Washington, D.C
After immigration arrest near DC school, how an educator and officer found common ground
More complaints were filed against D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department in 2025 than ever before, the News4 I-Team has learned. Weekly complaints increased after federal officers and agents surged into the city in August, often working side by side with D.C. police officers.
The head of a charter school in D.C. filed a complaint after federal immigration authorities and D.C. officers questioned two young men outside her school, in view of students. A comment by one D.C. officer was especially damaging. Months later, the educator and officer met in a mediation session and found some common ground.
As D.C.’s Bilingual Public Charter School in Fort Totten was dismissing students on Sept. 25, a caravan of federal authorities and D.C. police arrived and questioned two men who were not connected to the school.
“I went out there right away. This is my school, and I’m going to protect it, and I’m going to make sure all the kids are safe,” school CEO Daniela Anello told News4.
Cellphone video shows the encounter as the two men in handcuffs sat on a curb.
“If you do not get on the sidewalk, you’ll be arrested for failure to obey a traffic officer,” one D.C. officer warns people gathering.
“Can you tell us what they’re being arrested for?” a woman asks.
“It’s none of your business,” a D.C. officer replies.
It was an incident – among many reported by News4 last year – in which federal immigration authorities took someone into custody alongside D.C. police.
“Do you see who’s watching you? These are children that you’re doing this in front of!” a woman yells.
At one point, a D.C. officer made this comment: “If you have such a problem with us, don’t call 911 next time.”
Anello thought he went too far and his message clashed with what she teaches her students.
“That was very puzzling to me, because we’ve taught our kids over and over: If there’s something harmful, dangerous or scary, you call 911 and the police will come and help you. So that was very upsetting,” she said.
The stop eventually ended when the men were taken into custody.
‘Students cried, asking their parents if they too would be taken away’
The encounter led to several complaints against D.C. police. Concerned about what her students and staff had witnessed, Anello filed a complaint. She also wrote Mayor Muriel Bowser but said she never heard back. News4 reached out to Bowser’s office too.
She did hear from then-Chief of Police Pamela Smith after speaking out at public meetings and testifying before the D.C. Council.
“Students cried, asking their parents if they too would be taken away,” Anello said at a round table.
She filed her complaint with D.C.’s Office of Police Complaints (OPC), an independent agency that investigates complaints against officers in the District. It was one of 1,065 complaints received last year, according to the agency. While complaints are not always found to be misconduct, this is the most complaints the office has received in a year.
“I was complaining about how the police responded in a moment of high stress outside of the school community when kids and staff and community members are watching,” Anello said.
Rebuilding community trust in police
In an interview with the I-Team, OPC Director Marke Cross said he wasn’t surprised 2025 was a record year for complaints.
“We expected there would be a lot more complaints about stops and searches and frisks and things like that,” he said.
Cross said he can’t be sure why there was an increase in complaints; that analysis is ongoing. But he said it points to a level of trust in police that may need to be rebuilt.
“The topic of community trust in the police department in D.C. has a long history,” he said.
News4 asked if 2025 was a particularly hard year for community trust.
“Um, yes. Yes, it has been,” he replied.
A News4 analysis of OPC data shows a 17% increase in weekly complaints after the federal surge began in August. That included allegations on intimidation, property mishandling, and officer language and conduct.
Alicia Yass, who now works for the ACLU, previously served as OPC’s deputy director.
“I think they should be trying to do better. I mean, all of us should always be trying to do better at our jobs. This is not just the police, but the police are being given evidence of what they could be doing better,” she said.
Cross said investigators review and investigate every complaint – reviewing witness statements, body-worn camera video and police reports. After that, only a very small percentage of complaints are upheld. Anello’s was among those.
News4 asked her how much trust-building she thought D.C. police need to do.
“Oh, a lot,” she replied.
School leader describes her mediation session with officer who snapped at crowd
Months after Anello filed her complaint with OPC, she was offered mediation with the officer who snapped at the crowd that day, telling them not to call 911 if they had a problem with police. Their two-hour session was confidential, according to the agency’s rules, but she shared how it felt for her.
