In the wake of any deadly shooting, certain leftist activists are quick to call for more gun restrictions despite the fact that many of these crimes occur in jurisdictions with some of the nation’s strictest laws.
Many conservatives, on the other hand, believe a central factor in the rise of violent crime — particularly in Democratic-led states — is the prevalence of prosecutors who favor left-wing criminal justice reform measures.
Whether by dismissing charges, eliminating cash bail, or recommending absurdly light sentences, a number of district attorneys across the country have been accused of fueling the crime wave that has negatively impacted countless communities. Most recently, the suspect in a shooting that left one dead and three others wounded in D.C. this week has been identified as the beneficiary of lax prosecution in an earlier criminal case.
Isaiah Trotman is accused of opening fire at a Metro station on Wednesday, killing an employee and injuring three others in the vicinity. He allegedly showed his firearm while on board a bus before exiting and shooting two bystanders, threatening a third, and firing a fatal bullet at the 64-year-old victim who attempted to intervene.
According to court records in Albemarle County, Va., he was previously charged with assault and battery with the counts ultimately being dropped by Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley.
Like many of the other prosecutors facing pushback for a perceived soft-on-crime approach to the job, Hingeley was elected to office on a wave of financial support from left-wing groups and activists like billionaire George Soros.
This is the deadly cost of putting a Soros prosecutor in charge. https://t.co/h2FGR45NIM
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) December 6, 2021
When contacted for comment regarding his decision to dismiss the earlier charges against Troutman, the prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond.
Fortunately, other passengers were reportedly able to stop Troutman and grab his weapon before anyone else was injured. He was subsequently arrested and faces charges including first-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and armed kidnapping.
Assistant D.C. Metro Police Chief Ashan Benedict issued a statement lamenting the delayed arrival of officers, asserting: “The fact that our citizens have to intervene with an armed gunman is disturbing to me.”
The 2021 case was not his only previous run-in with the law. Records show he was arrested last year in Pennsylvania on suspicion of public intoxication, at which time authorities reported finding methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle. He pleaded guilty to the resulting drug charges and was scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
