looked for a suspect in a murder case who escaped police custody.
Christopher Haynes, 30, had been receiving treatment for an ankle injury at The George Washington Hospital when he assaulted a police officer and fled custody. He had been arrested in Manassas, Virginia, on a D.C. arrest warrant in connection to the Aug. 12 shooting death of 33-year-old Brent Hayward in Northeast D.C.
According to police, Haynes was brought to the MPD’s homicide branch to be booked and processed. He complained about the injury, causing officers to take him to the hospital.
Several street closures were in place during the hours long search, including on the Key Bridge. Police officers, some with their guns drawn extended their search — aided with the assistance of helicopters — from Foggy Bottom to areas of Georgetown. GW’s student alert system asked members of the campus to shelter in place “due to the dangerous individual around campus.”
As D.C. police search for him, the department released home surveillance footage of Haynes climbing through someone’s backyard and announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
After seven weeks on the run, officers announced Haynes’ capture in Oxon Hill, Maryland. U.S. Marshal Cmdr. Don Snider said Haynes had “been taking actions to conceal his location,” while on the run. Authorities said Haynes would face additional charges in connection with his escape.
12/17
Democrats prevail in Virginia
In November, all eyes were on Virginia’s state elections. With Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the governor’s mansion and Republicans controlling the House of Delegates, the results of the closely watched contest would determine whether there would be unified GOP control in the Commonwealth.
For Virginia residents, the outcome of the election would steer policy on abortion, taxes and a slew of other hot-button issues.
“Elect a Republican team to back me up and I promise, we’ll deliver,” Youngkin said in a campaign ad promoting tax cuts and other priorities.
Politics junkies from across the U.S. were also tuned in — a strong showing for Republicans would bolster Youngkin’s profile as a potential 2024 Republican candidate for president.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
Democrats dashed Republican hopes, with strong showings in several nail-biter races — managing to hold on to the state Senate and flip the House blue.
The reversal, just two years after Youngkin led Republicans to statewide victories, seems to indicate that Virginia remains a purple state.
13/17
DC says goodbye to beloved giant pandas
It was the end of an era for the D.C. region as one of its beloved symbols, its three giant pandas at the National Zoo, were leaving as part of an agreement with the China Wildlife and Conservation Association.
Attempts to extend the agreement with the Chinese government — a deal dating back to President Richard Nixon 50 years ago — could not come together due to diplomatic reasons.
Before their departure, the National Zoo sent off their three giant pandas, 25-year-old Mei Xiang, 26-year-old Tian Tian and 3-year-old Xiao Qi Ji, in style by holding a Panda Palooza celebration, which allowed guests a chance to celebrate the furry bears while seeing them one last time. Soon afterward, zoo officials began helping the animals adjust to their long flight, including living in their specialized crates.
Then, in the early morning hours on Nov. 8, the three giant pandas were loaded up in their temporary habitats, placed onto FedEx trucks emblazoned with panda photos — affectionately called the Panda Express — and headed to Dulles International Airport.
Just a little before 1 p.m., a 777 FedEx plane flew up the sky, carrying the beloved animals back to the Wolong Panda Reserve in Chengdu, China. The three animals safely landed at their new home 19 hours later, ready to chow down on a new species of bamboo.
Those holding out hope for giant pandas return received some hope when Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled plans to bring new pandas back to the U.S., calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”
While Xi did not share additional details on when pandas might be provided (most likely to start in California), the National Zoo plans to be prepared. Its panda habitat is currently going through a $2.4 million renovation project that finish sometime in 2024. Plans include adding a new state-of-the-art smoke evacuation system, new containment glass for a better and clearer view, redone indoor rock structures, a panda pool and a new climbing set.
14/17
Greenbelt selected for new FBI headquarters
The 15-year search for a new home for the FBI ended when the General Services Administration confirmed it had chosen a site in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Maryland and Virginia both lobbied for years to have the new headquarters. Maryland positioned two potential sites in Landover and Greenbelt, while Virginia touted Springfield.
Both states welcomed federal officials in March to discuss each bid, pushing specific narratives to help sway votes in their direction. Maryland officials called for factors in the scoring criteria to be weighed equally, including cost, equity concerns, access to transportation, and site development and flexibility. Whereas Virginia pushed the proximity to the FBI Academy at Quantico and other FBI facilities.
However, Maryland’s bid received a jolt over the summer when the GSA announced changes in the scoring criteria, giving more weight to cost and social equity concerns than proximity to the agency’s academy. Despite Virginia’s delegation pushing back on the changes, Greenbelt was chosen.
But the saga remains unresolved. In an internal email, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was concerned about a “potential conflict of interest” in the site selection, mainly because the land proposed in Greenbelt is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which once employed a senior GSA executive.