“I can say that I received the apology that I was seeking,” she said.
News4 asked, how did that feel?
“Amazing,” she said. “To feel that there was the connection between what I would have wanted to have happened and the police officer’s realization of, ‘Yes, I could have done this better.’ That connected us.”
While OPC can’t take direct disciplinary action against officers, it can make recommendations to D.C. police. There is no automatic mention of the OPC process in an officer’s police personnel file.
But at a time when police and community relations need rebuilding, Anello still believes there’s value in the process and said she hopes her complaint and the hundreds of others this year will change police behavior.
“We had a moment of, ‘You care, I care. We’re both professionals. We’re both trying to keep our communities safe. We’re just going about it in slightly different ways with different roles,’” she said.
OPC’s director said the agency plans to make recommendations to MPD soon based on last year’s complaints, including on the impact of the federal surge.
Interim Chief of Police Jeffery Carroll declined to talk with News4 on camera. We also asked for an interview with the officer who Anello met with; he declined.
An MPD spokesperson said the department hasn’t been briefed about the rise in complaints but plans to provide a more detailed strategy for community outreach in the coming months.
The department said in a statement: “There is nothing more important to MPD than maintaining the trust of DC residents, and we appreciate our community’s partnership and support of our efforts to drive significant reductions in crime over the last two years.
MPD leadership is committed to listening to community concerns, and that’s why our leaders regularly attend Advisory Neighborhood Commission meetings, why MPD has a Citizens Advisory Council, and why we regularly host community walks in all seven police districts. We understand the need to enhance outreach districtwide to ensure we are maintaining trust.”
A Maryland lawmaker is proposing a bill that would authorize the Maryland attorney general and state police to gather identifying digital data about agents who are the subject of misconduct complaints. News4’s Mauricio Casillas reports.
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4 things to know about the weather:
- Grab the umbrella
- Big temperature ranges
- Thunder possible Thursday night
- Warmer days on the way
Heads up commuters! For Thursday morning, there will be some thick fog in spots with some rain possible, especially around the Mason-Dixon line. The fog should clear out by 10 a.m.
Throughout the day, some sunshine should develop with highs warming into the low 60s. Those in Northern Maryland could see some showers throughout the day but those near the D.C. area will stay relatively dry except for a stray shower or two.
Some rain and evening storms by 8 p.m. will impact the area Thursday night. Although it’s a bit unusual for this time of year, don’t be surprised if you hear thunder Thursday evening.
Warmer temperatures coming this weekend
These next few days will come with some major forecast challenges.
Much, much warmer air is just to our south and cold, high pressure is moving into New England. The front separating the 40s from the 70s will be laying right across our region for the next two to three days.
So keep in mind, when you’re looking at the forecast highs in the text below, that it will be warmest in Fredericksburg, VA and coolest in northern Maryland.
Friday’s weather will be similar as a front system remains just over the area, separating chilly air to the north and warmer air to the south. There might be a stray shower or two, too.
For the weekend, Saturday looks to be the warmer of the two days with highs in the low to mid 70s. Some rain overnight Saturday will lead to cooler temperatures on Sunday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
THURSDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Shower Possible
Big Temperature Range
Wind: Southeast 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 62° to 72°
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Cloudy And Chilly
Rain Likely
Some Thunder Possible
Wind: Northeast 5 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
LOWS: 44° to 54°
FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler For Most
Isolated Shower Or Two
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 52° to 68°
SATURDAY:
Partly Sunny
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Shower
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 66° to 78°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:35 Sunset: 6:05
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. taxpayers may be confused by back-and-forth between the D.C. City Council and Congress over taxprovision. The city’s financial officer sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, that said the District’s tax laws will not change, despite recent actions by Congress.
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy.
“The short answer is, nothing changes. Filing Season can continue as it has been, continue as planned, and according to the laws as we understood them in January,” said Husak.
