MCLEAN, Virginia (WUSA) — The suspect in a bank robbery who was shot to death by police during a chase Wednesday morning has been identified as Brook Hailu, 19, of McLean. He is the son of one of Ethiopia’s former top diplomats in the U.S.
Brook Hailu Beshah served as Ethiopia’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington from 2001-2004, and served as Acting Ambassador in 2004. After that he served as Permanent Deputy Delegate to UNSECO. Currently Beshah is a professor of Security Policy Studies at George Washington University.
Several grief-stricken relatives and community members went to the McLean townhouse where the former Ambassador’s son had been living on Thursday. None was willing to speak with reporters concerning the death of the young Hailu.
Wednesday morning’s armed robbery of a McLean bank led to the police vehicle and foot chase which in turn led to the fatal shooting of Hailu in a quiet North Arlington neighborhood.
Fairfax County Police say the BB&T branch in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center on Old Dominion Drive was held up by one armed suspect at 11:21 Wednesday morning. The suspect fled from the bank with a bag of money in a car. As he departed the first police unit responding to the bank spotted the car. A chase ensued on Old Dominion Drive.
At the corner of Old Dominion and Valley Wood Road, the suspect’s Honda struck a utility poll and he fled on foot carrying the money bag.
In North Arlington, near Williamsburg Middle School, several neighbors reported seeing a suspicious man running with a bag. Fairfax County officers intercepted him and began foot pursuit.
Police say the suspect “displayed” his gun at police. Several shots were fired just down the block from Williamsburg Middle School. Hailu was struck and killed.
Williamsburg Middle was placed on lockdown for more than an hour until the situation clarified.
Fairfax County Police will conduct the investigation of the bank hold up as well as an internal affairs investigation of the shooting to determine whether it complied with police department policy. Arlington County Police will conduct the criminal investigation of the Fairfax County police shooting to determine if any charges are warranted.
Written by Gary Reals
9NEWS NOW
Ethiopians in the Washington DC area are holding a protest rally in front of the Woyanne occupied Ethiopian embassy today, Monday, starting at 10 AM, to demand the release of Teddy Afro.
3506 International Dr NW
Washington, DC 20008
Get directions
Organizers of the Woyanne embassy protest include Ethiopian artists, Addis Dimts Radio, EthioLion.com, Ethiopian Review, Ethiopiawinet Radio, Galbeed.com, Int’l Ethiopian Women Association, Netsanet Le Ethiopia Radio, Moa Anbessa, and Tegbar.
The organizers call on Ethiopians around the world to mobilize and help free Teddy Afro and all the political prisoners in Ethiopia, including Bekele Jirata, the recently jailed secretary general of the Oromo Federal Democratic Movement, from the Woyanne fascist regime’s disease-infested jails.
Related posts:
* Kangaroo court in Ethiopia convicts Teddy Afro
* There Is No Justice In Ethiopia – The Teddy Afro show trial
* The Ballad of Teddy Afro
* Judge WoldeMikael Meshesha on Teddy Afro’s case
* Journalists reporting Teddy Afro’s trial in Ethiopia arrested
* Woyanne throws Teddy Afro in jail
* Woyanne court rules against Tedy Afro
* Teddy Afro’s lawyer arrested
* Teddy Afro – Another victim of Ethiopia’s ruthless dictator
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Ethiopian Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi denied reports saying that Ethiopian government Woyanne has agreed to hold peace talks with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) without preconditions
“There are no started, ongoing or planned talks with OLF” Meles replied to a question raised from opposition MPs in parliament on Thursday.
Despite his denial a mediation team drawn from Oromo elders recently said that they have met the Prime Minister dictator in person and he told them that his country is ready to hold talks with the group without any preconditions.
But Meles agreed that there were many elders that demanded and given permission and support from government in an effort to convince the group to come to a peaceful, democratic and legal way of struggle, which he said the efforts didn’t seem to work out so far.
“Ethiopia Woyanne welcomes any political group at home or abroad for peace talks but only on one condition,” said Prime Minister Zenawi.
“That body has first to agree to accept, respect and safe-guard the nation’s constitution” he said. He further added “OLF in a clear and concrete words didn’t yet assured us that it accepts Ethiopia’s Woyanne’s constitution.”
“As far as this stand is not changed negotiation with OLF or any other group is impossible. No body can change, improve or negotiate over the constitution,” he stressed.
Ethiopian government Woyanne considers the group as a “terror group” and holds it responsible for different bomb attacks including to the latest bomb blast that blew a town minibus near the ministry of foreign affairs.
– Sudan Tribune
By Carl Little | The Washington Post
SAN DIEGO – From the moment Solomon Haile’s plane began its descent into this city, he knew it would agree with him. His eyes widened as he looked down on California for the first time from 15,000 feet. After he emerged from San Diego International Airport, the palm trees seemed to be waving hello to him as they swayed in the breeze. The sun was warm against the Ethiopian’s skin.
