WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Thousands of people have shared a video on TikTok in the last 24 hours. It claims to show the dramatic end to the search for a Washington, D.C. murder suspect who escaped from police last week.
User @user1234568181991 posted the short clip Monday evening. It shows a group of police officers standing over someone in an area with chairs, tables, and umbrellas as a crowd gathers. The video has text over it that reads, "escaped murder suspect Christopher Haynes caught at Washington Harbor in D.C."
QUESTION
Does the video show the arrest of Christopher Haynes?
SOURCES
ANSWER
While the video does show an arrest, it was not Christopher Haynes.
WHAT WE FOUND
Christopher Haynes has been the focus of local law enforcement since Wednesday, September 6. He escaped police custody while at the George Washington University Hospital. His escape led to a shelter-in-place order on the university's campus, but Haynes was not found. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to his arrest.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department told WUSA9 that Haynes remains at large. Police leaders had previously said Haynes had ties to Stafford, Fauquier, and Prince William counties in Northern Virginia.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Park Police said in an email that the video shows an arrest made at approximately 9 p.m. Monday night at The Washington Harbour. The man being arrested had allegedly interfered with traffic in the area of Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and Virginia Avenue NW. He allegedly ran away and is accused of assaulting officers.
The spokesperson added that the suspect was not wanted in connection with any other incident.