“If you’ve already filed your taxes, you don’t have to change anything. And if you want to file your taxes, the rules are still the same as they were on the books before,” said Husak.
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Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee’s revenue estimate issued Friday does not include an estimated $180 million expected this fiscal year from the city’s decoupling law, “due to the uncertainty of the associated revenue as a result of Joint Resolution 142,” according to a released letter.
“The CFO was in a tough spot here. If he agreed with Congress, then businesses and overtime workers will get bigger refunds. But if he agreed with the Mayor and the Attorney General, then families with children and lower income workers would get bigger tax cuts,” said Husak.
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“We as District residents can’t control, you know what happens in the courts, what happens in, you know, what Congress does in the future,” said Husak. “But for now, the CFO has said, you know this is, this is a law as it stands, and the law that I’m going to enforce so, you know, file your legally obligated taxes, and maybe in the future, there’ll be a surprise.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy (7News).{ }
WASHINGTON (7News) — The nation’s capital is just about ready to be transformed into a breathtaking pastel landscape of cherry trees in bloom. The famed blossoms around the Tidal Basin are not only a symbol of spring’s arrival, but also of a long-standing friendship — a gift of more than 3,000 trees from Tokyo, Japan, to the United States in 1912.
So what is considered “Peak Bloom”?
The National Park Service (NPS) defines peak bloom as the time when at least 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin have opened their blossoms. This is the period when the blossoms appear most full and spectacular and most ideal for photos, and soaking up spring’s beauty here in DC.
Because cherry trees respond to the cumulative effects of winter and spring weather, especially daily temperatures, it’s very difficult to predict peak bloom more than about 10 days in advance. Warm spells accelerate blooming; cold snaps slow it down.
Average Timing — What History Shows
Since 1921 overall, national data indicate peak bloom typically fell around early April (April 4), based on historical averages.
Since 1990, the average has kept shifting earlier and earlier. In fact, the last 6 years our peak has occurred in late March.
These shifts reflect how warmer springs have nudged peak bloom earlier over the decades.
Earliest & Latest Blooms on Record
Earliest peak bloom: March 15 — recorded in 1990.
Latest peak bloom: April 18 — recorded in 1958.
Of course, most years fall between those dates, with the last week of March to the first week of April historically being the most consistent window for peak bloom.
Earliest Peak Bloom Washington DC
Recent peak blooms show how variable and climate-dependent the timing can be:
2025: The National Park Service predicted peak bloom between March 28–31 (and confirmed the official peak around March 28).
2024: Peak bloom arrived very early, on March 17, several days ahead of NPS projections — tied for one of the earliest peaks in decades.
These examples demonstrate not only how much each season can differ, but also a trend toward earlier spring blossoms in recent years.
What to Expect for Spring 2026
As of early March 2026, the cherry trees are still dormant. The buds haven’t begun significant growth yet. The weather will become more critical in the weeks leading up to the bloom will be the biggest factor in determining when peak bloom happens in 2026.
Heavy winter cold, as experienced this year, tends to delay bloom compared with recent early springs. In contrast, an early warm stretch could push peak bloom earlier — as long as it doesn’t come with subsequent frost.
Look for the green bud stage first. This is when the buds are small, tight, and green, with no sign of petals yet. Trees are still several weeks from blooming.
Tips for Cherry Blossom Visitors
Plan in the “sweet spot” — peak bloom often lasts a few days to about a week, but weather (rain, wind, heat) can shorten that window.
Visit slightly before or after the predicted peak dates for smaller crowds and extended color. Blossoms can be gorgeous even before 70% bloom or as petals begin falling.
Check NPS updates and First Alert Weather forecasts in late March for tweaked peak bloom dates.
The cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C. remain one of the most iconic harbingers of spring in the U.S., and while exact bloom dates vary year-to-year, history and natural patterns point to late March through early April as your best bet for seeing the Tidal Basin in full floral glory.
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