METRO Police Chief Provides Update on Mace Incident on METRORail

Incident Overview

• 🚨 A recent incident on the METRORail Red Line involved the deployment of civilian mace, resulting in three individuals being hospitalized.
• 💡 The chemical deployed is believed to be a personal protection spray readily available on the open market.
• ⚠️ In close proximity and confined spaces like a rail car, even a small amount of mace can impact many people due to air circulation.

Investigation and Response

• 🔍 The investigation is in its preliminary stages, with a significant amount of surveillance video still under review.
• 🎯 While the deployment is not believed to have been specifically targeted at an individual, the impact in a confined space is significant.
• 🏥 Hospitalizations were primarily for precautionary evaluation due to potential exposure to irritants.
• 🕵️ A person of interest has been tentatively identified due to the diligence of the police officers.

Fair Inspector Assault

• 🤕 The incident also involved an assault on a civilian fair inspector, who sustained substantial injuries and underwent surgery.
• 🚀 Thanks to quick response and available technology, the suspect in the assault was apprehended.

METRO Police Department's Safety Priorities

• 🛡️ Safety is the highest priority for the METRO Police Department, covering over 300 square miles across four counties and multiple cities.
• 📈 The department is continuously evaluating and strengthening safety measures, including deploying additional uniformed and undercover officers.
• 🤝 Collaboration with local, regional, and law enforcement partners is crucial for enhancing system safety.
• 🗣️ The public is urged to "see something, say something" by leveraging the comment box and reporting process to help identify and resolve issues.

Resource Deployment and Reporting

• 🗺️ METRO police are working to strategically deploy resources across a vast area, emphasizing the importance of human intelligence from riders.
• 📞 Riders are encouraged to provide specific details when reporting incidents, such as the bus or train number, location, and suspect description, to ensure a more effective response.
• 💻 In addition to a text line, reports can be submitted via the website cr.ro.org.
• 📊 Crime statistics are available through monthly board meetings and can be provided with specific categorization requests.