WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, December 17th, a Metro Transit police officer was stabbed by a suspected fare evader. FOX 5 reported that the incident happened around 11:30 a.m. when Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) officers working a bus enforcement detail at Gallery Place stopped an individual for not paying the Metro bus fare.
When officers attempted to detain the suspect for not paying, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the officer in the wrist. The suspect fled the scene on foot and after a brief chase, the suspect was successfully detained without further incident with the assistance of D.C. police. The suspect was placed under arrest and the knife was recovered.
As of this writing, the suspect has not been identified. The MTPD officer was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
A week prior to this incident, the New York Post reported that a man arrested for boarding a D.C. Metro bus without paying the fare was found to be carrying a loaded shotgun. The man, identified as 30-year-old Gerald Evans, was confronted by plain-clothes bus enforcement officers after he allegedly got on an X2 bus without paying.
When officers attempted to issue Evans a citation for fare evasion, he allegedly refused to provide identification and was subsequently placed under arrest. Police said the loaded shotgun was found hidden under Evans' coat when he was searched during the arrest.
Evan was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of unregistered ammo, fugitive from justice, and fare evasion.
According to NBC Washington, in November, Metro said that it would be cracking down on fare evasion on buses. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Randy Clarke said that more than 70 percent of bus riders aren't paying the $2.25 bus fare. He added, "We've heard loud and clear from people. It's something that we are working on. So, starting the week after Thanksgiving, we are going to go after the bus system much more significantly."
Clarke said, "So, we'll take a place, and I use this purely as an example, a place like Silver Spring, where there's a lot of bus bays or Minnesota Avenue or that type of example. We might have three or four officers but now we might target them with some special police or transportation supervisors, and we'll spread them out at the different bays and they'll just stand by the door. And basically, if you don't pay, you're not getting on."
According to WMATA, Evans' arrest a week ago was an example of "fare enforcement in action." The gun found in Evans' possession had been reported stolen out of Prince George's County, Maryland. It was also reported that Evans had an open felony warrant for theft out of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
When officers attempted to detain the suspect for not paying, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the officer in the wrist. The suspect fled the scene on foot and after a brief chase, the suspect was successfully detained without further incident with the assistance of D.C. police. The suspect was placed under arrest and the knife was recovered.
As of this writing, the suspect has not been identified. The MTPD officer was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
A week prior to this incident, the New York Post reported that a man arrested for boarding a D.C. Metro bus without paying the fare was found to be carrying a loaded shotgun. The man, identified as 30-year-old Gerald Evans, was confronted by plain-clothes bus enforcement officers after he allegedly got on an X2 bus without paying.
When officers attempted to issue Evans a citation for fare evasion, he allegedly refused to provide identification and was subsequently placed under arrest. Police said the loaded shotgun was found hidden under Evans' coat when he was searched during the arrest.
Evan was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of unregistered ammo, fugitive from justice, and fare evasion.
According to NBC Washington, in November, Metro said that it would be cracking down on fare evasion on buses. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager Randy Clarke said that more than 70 percent of bus riders aren't paying the $2.25 bus fare. He added, "We've heard loud and clear from people. It's something that we are working on. So, starting the week after Thanksgiving, we are going to go after the bus system much more significantly."
Clarke said, "So, we'll take a place, and I use this purely as an example, a place like Silver Spring, where there's a lot of bus bays or Minnesota Avenue or that type of example. We might have three or four officers but now we might target them with some special police or transportation supervisors, and we'll spread them out at the different bays and they'll just stand by the door. And basically, if you don't pay, you're not getting on."
According to WMATA, Evans' arrest a week ago was an example of "fare enforcement in action." The gun found in Evans' possession had been reported stolen out of Prince George's County, Maryland. It was also reported that Evans had an open felony warrant for theft out of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
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Comments
2024-12-19T20:17-0500 | Comment by: Barbro
The free rides are over in all of America