Names and faces

District of Columbia police have opened an internal-affairs investigation into statements made by an officer who responded to reports that singer Chris Brown had punched a man outside a Washington hotel. That probe centers on a disputed conversation between the officer and an unidentified acquaintance of Brown. The apparent inconsistencies are described in charging documents laying out the assault case against Brown and his bodyguard.

According to police records, the acquaintance told detectives at the scene in October that the officer said Brown had never struck the alleged victim. The officer then denied even speaking with the acquaintance. However, a uniformed Secret Service officer at the scene reported overhearing the conversation with the officer and confirmed the acquaintance’s story. And the accuser denied ever saying that Brown never struck him. An Associated Press reporter who had previously asked the Police Department about that conversation was contacted this week by an internal-affairs investigator assigned to the probe. The investigator confirmed that a review was underway. “We are aware of the discrepancy among witness statements in the Chris Brown case. This is not uncommon in cases with multiple witnesses involved. We have received no complaint of misconduct on the part of any officer in this matter,” Police Chief Cathy Lanier said in a written statement.

Country singer Jennifer Nettles is a bit nervous about starting over. She’s spent years drawing fans and accolades as a part of Grammy Award-winning Sugarland, but now that duo is on hiatus while she sets off on her solo career. “I think any time one takes the risk of reinvention and really puts herself out there in a new way, there are fears,” Nettles said. “And for me, people said, ‘Are you nervous? Are you scared?’ Yeah, I am scared in the way that one gets when something is important.” Her new album, That Girl, released Tuesday, is like the debut of an up-and-coming singer-songwriter that highlights her powerful vocals paired with simple backing music. Although she’s wanted to record a solo album for years, the success of Sugarland, which won the Country Music Association’s vocal duo category for five years straight, meant that she had to be careful with her timing of this album.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 01/17/2014

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