Washington DC Cops Wreck 2 Patrol Cars While Drag Racing on Duty
Two Washington DC officers crashed and damaged their police vehicles after engaging in a drag race. The incident happened last Thursday at around 5 p.m. on Anacostia Avenue near Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden, Fox29 reported.
Sources told FOX 5 that cops from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were traveling at least 60 miles per hour.
The news about the incident prompted different reactions from netizens. The incident happened three days after Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis cop, was charged guilty against the death of George Floyd.
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Washington Officers on Drag Race
The incident was confirmed by 6D Commander Durriyyah Habeebullah, New York Post reported. In an email by FOX 5, Habeebullah said that two "6D scout cars" were damaged because the police officers "decided" to drag race instead of patrolling their beats, fighting crime, or engaging the community.
Habeebullah slammed the cops' actions in the email sent to department management following the crash.
"What does this say to all the members of MPD who are passionate about their job and work hard every day to make a difference. This is not fair to any of us," the commander wrote.
Habeebullah's also said that when she talked about the incident with MPD Chief Robert Contee, the chief told her about a citizen witnessing an MPD van heading to a shooting scene on Thursday, traveling 90 miles per hour.
Habeebullah then said, what good are officers to their fellow officers if they do not arrive safely or "they total vehicles that we need to do our job."
In a tweet, FOX 5's Lindsay Watts noted that four 6D officers, who have been racing the vehicles and got into an accident, were already taken to a hospital with no life-threatening injuries. She said the four police officers were placed on non-contact during the investigation.
Twitter users have expressed their concerns on the issue. One user questioned how often these kinds of incidents happen. Another user has expressed disappointments saying that some cops carrying lethal weapons act like children.
Habeebullah exclaimed that she was holding command staff responsible to arrange discussions about driving fast and recklessly with officers.
Police Misconducts
In 2019, an investigation by USA Today Network found at least 85,000 law enforcement officers have been investigated or disciplined due to misconduct over the past decade.
Among the misconduct committed by police officers are beating members of the public, stealing, drug usage, drunk driving, and even lying despite their role as public servants.
USA Today noted that most misconducts involved routine infractions. However, it said the records revealed tens of thousands of cases of serious misconduct and abuse.
The report noted that dishonesty is a frequent problem. USA Today noted that the level of oversight varies widely from state to state.
Meanwhile, Fox29 mentioned that the two police officers involved in the incident are new to the department. Contee and Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser have yet to release any statement regarding the incident.
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WATCH: DC Cop Cars Totaled After Officers Drag Race in Northeast, Says commander - From FOX 5 Washington DC