Overview
- D.C. police arrested 32-year-old Delonte Fraley of Accokeek, Maryland, after officers say he threatened to shoot a Ben’s Next Door employee and used anti-gay slurs during a confrontation.
- An arrest affidavit quotes Fraley making explicit threats including, “I know where your Tesla is at” and “I will shoot your ass,” and alleges he stood in front of the employee’s vehicle, which prompted the victim to return inside and call police.
- Officers initially charged Fraley with felony threats tied to hate or bias, and prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. upgraded the allegation to Threatening to Injure or Kidnap a Person as a bias-related hate crime.
- Judge Robert R. Rigsby released Fraley on personal recognizance at a May 25 presentment hearing with a court-ordered stay-away condition and scheduled a June 4 preliminary hearing to decide how the case will proceed.
- The incident happened in the U Street area during Memorial Day weekend when D.C. Black Pride events were drawing large crowds, a context that has raised local concerns about safety for staff and patrons at nearby LGBTQ-focused venues.