That former official, Nina Albert, said she would cooperate with any inquiries, adding that the process was “quite transparent and open book.” Yet, as GSA members were grilled during a congressional hearing in December, Albert, who now works for the deputy mayor for economic development for the District, backed out of testifying.
Meanwhile, the inspector general for the GSA launched a probe into the decision after calls from the Virginia delegation to start an investigation.
For its part, officials in the GSA stand by the decision and the process, citing lower costs and easy access to transit.
15/17
Arlington House explosion
A massive explosion rocked a home in Arlington, Virginia, in December, leaving behind a pile of rubble — and many unanswered questions.
Police had been called to the duplex in the Bluemont neighborhood for the report of a man firing a flare gun inside his home. Police surrounded the duplex on North Burlington Street and evacuated the neighbors, all the while attempting to negotiate with the man. After officers obtained a search warrant and entered the man’s home, first they heard gunfire. Then came the explosion.
Video shared widely on social media showed the detonation: A huge ball of flame engulfing the brick duplex.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano, who was on the scene of the aftermath of the explosion, described the smell of the area as “acrid” and saw “smoldering ruins” littering the street.
Three officers reported minor injuries.
In the days that followed, details began to emerge about the man at the center of the standoff, who was presumed killed in the blast.
James W. Yoo, 56, had posted paranoid rants online about his neighbors and a former co-worker, and authorities said they were aware of other “concerning social media posts” he had made.
Meanwhile, questions remained about what exactly caused the explosion, with the work of fire investigators combing through the rubble expected to take days or even weeks.
16/17
A Monumental move to Virginia
Ted Leonsis, the CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, joined forces with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in a proposed deal that could move the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards away from D.C.
The proposal would relocate the two franchises to a new arena as part of a new entertainment district built near Alexandria’s Potomac Yard Metro station. The move also includes a media studio, a Wizards practice facility, a performing arts venue and an expanded esports facility.
The day before the deal’s formal announcement, it surpassed one hurdle when it received approval from 12 Virginia lawmakers in the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission.
D.C.’s reaction was swift as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released the District’s “last and best offer” to keep the Wizards and Capitals in Capital One Arena. The legislation would put $500 million in city funding toward the arena’s renovation and extend Monumental Sports’ current lease to 2052. Bowser followed up in a news conference following the announcing stating that she holds out hope that both teams won’t leave D.C.
There are concerns about the effects of both teams leaving downtown D.C. and how it can hurt businesses surrounding Capital One Arena. It is also unclear if Alexandria residents support the new development and the use of state funds towards the project. Lastly, it is unclear if Potomac Yard Metro station can support the traffic that a new arena would bring.
While a source familiar with the plans told WTOP that Leonsis is moving forward with the relocation, it’s not a done deal. It still needs support from the state’s General Assembly and the Alexandria City Council members, which will be discussed further in 2024.
17/17
Crime in the District rose to unprecedented heights in 2023.
Overall, crime in D.C. is up 27% compared to last year, according to D.C. crime data.
As of Dec. 22, homicide rates are up 36% (the highest in more than 20 years) and violent crime is up 39%. Meanwhile, rates for both robbery (69%) and motor vehicle thefts offenses (86%) have soared.
District leaders have attempted to address the growing crime rate in several ways. First, the D.C. Council passed an emergency crime bill that created a new felony offense for firing a gun in public. It also expanded a program that reimburses residents who purchase security cameras for their properties and allowed judges to hold people in jail pending trial if they committed a violent crime.
The council also passed a separate amendment allowing police to pursue vehicles when public safety is at risk.
Later in the year, the city began offering free digital trackers to help residents and police to track a vehicle’s location when stolen.
Meanwhile, retail crime continued to grow as organized rings have left some stores with empty shelves. Some businesses added new locked display cases, receipt scanners at exits and even stocking photographs of toilet paper and paper towels rather than the actual products.
However, for some small business owners, the uptick has become personal and some have even considered closing due to all the break-ins.
In October, Bowser unveiled the Addressing Crime Trends Now Act (ACT Now): The bill allows D.C. police to temporarily declare “drug-free zones” around the city, creates criminal penalties for “organized retail theft” and reinstates a law that prohibits wearing a mask to commit a crime or threaten others.
In a news conference, Bowser admitted that the proposed law looks to undo the “negative consequences” of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
While some on the council have voiced support, Chairman Phil Mendelson criticized the bill, stating it does not address gun violence, robberies and carjackings. The council were split on another crime bill that would allow police to randomly search people charged with violent crime.
Residents gave passionate testimony on the ACT Now bill during a D.C. Public Safety Committee hearing in late November, discussing the impact of increased crime in the District and calling for additional solutions.
“I have never, ever seen crime this bad,” said Kimberly Lockett, a Petworth resident who was born and raised in D.C.
