WALDORF, Md. — A caught-on-camera getaway showing suspected ATM thieves in Charles County, Maryland has gotten a lot of attention. The video shows an apparently distracted officer failing to notice the thieves leaving a 7-Eleven store until it's too late.
It appears to be a missed opportunity to catch one of the highly organized crews who have been terrorizing convenience stores in the region for the past few months by holding clerks hostage while they use a hydraulic jaws of life tool to break into ATMs.
That's what happened at the 7-Eleven on Berry Road in Waldorf on Feb. 8. The surveillance video from the store timestamps the getaway around 3 a.m. The video shows the Charles County Sheriff's Office deputy leaning into his car in front of the store, not immediately noticing the thieves running past and getting into a black sedan.
By the time the officer pulls his gun, the thieves are leaving. No shots were fired.
Comments on social media have not been kind to the deputy, and include memes of Barney Fife. But according to a Charles County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Diane RIchardson, deputies were completely unaware a robbery was in progress as they approached the store. Richardson said the encounter happened as they were proactively patrolling convenience stores that night because of reports of ATM robberies in nearby Prince George's County.
After the thieves left the store, deputies pursued them back into Prince George's County, where police radio traffic caught Prince George's County officers sharing information.
"Charles County is chasing a blacked-out sedan," the radio transmission said. Charles County authorities said they broke off the pursuit due to unsafe speeds. So far, no suspects have been arrested.
"Clearly in this case the officers were not aware that a robbery was occurring,” Richardson said in a statement. “As soon as they recognized what was happening, they took action and pursued the suspects."
National police procedures expert Emanual Kapelsohn said the video shows a surprised officer with limited information reacting with appropriate restraint.
"We've got a deputy who assesses the situation in a second and a half, draws his handgun in another second and a half. It's not appropriate to shoot, but in any event he is prohibited from shooting because of the policy, and we see the other car in pursuit within five seconds after that," Kapelsohn said of the video footage.
So were the officers not doing their jobs? Kapelsohn says no.
"These officers seem to have acted as well-trained, reasonable officers would act," Kopelsohn said.
But not everyone agrees.
Former FBI agent Dr. Tyrone Powers, another police procedure expert, said that if the officers were in fact patrolling for the ATM thieves, they should have been on higher alert when coming to the store.
Powers said the video was "not a good look," and should be addressed with more training.
The owner of 7-Eleven declined to speak with WUSA9 about the video, which was obtained from another source.
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