D.C. Police arrest man believed to be involved in shocking rush hour stabbing death

D.C. Police arrest man believed to be involved in shocking rush hour stabbing death

District of Columbia police arrested a man Monday morning they suspect was behind a stabbing murder that took place on the Fourth of July in a crowded subway car.

Jasper Spires, 18, was out of jail no less than 24 hours before he allegedly stabbed 24-year-old Kevin Sutherland to death, in what is believed to be a botched robbery attempt, the Washington Post reported.

Spires was considered so dangerous by city police that police chief Cathy Lanier sent a wanted flier with his picture on it to every patrol officer on the force and his description broadcast by dispatchers every two hours until he was captured.

Earlier in the week on Thursday, D.C. police arrested Spires after he robbed a man in Northwest Washington, WUSA9 reported. After originally being charged with a felony, police bumped the charges down to a misdemeanor and released him early Friday.

Spires allegedly stabbed Sutherland while the two were aboard a train during the crowded Independence Day rush of tourists headed into the city to celebrate the holiday.

Sutherland was a recent graduate of American University and a former Capitol Hill intern for Rep. Jim Himes. At the time of his death, Sutherland was working as a digital political strategist at New Blue Interactive, a Democratic fundraising firm.

The stabbing of Sutherland kicked off another violent holiday weekend in the district that saw two people shot to death in Southeast D.C. and three others injured.

According to police reports, Dwayne Dillard, 23, was murdered around 11:09 p.m. July 4, and three other victims were transported to a local hospital. Early in the morning of July 5, another man, John Jones, was shot and killed just over a mile away at around 5:29 a.m.

Police didn’t identify suspects in either of those murders.

So far in 2015, the district has seen 71 homicides, representing more than a 20 percent increase over the same time period last year.

In June, Lanier announced a new “All Hands On Deck” initiative set to launch at the end of August that will put every available police officer on the street for an entire weekend. In the past, Lanier said these initiatives have decreased crime by as much as 28%.

This report, by Josh Fatzick, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

LU Staff

LU Staff

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