Metropolitan Police will be out in force after the incident at the Navy Yard.

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A large-scale police response in DC’s Navy Yard neighborhood on Halloween night led Mayor Muriel Bowser to impose a limited juvenile curfew across the city, citing weeks of disorderly behavior by young people.

The Metropolitan Police Department said that beginning around 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, officers observed “several groups of juveniles converge on the park area between First Street and New Jersey Avenue, SE, adjacent to an entrance to the Navy Yard Metro Station.”

Shortly after 8 p.m., the crowd swelled to “several hundred juveniles.” 

Police said that while the group was initially peaceful, “as the evening progressed, many of the juveniles within the group began engaging in fights and disrupting the flow of traffic, repeatedly ignoring instructions to remain on sidewalks.”

According to MPD, First District officers and partner agencies — including Metro Transit Police, United States Capitol Police, the National Guard, and members of the Federal Task Force — responded to the area, closing streets and “engaging the group to restore order.”

The park was cleared and many juveniles were directed to the Navy Yard Metro Station. 

The group was “finally dispersed by approximately 11:00 p.m.” and police “maintained a large presence through the overnight hours to ensure no further unlawful activity occurred.”

Five arrests were made:

  • 18-year-old Kaeden Brown of Accokeek, Maryland, for possession of a prohibited weapon (knife)
  • A 16-year-old male of Southwest DC, for public consumption of marijuana
  • A 15-year-old male of Southeast DC, for affray
  • A 14-year-old male of Southeast DC, for failure to obey and resisting arrest
  • A 14-year-old male of Southwest DC, for failure to obey and resisting arrest

An MPD sergeant “suffered minor injuries after being knocked to the ground” while attempting to restore order and was treated on scene by DC Fire and EMS.

“The behavior displayed last night in Navy Yard is unacceptable, and MPD and our law enforcement partners will have an increased presence tonight to ensure this does not happen again,” said Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith. 

“This group chose not to visit any of the events hosted by MPD or our DC agency partners and instead gathered in this manner.”

“This evening, MPD will preemptively close several streets around the park area south of M Street, Southeast,” Smith added. “The public can expect to see an increased deployment of MPD officers and partner agency members. I commend our officers and our partners for their professionalism during this incident.”

MPD said that aside from the disturbance in Navy Yard, “no other disorderly gatherings occurred elsewhere in DC, and no significant incidents occurred.”

By Saturday, Nov. 1, Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a Mayor’s Order, declaring a limited juvenile curfew in response to “several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which endangered both themselves and others.”

“We are declaring a limited juvenile curfew in Washington, DC,” Bowser posted. “Effective immediately, all juveniles under the age of 18 are subject to a curfew from 11PM until 6AM, which will extend through (Wednesday, Nov. 5). 

"This is in response to several weeks of disorderly juvenile behavior which endangered both themselves and others.”

“The Chief of Police is also authorized to designate special curfew zones for youths under 18 beginning at 6PM,” Bowser added.

Under the mayor’s order, Chief Smith was granted authority to identify areas “where curfew violations are especially likely to occur” and impose earlier curfews in those locations.

Hours later, MPD announced that Special Juvenile Curfew Zones were going into effect that evening around:

  • U Street Corridor;
  • Banneker Recreation Center;
  • Navy Yard;
  • Union Station.

“In a Special Juvenile Curfew Zone, any person under the age of 18 in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the perimeter must leave the area unless engaged in certain exempted activities,” MPD said in a post at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. “Failure to do so may result in arrest.”

MPD confirmed the curfew zones were being implemented “pursuant to Mayor’s Order 2025-115.”

The curfew, which applies nightly from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Wednesday, November 5, allows for earlier restrictions beginning at 6 p.m. in the designated zones.