“I might not go back,” Haile joked Thursday.
Haile will return home to Silver Spring and to Sherwood High School for the rest of his senior year, and he’ll do so as the winner of the Foot Locker Nationals. The 19-year-old phenom, who deftly established himself as the nation’s most dominant scholastic distance runner, became the first boy from the Washington area to capture the national crown since the meet began in 1979.
Haile worked his way to the front of the pack after a cannon shot signaled the start of the five-kilometer race. He traded the lead with Trevor Dunbar of Kodiak High (Alaska) and Jakub Zivec of Grand Rapids (Minn.) for the first two miles, but shook free in the final mile and broke the tape in 15 minutes 15 seconds, seven seconds ahead of Dunbar.
The quiet, unassuming Haile was put in a tough spot for the first time Saturday when race officials whisked him to the winner’s circle and he was mobbed by camera crews and reporters. After Reuben Reina, the course record holder and 1985 Foot Locker champion, placed a garland atop his head, Haile held an embarrassed smile for more than a minute as he posed next to Jordan Hasay, the repeat girls’ champion from Mission College Prep in Arroyo Grande, Calif., and bulbs flashed from every direction.
“I really thought he had a chance of winning this whole thing,” Reina said of Haile. “Of everybody, I thought he could be the one to break the course record.”
The record time — 14:36 on Balboa Park’s hilly course — is still intact. In fact, Saturday’s race was the first time this fall that Haile didn’t break one. Entering the Foot Locker Nationals, he had run eight masterful races — including two at historic Van Cortlandt Park in New York — and collected eight course records.
“I don’t know, today the weather or something was a little bit hard,” Haile said of the nippy morning air. “I took first place, and that’s all I can do.
“No question I’m so excited,” added Haile, who qualified for this race by winning the Northeast region meet. “This is one of my big, big goals for this season.”
Two other Washington area runners also thrived. Mountain View senior Thomas Porter, just the area’s second three-time Foot Locker finalist, was third in 15:26. Edison senior Leoule Degfae also earned all-American honors, placing 12th in 15:46.
Haile had coveted this meet since August, but in some ways he began his preparation nearly two years ago. He flew through four time zones in January 2007, from Ethiopia to Thailand, to win the Khon Kean half marathon. Nine months later, he went from Ethiopia to Austria and placed 10th in another half marathon.
The experience he gained from those races came to bear today.
“It’s greater than that of many kids who travel five hours by plane and then need a day to acclimate and train,” Sherwood Coach Dan Reeks said last week. “He probably has a slight advantage.”
After completing the first mile in a blistering 4:47, Haile opened up more than just a slight advantage. With about 800 meters to go, after powering up the course’s steepest hill, Haile took a peek over his shoulder and discovered what most of the spectators watching on the Jumbotron had known for some time: There was no one there.
“We’ve got a great race for second,” the public-address announcer declared.
After a full year of nonstop running — he set meet records in the 5K at Nike Indoor Nationals in March and Nike Outdoor Nationals in June and has now put together a perfect cross-country season — Haile hinted at feeling exhausted and said he plans to run just a few races this indoor season. But he glowed while talking about becoming the 30th Foot Locker champion and being the first boy to bring the D.C. area a national championship.
“I came here just to put my region and my state in the top,” Haile said. “I’m so happy for that.”
Mogadishu, Somalia (APA) – Ethiopian Woyanne troops have killed 12 civilians late on Friday in southern Somalia, following an ambush on their convoy by Islamist insurgents, residents said here.
Islamist fighters, opposed to the presence of the Ethiopian Woyanne soldiers in Somalia in support of the interim government, ambushed a convoy of Ethiopian Woyanne forces in a village 50 kilometres north of Wanlaweyn on Friday, triggering an exchange of mortar bombs and machine gun fire.
“After the fighting, the Ethiopian Woyanne troops moved into a nearby village called Kabaherig, where they were alleged to have killed 12 civilians at a water well,” said resident Mayow Osman.
It is not clear whether any of the Ethiopian soldiers or the insurgents were killed in the attack.
Islamist spokesman Abdirahim Issa Adow has accused the Ethiopians Woyanne of retaliating on the civilians whenever they are attacked by the insurgents. “The enemy troops mercilessly killed civilians after we attacked them because they treat all Somalis the same,” Adow said, adding; “They are always known to react like that.”
“We will carry on fighting the Ethiopian Woyanne until they leave our country,” he added.
“It was the worst thing we have ever seen in our life, we had to flee the village because the disgruntled Ethiopian Woyanne troops moved into our residences,” said an eyewitness Mohamed Ali Diriye. “When we came back we discovered the dead bodies of 12 of the villagers. We are now burying them.”
