mike conneen has the story. mike: at the funeral home, if you demonstrators. >> he should not have lost his life. mike: many silently held signs come expressing their support for freddie gray, who died after an encounter with the police left him seriously injured. >> it's a way of showing solidarity. mike: the folks here have no personal connection with the family but felt compelled to come. >> we are all connected. mike: some have their own stories alleging racial bias and in some cases police brutality. >> a lot of us black men in the community feel like thate enemy, and they feel the same towards us. it is never comfortable. mike: a day of peaceful protests turned violent saturday. >> that should not have been. if you're going to protest, protest, but with spirit, not anger. that doesn't get you anywhere. mike: today has been peaceful but there is still tension in the community. a large crowd has gathered. they are not allowing some drivers to pass until they honk their mournful stop baltimore police are deplo

first batch of 7000 series cars began operating on the blue line, and mike conneen went for a ride. : when the state-of-the-art 7000 series railcars pulled into the franconia metro station, they were not expecting the surprise. >> i look forward to more trains like this. mike: a few who do not even ride the blue line intentionally came for this. following ntsb recommendations metro has ordered the new railcars to replace the older cars in the system. >> the manufacturer is making these in lincoln, nebraska, and they will ship them at about 10 to 12 per month. mike: they are also more attractive. >> the old cars were definitely showing their age. mike: the first impression, the flooring is different, not just old dirty carpet. also, the additional signboards chewing the real-time location of the train and other information. drivers are happy to see that the aisle ways are slightly wider and the seats are bigger. >> it will be great. mike: they are also happy to hear the automated station announcements. >> this is the blue line train to the largo town center. next stop is braddock road

our mike conneen live in northwest this noon with how the mayor plans to do just that and mike we understand it includes funding cuts and even tax hikes. 's right. i have it right here and mayor bowser is just beginning her news conference. that's just getting under way right now. minutes ago she wrapped up her briefing with d.c. council members presenting the fiscal year 2015 budget. it closes that $200 million budget gap with different means. finding efficiencies in agencies across the district and talked about tough choices that her staff made looking at reducing medicaid reimbursement rates in the district, making them closer to the national average. that's a savings of about $9 million, for example reducing funding for university of the district of columbia by 5%. same with reducing facility maintenance funding by 5%. she also discussed the need for new revenue. in all about $26 million would be generated by increasing d.c. sales tax from 5.75% to a full 6%. increasing fees on parking by 4% to incentivize use of mass transit and hiking the tax on e cigarettes in d.c. to the same rate as

mike conneen tells us which cities outrank our region. mike: we're currently traveling northbound on i-395 and when you look out the front of your car and see brake lights like we're seeing right now it's hard to imagine that we're not even in the top five but according to tom-tom, out of 60 major u.s. cities washington ranks ninth nationally. worst of all is los angeles ranked number one followed by san francisco, honolulu new york and seattle. and get this when compared to major cities around the world, we only rank 74th. meanwhile, mexico city is considered the worst in north america. now, there was some interesting statistics in this survey by tom-tom. from 2013-2014, researchers say that congestion here in our region increased by about 3%. also they say that for a 30-minute commute that drivers locally face 78 hours of delays each year. they also say that the best commutes during peak periods meaning if you have to drive during rush hour here in our region are on friday morning or monday evenings and they say that the worst commute ti

our mike conneen was there for that inaugural ride. mike: when the state of the art 7,000 series rail cars pulled into the franconia springfield metro station this morning, most riders were not expecting it and pleasantly surprised. >> yeah i ride every day anyway. but definitely, look forward to more with a train like this. maybe i won't want to get off. mike: a few who didn't even ride the blue line intentionally came for this. >> fantastic. mike: following ntsb recommendations, they have ordered 528 new rail cars to replace the oldest cars in the metro rail system. >> kawasaki is making these in lincoln, nebraska and expected to be shipping them at a rate of 10 to 12 per month. mike: not just safer but more attractive with blue and white replacing that orange color scheme from the 1970s. >> old cars were showing their age. >> carpet grossed me out. mike: the flooring is different. not the old dirty carpet. also, the digital signboards show real time where your train is located and other information. riders also saying they're happy t

