A certain high-ranking person in Washington’s government doesn’t leave home without his or her Glock, according to WUSA anchor Bruce Johnson. This is especially newsworthy since the Supreme Court is going to consider Friday whether to hear a federal appeals court decision that overturned DC’s ban on handguns.

Johnson saw the official’s gun but was told it was legal. He’s making the lame decision not to say who it is until he finds out more about whether the official has a permit. If there is no permit, that official definitely won’t be wearing their gun after seeing Johnson’s post, so he killed the story before it became anything. At least his blogging is crazy:

It’s information that I have been wrestling with for days now. I learned…no make that…I saw for my own eyes… a gun hidden in the backside of a DC Government official…

At this point I’m not sure that it’s necessary to reveal the name or position; I’m seeking advice on this; but I will say this person holds a visible high ranking public position and comes in contact with the public as part of the job. This city official heads an agency that makes decisions that affect us all at some point.

Did the official really have the gun in their back pocket, like Johnson seems to mean? That’s not working under the gun laws–that’s flaunting them.

-Will Sommer, blog editor. Flickr photo from Greenmelinda.

It’s particularly galling, in light of our recent editorial on the subject, to see D.C. police apparently discounting a rape allegation from an intoxicated woman. Even worse was their response to a local do-gooder who brought a female officer to the scene to try to get the victim some aid—they handcuffed him and roughed him up a little before sending him on his way. The incident took place in Adams Morgan, a night-life district frequented by Georgetown students. The police district in question is investigating what happened that night, so we’ll see if any of the officers involved receive reprimands. Oh, and the police involved were part of Chief Cathy Lanier’s “All Hands on Deck” Intiative, which is supposed to “improve community policing.”

—Tim Fernholz, Editor in Chief