The doorman at Madams Organ has seen a lot, but nothing like Thursday night’s crash when a truck plowed through the median hitting two bicycle officers and a DDOT traffic control officer.
Police have ruled out terrorism but it is still unclear why two men from the Richmond area were in D.C. with an assault rifle in their truck.
One of the victims has been identified as Officer Alex Bukvic, according to the police report. The second officer has not yet been identified.
The story starts a few doors down at a sushi joint where Gillian Thomas works take out. She was in the window Thursday night and had a front row seat. She said traffic was backed up, people were honking their horns, when the suspects’ truck swerved around a bus that was blocked by an Uber.
“That’s when he struck the officer right there and the other officer was standing right here (closer to Madam’s Organ) in the middle with both of their bicycles, looking the other way, minding his own business. He didn’t see it coming when – BOOM! – ran directly over him and then drug him down the street," recalled the Madam's Organ doorman who did not want to be identified. "I ran over to him tried to help him checked his pulse make sure he was still breathing, unbuttoned his shirt unbuttoned his vest because these guys are like family. We see each other five times a week, we chit chat."
And while surveillance camera at Madam’s Organ didn’t catch the crash, the owner snapped a picture of one of the suspect’s after the truck crashed into a trash truck a half a block away.
The passenger, 23-year-old Dwayne Taylor was the passenger and originally arrested on gun charges but the Attorney General decided not to press charges “based on the evidence.”
The driver, 22-year-old Brandon Figures-Mormon faces possession of an unregistered gun and assault with intent to kill.
The officers are lucky to be alive. The DDOT traffic control officer is home recovering from her injuries, so is one MPD officer.
A second police officer is still in the hospital and while it was touch and go, he is on the road to recovery.
Elias Mantilla is the manager at Tryst and was overwhelmed when an officer walked in Friday.
" I ran over to him and said I'm so happy to see your face, I'm glad you're OK," he said. "He mentioned he just came from the hospital after seeing the officer who is in stable condition but is going to be in the hospital for a while. It's just so sad that it hit close to home."
The driver is also in the hospital.