our mike conneen got a hold of cell phone footage of the flames and you will see this only on 7. mike: just before 5:30 this morning, in the 400 block of 16th street southeast firefighters said there were heavy fire conditions in the second floor bedroom. >> it was kind of breath taking. it was shocking. mike: matthew buffington lives just around the corner with his wife and captured this video of the inferno. >> the deck is on fire. mike: he and other nearby residents woke up to a neighbor honking his car horn. they soon realized what was wrong. >> came out on the porch screaming "fire" and running down the streets. mike: the nearest fire station is a block away on c street. >> first unit arrived within approximately one minute. they received a call at 5:21 a.m. and the first unit on the scene at 5:22 a.m. mike: neighbors across the street watched in shock and were terrified by the amount of smoke and flames coming off this strk tour. they say firefighters quickly rescued two residents from the home, one pulled from an upstairs window a gurney. they say firefighters immediately p

mike conneen joins us live outside of that meeting with details of what's being proposed. mike? mike: jummy, it was a unanimous vote by the commission that meets on the third floor here at the national building they gave unanimous approval to changes of white house security around the 18 acres of the white house plus the executive office building and eventually, they say likely around the treasury department. the national parks service work in collaboration with the secret service on these proposals described as temporary anti-climb devices or temporary anti-climb features. they're described as reversible if they decide to go in a different direction in the future but they say there's an immediate need for these changes. but when asked specifically what these anti-climb devices are, the national park service declined to go into specifics and the secret service was unavailable after that vote. these are described as just proposals. that's why they won't go on further record. but when asked about reports that this is a 1/2 inch steel spike that would be bolted on the existing fenc

as mike conneen reports, some rides say that means a smoother ride on the rails. mike: ever since the catastrophic 2009 red line crash that killed 10 people, a smooth ride depends on the driver. >> like driving a car. put on the brakes a lot. mike: they said after years of signal upgrades, rigorous at thing and the full i willment of eight safety disclosures, the red line trains have switched back to automatic trains. >> it seems to be moving faster. >> i don't now. it's no different. >> no different? >> maybe a little smoother. >> think of it as specialized cruise control. excel acceleration deceleration are controlled by computers. operators remain for announcements and open and close the doors. >> the drivers are very good very friendly and very prompt. mike: now that trains are automated, some would like to see the announcements automated, too. >> speaker system is horrible. mike: for now, six car trains will continue to operate in manual mode until the system gets a planned software upgrade. meanwhile, the five other rail lines are expected to return to automa

as mike conneen reports, metro riders say the roadway is not pedestrian friendly. >> he's special at night after dark, people speed through there. mike: according to prince george's county police around 12:30 a.m. a woman was apparently trying to cross this section of branch avenue when she was struck by a metro transit police cruiser and suffered severe injuries as a result. medics metro transit police supervisors and pgpd all responded. the woman was transported to the hospital in critical condition. a spokesperson for metro transit police tells me the officer involved was driving in routine status not responding to emergency calls and lights and sirens were not active. we're also told this incident did not happen at an intersection, a crosswalk or a stoplight. this is a multilane highway but many residents admit they, too have jaywalked here to get to the metro station or nearby convenience stores. >> the timing and the lights sometimes are too long and if you're clear to go through, sometimes you do. it's bad to do it but yeah, i have. mike: pedestrians point out there are not man

mike conneen, abc 7 news. autria: service is returning to normal at the train station in maryland after a suspicious package was reported this morning. service was suspended on the camden line while police investigated and that caused delays for 30 minutes for commuters. the police activity caused delays on route 100. police say there was no criminal act and cleared the scene about two hours ago. jummy: developing now. waiting for a verdict. deliberations under way in boston bombing trial. dzhokhar tsarnaev faces life in prison for even the death penalty if he's convicted in the attacks that killed three people and injured more than 260 others. marcy gonzalez has the latest developments from boston. marcy: deliberations started this morning with the horrific sights and sounds of the boston marathon bombing's aftermath. >> no! marcy: fresh in jurors' minds. >> i have to imagine the deliberations going forward are going to be very very hard for these jurors. marcy: the bloody scene among the last images shown to

