Melee Outside Bell-Lincoln Multicultural Center 10:30pm Last Night

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by Prince Of Petworth August 7, 2015 at 3:10 pm 10 Comments

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A reader reports:

“leaving the debate viewing at Lous’ City Bar, my boyfriend & I witnessed a massive assault in front of the Bell-Lincoln Multicultural Center. There was at least 20 teens brawling in the street, onlookers at the bus stop & other kids crying. This was at 10:30 pm.

We called the police, who showed in minutes, & took the time to chat with us about what we saw. Of course, most of the kids-including the ones who were being kicked while down-had taken off.

Maybe just a testament to the crime surge, but there were a lot of people still actively out last night. I’m worried for the kids.”

justinbc

“there were a lot of people still actively out last night.”
The brawl sounds pretty crazy. But what does this mean? You saw people out, in a city, and that’s unusual?
- GBinCH
  
  I wonder if the OP means there were lots of teens still at 10:30 last night. If they’re at the younger end (13 or 14) that would be pretty late.
- elly2
  
  I took it as, the fighting was very brazen since there were a lot of people out on the street.
  - MVT
    
    This is how i interpreted that statement as well.
EA

Probably not about the crime wave. Probably no need to be “worried about these kids.” This stuff happened all the time in the suburbs I grew up in, mostly at/after hockey and football games. Generally the aftermath was handled by the schools and the parents. Teenagers are gonna fight each other every now and then. Not ideal, but also not something we need to overthink or overreact to.
- Anon
  
  i know it’s DC and all, but I really doubt the “massive assault” was related to the debate. And, since school is out there were no related activities (hockey/football) to support the behavior that the suburbs experience all the time. Sorry, I don’t give it a pass.
  - [r][]r
    
    The point is clearly that teenagers will find a reason to fight pretty frequently. No one is suggesting this was related to the debate and EA’s point about suburban brawls was just to emphasize how unsurprising this event most likely was. Glad to know you’d give it a pass if it were related to a hockey game though.
- MMMkay
  
  Teenagers don’t necessarily need to get in fights. There were very few, if any, fights in my high school.
Kathryn-DC

These types of brawls used to happen in the afternoons near the Woodley Park Metro, and on the bridge, until the police blanketed the area and established a little station there.

Wonder if the action just moved to the east a bit.
- d
  
  Not sure where you got this, but they would only occur on “family day” at the zoo, unless you’re talking about over a decade ago which I can’t speak to. But they rarely/never occurred outside of that day and it’s still a problem on that day. The police post up near the bridge to catch speeding and/or drunk drivers leaving Adams Morgan.

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