A Capitol Hill resident claims he was punched in the face by a Metro station manager Tuesday after experiencing problems with his SmarTrip card.
The story was first reported Thursday by WNEW 99.1 FM.
Cameron Norris told News4 he was on his way to Freedom Plaza to watch the World Cup from the Eastern Market station. He stopped at Metro Center to transfer when he realized he was having issues with his SmarTrip card. Norris said he then approached the station manager about the faulty card.
"[The manger] was just antagonistic and upset from the beginning," Norris explained. "He said, 'Well let me tell you what's not going to happen. Metro is not going to replace it - if the card is registered then you can email and get it replaced that way, but you are not going to get anything beyond the free ride that you just got.'"
Norris said he then asked for the manager's name and attempted to take a picture of him when he said he was punched and knocked to the ground.
"I checked to make sure I wasn't bleeding, and then stood up," he said. "[The manager] was in the booth, and didn't say anything to me or ask if I was okay, nothing and so I called the police."
When Metro Transit Police arrived, they were able to access video evidence of the assault. The station manager was later arrested, charged with simple assault, and is now on paid administrative leave.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Metro sent the following statement regarding the incident:
"The alleged conduct runs counter to our values, and we are committed to investigating this incident and taking all appropriate action at the conclusion of the process."
Norris said he plans on continuing to ride Metro, but is pursuing charges against the station manager.
