WASHINGTON — Police have detained two people following a reported armed robbery in Northwest D.C. Thursday morning. D.C. Police responded to a report of a barricaded person around 8 a.m. Roads were closed in the area due to the potential barricade situation but were back open before noon.
According to a preliminary investigation, officers were flagged down by one of the victims of a potential armed robbery in the 2000 block of Georgia Avenue, Northwest across from Howard University Hospital. The suspects took off running and police gave chase. One suspect ran into the rear of a nearby vacant building owned by Howard. Police captured one man while the second man barricaded himself in the building.
Around 10:30 a.m., police said they had found the person inside the building. They have been detained and detectives are investigating exactly what happened.
No injuries have been reported. Police recovered a weapon, but no shots were fired.
"They shut down the hospital, no patients could come or go and they sent text alerts," said Howard University Hospital employee Tasha Adkinson. "At least they told us but, it's scary. People have mental illness and if they're not addressed crazy things like this happen."
Howard University sent the following statement Thursday regarding the incident and their vacant property:
"Earlier today, individuals suspected of an attempted armed robbery were apprehended without incident after forcibly entering and barricading themselves in a building owned by the University. The building, which was secured, was previously used for research projects and has been unoccupied over the past seven years. As with all properties, we have implemented various safety measures, such as the installation of locks, chains, and barriers at the site. The University continuously monitors this and any unoccupied building and has numerous protection measures in place to safeguard against attempts to breach these properties, including regular visits by our Department of Public Safety and the recent development of a task force to address securing University properties. Vacant properties are often targets for intruders who are seeking to gain access to these properties. We will continue to work diligently to develop and implement plans that keep our campus a safe and nurturing environment for our Howard University community."
This barricade situation comes almost exactly a week after a man shot at three officers serving an animal cruelty warrant in Southeast D.C. and barricaded himself inside his Southeast D.C. home. He surrendered peacefully after 13 hours of negotiation.
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