today, robo loco made a major announcement and our mike conneen tells us how the team will still be able to participate in a national competition in st. louis later this month. mike: with financial help from the loudoun chamber of commerce and several i.t. companies including orbital a.t.k. and b.a.e. systems, the loudoun education system presented a $15,000 check to robo loco a high school robotics team from loudoun county schools. last weekend, the team was named at a runner-up at a regional robotics competition in tennessee but an s.u.v. containing the team's computers, trophies and robots were stolen from the hotel parking lot. since then they've been scrambling to raise funds and build up a backup robot. and today, they learned they would receive this donation to support their efforts and fund their trip. >> it's overwhelming. from waking up on sunday morning to lose everything to just in a few short days we are so grateful for all the outpouring support we've received. >> the response has been really impressive to me. it's very positive. never had any fear or anything. >> how quick

mike conneen, abc 7 news. jummy: in montgomery county police have issued a warrant for ae instructor in bethesda charged with possessing child pornography. he also had inappropriate contact with unidentified adolescent males at a chevy chase karate studio and believe there could be more victims. police are asking anyone who may have been victimized to c forward. today, a woman in prince george's county is being sentenced for trying to kill her ex-boyfriend's son. helen newsome was convicted of attempted murder and burglary back after attacking the 8-year-old boy. investigators say she tried to suffocate him and then hit him on the head with a dumbbell. she faces at least 30 years in prison. meantime, prince george's county police are looking for the person who stole a wheelchair from a 4-year-old boy. this surveillance video right there shows it all happened. and jeanette reyes has more on the search and how police believe it happened. jeanette: it's the kind of crime that has left many people in this communit

i'm mike conneen in old towne alexandria. how one local organization is working on breast cancer prevention and treatment in a community that faces many barriers. alison: and then at 6:00 tonight, a brutal beatings caught on video and tonight, the breakthrough in the search for the teen who attacked a man on a metro escalator. and how you can help find him. leon: that's followed by abc "world news tonight" with david muir. what are you working on tonight? >> breaking news from baltimore. we're on the scene, the police report, the mystery police stop we never knew about. the suspect in the van in leg irons, the stop caught on surveillance camera. tonight, the deadly shark attack on a popular american beach. the man hunt for the shooter on the highway. you'll hear from the driver that called 911 not realizing she had been shot and the volcano erupting tonight. we'll fly you right over it alison: how many times can you get caught drinking and driving before you face serious consequences? leon: question is if you're in maryland,

reporting live in southwest, mike conneen, abc 7 news.g do you think the nationals should play after a home run? let us know on the wjla facebook page. alison: that's it for us here on abc 7 news at 5:00. but coming up at 6:00 tonight -- heroism caught on video. what we're learning about the terrifying moment when strangers dropped everything to help a man in need. scott: why the single deployment of an aircraft carrier could dramatically alter the war on terror. alison: and closure for the family of an unarmed man shot and killed in a stand-off in springfield. abc 7 news at 6:00 has started right now. maureen: first at 6:00 heroism in action caught on video. began this afternoon when a man in a wheelchair fell off of a metro platform on to the u street station tracks. that's when several people became heroes immediately jumping into save him. tom roussey joins us live from that metro station with the must see video. tom? tom: it happened around 1:20 this afternoon at the u street station. here is a video of when this man went over the ed

i'm mike conneen. i'll show you the shock alison: for first time we're getting a look at surveillance footage that shows a prince george's county police officer striking a 15-year-old inmate who was handcuffed at the time. the video was released today after that officer jerry thomas reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. now, as mike conneen reports, his future as a police officer is unclear. mike: the newly released surveillance footage shows jerry thomas, five year veteran repeatedly striking a 15-year-old inmate. >> trust of the community is the most important thing. i will not allow that to be violated. mike: before the incident, each prosecutors acknowledged the teen was being loud, annoying and obnoxious while being held on a vandalism charge. but that in no way justified the actions of officer thomas. >> his response was not only inappropriate but illegal for him to assault a person that was clearly handcuffed. mike: the incident happened here at the district police station in november 2012.

