WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — A St. Louis County police officer in Washington D.C. for Police Week and to testify about a robbery case he witnessed at the same event five years ago was robbed at gunpoint there this week.
Washington D.C. police say the officer was sitting at a bus stop at the intersection of H and North Capitol Street when two men approached him on mopeds. One of them said, "We're taking that bag," before taking it. As the suspects went through his two front pants pockets, they stole about $120 from him before fleeing the area on their mopeds.
It happened at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday, according to a police report.
St. Louis County Police spokeswoman Sgt. Tracy Panus said the county officer was not injured.
Police Week is a national weeklong police memorial event in which the names of fallen officers are added to a memorial there and other events take place to honor them.
The officer was in town for that event this week as well as to testify in D.C. about a 2019 case in which several county officers helped another off-duty officer they saw wrestling with a would-be robbery suspect.
In that 2019 event, Washington police said six people approached a man from behind, pushed him to the ground and stole his cell phone. They also struck him multiple times and tried to take his backpack before an off-duty New Jersey officer in town for the event chased and yelled at the suspects, capturing one of them.
The St. Louis County Police Pipes and Drums unit assisted that officer in making that arrest.
The suspects involved in Wednesday's robbery remain at large.
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