<sh>Charged with Pentagon Murder
<bt>Ossie K. LaRode, 22, charged with the murder of Pentagon police officer James M. Feltis III, 41, was arraigned Friday, April 8 in U.S. District Court but won't stand trial for more than a year.
During a five-minute hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema asked LaRode if he wanted to waive his right to a speedy trial, stating her docket won't be available until "the latter part of next spring."
LaRode agreed to the timetable and will remain in jail until his trial, which is not currently scheduled.
LaRode is charged with carjacking a Cadillac from an elderly man in a McDonald's parking lot in Alexandria on the morning of Jan. 11, 2005, according to a superseding indictment issued last week and a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Alexandria police chased LaRode through the city of Alexandria to the Pentagon, where LaRode traveled at a high rate of speed the wrong way on South Rotary Road.
Officer Feltis, who was working at a guard kiosk, attempted to stop LaRode and was "struck head on," according to a February press release from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Last week's superseding indictment, issued by a federal grand jury, charges LaRode, of no fixed address, with the murder of Feltis and the assault and attempted murder of three other Pentagon officers, who stopped LaRode on Route 27 near the Pentagon.
"After LaRode refused to surrender, he was physically removed from the vehicle but fought the officers, grabbing one officer's gun and firing repeatedly before the officers got control of the gun and finally subdued him," according the release from U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty.
McNulty called Feltis' death "a severe blow" to the Pentagon Police Department and said Feltis was the first officer of the department to be killed in the line of duty.
During a bedside ceremony attended by his wife at Inova Fairfax Hospital just days before his death, Feltis, a 12-year veteran of the Pentagon Police Department, was honored with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal of Valor on Feb. 8, 2005. Feltis died on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14 and was buried at Quantico National Cemetery on Feb. 19.
LaRode was originally indicted on Feb. 10 for attempted murder of Feltis.
Other charges against LaRode include carjacking resulting in death and use of firearm during a crime of violence.
Judge Brinkema is presiding over the case against 9/11 suspect Zacarias Moussaoui.
<1b>--By Ken Moore
<sh>Human Rights Commission Holds Public Hearing
<bt>The Arlington Human Rights Commission will hold a public hearing to determine whether Integrity First Inc. violated Chapter 31 (Human Rights) of the Arlington County Code.
The issues to be considered at the hearing are whether Integrity First Inc. discriminated against Samuel G. Bailey based on his disability; and whether Integrity First Inc. denied Mr. Bailey a reasonable accommodation.
The public hearing will be Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m., 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Conference Room B.
<sh>Anti-Terrorism Rally
<bt>On Saturday, May 14, several groups of Arabs, Iranians, Kurds, Assyrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, Sudanese, Muslims, Christians and Jews will converge on the nation's capital for a rally against terrorism and to support freedom and democracy in the Middle East and the Muslim world. This will be the first rally of its kind in Washington, D.C. that is led by Muslims and Middle Easterners. All endorsers are welcome. To sponsor this rally, e-mail the Free Muslims Against Terrorism at president@freemuslims.org.
The rally will take place at Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, NW, from 1-5 p.m. Call 202-776-7190 or visit www.freemuslims.org.
<sh>Library Survey
<bt>The Fairfax County Public Library will take a telephone survey between April 17 and 30. The survey will be conducted by the Ivy Group and Ricci Research, Inc. The community will be surveyed to better understand how residents view the library. It will take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will be available in Spanish. The purpose of the survey is to ensure that the library is accessible to all residents.