mike conneen introduces us to the men and women involved. mike: august 16 2014, is a day that clarence black and paul berg will never forget. >> we think back about how dangerous the situation was. >> we just try to keep the community say. mike: they were among the handful of officers responding to shots fired, pursuing a gun man. through it all, the suspect had his three-year-old daughter in the car. >> unfortunate, she was killed by the father, but they did not know that. they were only worried about trying to save her. mike: this was the 30th annual prince george's county valor awards. >>'s support for us to thank them every day because there are acts of bravery that nobody hears about. mike: they recognized heroic actions across five county agencies -- police, sure, fire and ems, homeland security, and corrections. other recipients included a nurse to help a female inmate deliver a healthy baby girl before emt's arrived, and firefighters help those on the jokers jinx roller coaster at six flags last year that was stalled. >> they are my h

as mike conneen reports, the mission is far from over. mike: operated by nasa's team in greenbelt, maryland the hubble telescope is still sending back breathtaking images 25 years after lifting off. >> first images were actually blurry. they weren't what we expected and it turns out that there was a problem in the way the miror was produced. mike: astronauts later fixed that problem and with the capacity to see 13.4 billion light years away hubble became our eye on the sky. >> and hubble is still providing new discoveries. mike: orbiting 340 miles above earth, hubble has made more than 1 1.2 million observations and 25 years later, astronauts say the telescope has fundamentally changed our perspective of the universe and our place in it. >> there are seven septillion stars out there and we wouldn't know hardly any of that if it wasn't for hubble. it showed us the age of the universe down to two decimal places. >> ♪ ground control ♪ mike: chris hadfield is better known as the singing astronaut after this video went viral. >> hubble has rewr

mike conneen introduces us to the men and women who rushed into difficult and dangerous situations in some of the most notable emergencies of the past year. mike: august 16 2014 is a day prince george's county police corporals will never forget. >> look back and think about how the situation was. >> not trying to get a pat on our back. we're trying to keep the community safe and go about our day and go home to our families. mike: they were among the handful of officers that responded to a report of double shooting in temple hill pursuing and exchanging fire with the gunman who was eventually shot and killed. throughout it all, the suspect had his 3-year-old daughter in the car. >> unfortunately, she was you know killed by her father. but at that time they didn't know that and they didn't care about their own safety only cared about trying to save her. mike: today, they were among the many saluted at the 38th annual prince george's county valor awards. >> it's important for us especially as a community to thank them every day because there's act of bravery done every day. nobody hears

mike conneen abc 7 news. scott: a man accused of orchestrating a stock market flash crash in may of 2010 is fighting extradition to the u.s. today, a judge in london set his bail at $7 1/2 million. that is the exact amount in his trading account. the judge ordered him to surrender his passport and check in with police several times a week. it caused the dow to cause 600 points in five minutes. the former guard known as the accountant of auschwitz gave chilling details of operations at the nazi death camp today. at his trial in germany, oscar groening faces 300,000 counts of being an accessory to murder. survivors of the camp say it is never too late for justice. >> i don't see -- too many people died. scott: 425,000 jews died at that complex between may and july of 1944. he has said he witnessed the atrocities and feels guilt for that but did not take part in any himself. alison: we turn to a "7 on your side" consumer alert. trek bicycles has recalled nearly one million bikes sold over the past 15 years. at i

