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D.C. official says he helped catch killer, sues city over $20K reward dispute
D.C. ANC commissioner Tom Donohue is suing the city and Metropolitan Police, claiming he was shortchanged after providing key information in a murder investigation and helping police identify a serial armed robber. Donohue says he received $5,000 instead of a $25,000 reward in one case and is also seeking answers about how MPD determines reward payouts.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commission member is suing D.C. and the Metropolitan Police Department, saying he was not fully paid for information he provided in a fatal hit-and-run case and a string of armed robberies.
What we know:
Tom Donohue, who represents ANC District 8E01 across Fairlawn and Anacostia, filed the lawsuit Tuesday.
He is seeking payment he says he is owed through D.C.’s Crime Solvers program, along with more public information about how reward decisions are made.
Crime Solvers allows people to submit anonymous information to police about active investigations. In D.C., tipsters can receive a reward when their information leads to a conviction.
What Donohue is saying
Donohue said he wants more transparency and a clear process for people seeking rewards through the program.
"Any time we can get more transparency on something, it’s a win," Donohue said. "You know, not only transparency but just a process. It seems as though nobody knew what to do with me because I started asking questions and, as an elected official at that point—because before I wasn’t—I had some power to actually ask and expect answers from them."
The hit-and-run case
Donohue said he provided video footage that led to the arrest and conviction of the man who killed David Farewell in a 2020 hit-and-run crash.
Farewell was riding a bicycle when he was killed, according to Donohue.
Donohue said he received a threat while working with police on the case. He said MPD awarded him $5,000 rather than the $25,000 reward he believed he had been offered.
Donohue said he relied on the expected payment when he told Farewell’s family he would help buy a tombstone for him.
The robbery case
Donohue also says he is owed money for directing police to David Crocker, whom he describes as a serial armed robber.
According to Donohue, police had initially arrested the wrong person in that case.
Questions about the committee
MPD’s website says a Crime Solvers committee reviews cases to decide whether information qualifies for a reward and how much a tipster should receive.
The department does not identify committee members or explain how award amounts are calculated.
Donohue is asking the court to require MPD to release written criteria and calculation standards for rewards.
MPD does not comment on pending litigation. FOX 5 also asked the department who serves on the Crime Solvers committee and whether reward funding comes from local or federal sources. The department had not responded as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Source: This article was written using reporting from FOX 5 chief legal correspondent Katie Barlow and information from the Metropolitan Police Department.