Aaron Brown's Murder

I criticize the Washington Post alot, but have to give them credit for staying on top of the tragic murder of Aaron Brown by an off duty Alexandria police officer and holding the investigation to strict standards.

Alexandria's police chief, Charles E. Samarra, told Mr. Brown's parents and the City Council that the police investigation would be "complete and honest and thorough," guided strictly by the evidence. "[We] will investigate this case as I would if it had been my son in this unfortunate tragedy . . . and when we are finished, we will reveal the details of the investigation and whatever the findings are," he said. That is precisely the standard to which the inquiry should and will be held.

Its also worth noting that the Post (or at least the editorial page) isn't falling hook line and sinker for the outrageous smear campaign against Aaron Brown launched by the Alexandria Police Department as the Blue Wall of Silence once again tries to prevent justice from being done. Most significantly, today's Op-Ed makes clear that the charge of an unpaid bill is not only just an unsubstantiated allegation, but in any case wholly insufficient to justify Carl Stowe's action.

Let's start with some questions. Under those circumstances, why would Mr. Stowe try to stop a moving vehicle -- let alone an SUV -- in the first place? Why not just take down the license number? Alert the police with the vehicle's description? Did Mr. Stowe needlessly put himself in harm's way? And did he really fire at the Cherokee as many as five times, as a passenger told WRC (Channel 4) and as Mr. Brown's parents (quoting the police) told The Post?

The bigger question - and one to be determined later - is whether Alexandria Prosecutor Randolph Sengel will do the right thing, charging Stowe with 2nd Degree Murder and seek the maximum sentence allowed under Virginia law or if he will buckle to the pressures of the Blue Wall of Silence and the all powerful Police Union and decline to prosecute this cold blooded murderer.