‘Steppin’ Out, WMATA Style’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
Metro has released a statement regarding the incident first reported on Unsuck DC Metro that has horrified many: six armed men reportedly boarded an Orange Line train on December 23rd, and allegedly robbed and beat passengers aboard that train, and according to some accounts, the Metro operator did not respond to emergency calls made from within the car.
The incident is pretty horrifying, and suggests that perhaps MTPD should spend a bit more time on trains rather than ineffectively searching our bags. The Statement is below and in full, and says that MTPD apprehended suspects within 30 minutes and recovered the stolen property.
On Dec. 23, Metro Transit Police responded immediately to a report of a robbery that had just taken place, and within 30 minutes the suspects were positively identified, arrested and the stolen property recovered.
In an effort to address crime in the Metro system, the MTPD recently reassigned sworn officers out of administrative functions and office buildings into stations, trains and buses to better protect our customers from crime and to increase their ability to respond as quickly as possible. Here is a good example of how that redeployment makes a difference.
Background:
Police responded immediately to a call for robbery on an Orange Line train between Stadium-Armory and Minnesota Ave stations on Dec. 23. Two victims reported that while on board a train, two males stole a cell phone and a shopping bag containing recently purchased clothing and exited the train at Minnesota Avenue. The victims exited at the Cheverly station, where they reported the crime.Metro Transit Police stopped the suspects in Northeast Washington, DC, near the Minnesota Avenue station a few minutes later and were able to get positive identification from the victims.
Police recovered the stolen property and charged the two 17-year-old males with robbery.
The victims did not report the use of a weapon during the incident. The victims were treated for minor lacerations at the station.
It is far too often that I have to check the WTF?! category when I am also checking the WMATA category in our CMS.
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Tom, your story says six-armed men; MTPD claims that there were two men who were unarmed. Who do I believe? Unsuck Dc’s source is an anonymous minor. Is there any information from a news agency that would refute MTPD’s claims?
Zesty,
I’ve added some further language to indicate that while Metro admits an incident did occur, the accounts may vary. It’s pretty clear we don’t have the full story here.
Zesty, six-armed men would be terrifying enough, robbery or no robbery.
@Tom, Agreed.
@horseydeucey, please re-read my comment. Your post in not coherent in light of what I posted.
Horseydeucey is right. Zesty: check the proper use of hyphens. Horsey’s comment IS coherent and made me LOL.
Yep I left a “-” between six and armed because I was typing fast. Both of you get a gold star for being Troll of the month!
Shit, just trying a little levity by passing on how I read your post. I wasn’t calling you out. Why would I care how well you grasp the English language? Or you I? Sometimes funny is funny. Sometimes it’s accidental.
The name calling? Well now you’re just trying to hurt feelings. And that’s not very nice, is it?
@horseydeucey, You’re right. I apologize for the name calling; it wasn’t called for.
Wouldn’t the six-armed men be easy to spot after the crime?
Kidding aside, it’s pretty frightening how different the two accounts are. The UnSuck report is six men that were armed that threatened and beat passengers and took wallets, cell phones, etc. MTPD’s “event” seems to be an entirely different one since they only cite two assailants, no guns, no violence and say they got off at a completely different stop. Oh, and let’s not forget that MTPD claims it was all neatly wrapped with a bow with assailants arrested and property returned within 30 minutes. That’s simply an impossibility.
What’s the real story here?