mike conneen, abc 7 news. alison: police are looking for a karate instructor in bethesda who is charged with possessing child pornography. montgomery county police issued a search warrant for 26-year-old alexander soumbadze. police say their investigation also uncovered videos of soumbadze engaging in sexual acts with adolescent males at a chevy chase karate studio. they believe there could be more victims so police are asking anyone who may have been victimized to come forward. leon: an ohio man accused of plotting an attack on a u.s. military base has been -- has pled not guilty in court in his appearance today. he is charged with supporting terrorism, supporting a terrorist group and making a false statement involving international terrorism. investigators say that he bought a one-way ticket to greece and then slipped into syria. there, he trained with terrorists and planned to come back with the u.s. to kill american soldiers. execution style. >> the benefit of being american is he's able to travel. he has

reporting in ashburn, mike conneen, abc 7 news. leon: a criminal past. court records paint a troubling picture of the man at the center of a chaotic and deadly sequence of events from d.c. to maryland. also, fury unleashed. >> there goes cars! leon: mother nature slammed the midwest with terrible force. we'll take you to the heart of the danger zone and -- >> there's no way i could use that much water. leon: the water company says half a million gallons and the amount due, over 7 grand but the house has been empty. "7 on your side" investigates. alison: we're watching the skies. rain moving into our region. leon: uh-huh. doug hill is here now with an eye of what's happening on the skies out there. doug? doug: as the old song said -- ♪ we have sunshine on a cloudy day ♪ yeah, senior karaoke. doing better there. live look at the rooftop camera across the street from the kennedy center. looks bleak there. looking out west along route 50 eventually up towards seven corners and look at that, a little clearing, a little blue sky and a little sunshine. it's lat

at the shady grove metro station, mike conneen, abc 7 news. alison: and abc 7 news got a first-hand look at metro's new 7,000 series rail cars today. the first 7,000 series trains will go into service on the blue line tomorrow. new cars will have wider aisles uncarpeted floors and digital sign boards. these new cars will replace existing cars that have been in use since metro opened 40 years ago. leon: and that new car smell. alison: they will. for a little while at least. leon: a little while. alison: so you want to get outside pretty much now and enjoy the weather while you can. leon: that's right. changes are on the way. chief meteorologist doug hill here with the word on that. doug? doug: yep, i mean, gusty winds and warm temperatures at the moment. but rain tomorrow. let's get you started with numbers. very impressive out there right now. 79 at reagan national. mid to upper 70's common place. 81 now in frederick. and in fredricksburg. give you a live shot from the rooftop camera. bouncing around a bit at the winds but a beautiful afternoo

i'm mike conneen at the marine corps war memorial. you might be surprised who won't be paying for the restoration. leon: thanks to a multimillion dollar gift, the iconic war memorial depicting the raising of the american flag is about to get a facelift starting this summer. alison: that's right. it's the memorial's first major restoration since it was dedicated by president dwight d. eisenhower in 1954. reporter: with $5.37 million located by the local businessman and philanthropist, the u.s. marine corps war memorial will soon get a new plaza, fresh landscaping and most important, crews will restore the 61-year-old bronze statue that now looks greenish. >> oxidation occurs on the surface of the metal. that will all be cleaned and polished and waxed. reporter: the national park service says 230,000 visitors come to this site each year. while the project will take two years to complete, the park service says the site will remain open with only minor impacts on visitors. >> mr. reubenstein's gift will allow us to really demonstrate this

in springfield, mike conneen, abc 7 news. leon: all metro riders aren't the only ones who had to grab umbrellas to hit the road today. alison: doug hill is in the weather center with the rainy forecast. doug: the rain continues here in arlington and outside of the belfort furniture weather center, continue for a few hours and a lot headed this way. down to the south, bottom half of the screen on the outer banks, northeast north carolina some heavier downpours and maybe a rumble of thunder in those spots. key will be time another five or six hours or so. mostly steady rain should move out of the picture and broken into the region here and patches of rain. mid 50's now. temperatures will be falling this evening. as they fall, as the temperatures fall, skies will be clearing. 47, 48 degrees tomorrow night with a light northerly wind. just watch how everything changes so quickly with the rain moving out and the sun coming out tomorrow. warming up to near 70 degrees. we'll hang on partly sunny skies through the day on wednesday. w