The Washington Metropolitan Police Department has some serious explaining to do after a reckless stunt by officers endangered the public and themselves last Thursday. The incident occurred on Anacostia Avenue and Polk in northeast DC in broad daylight, but luckily no bystanders were harmed.
After it was said and done, four officers were headed to the hospital and two police cruisers were left completely totaled. The reckless officers also managed to take out a resident’s fence with their vehicles. One may think the police were performing their duties or fighting crime but the reason for the fiasco is much more worrying.
No, these officers weren’t engaged in a high-stake car chase or firefight with criminals in the line of duty, but an extremely dangerous and illegal drag race in the suburbs!
This quote from Commander Durriyyah Habeebullah sums it up the best:
“Yesterday two 6D scout cars were totaled because officers decided instead of fighting crime, patrolling their beats, or engaging the community – they decided to drag race each other on Anacostia Avenue at 5 pm in the evening. What good are officers to their fellow officers if they don’t arrive safely or they total vehicles that we need to do our job?” she wrote in an email statement.
According to news station FOX 5, the officers involved are new to the force but their employment status remains unknown. Witnesses report that the officers were traveling 70 mph before crashing into a resident’s yard and demolishing both police cruisers. What is especially confusing is how the collision happened. Reports say the officers were racing but photos from a neighbor nearby show that the vehicles collided almost head-on.
Regardless, the Washington Metro Police Department has refused to release a detailed incident report. The news is only the most recent in a string of incidents for the department.
