Two Metro employees subdued a robbery suspect armed with a loaded semiautomatic handgun aboard a Green Line train Saturday afternoon.
The incident began shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday when a victim was approached by Rondez Trayvon Tibbs, 20, of southeast Washington, at Anacostia Station. Tibbs allegedly flashed a gun in his waistband and demanded the victim's money. The victim complied and handed over about $40.
Tibbs then boarded a northbound Green Line train where he got into an altercation with other passengers, according to a Metro news release. Two Metro rail operations employees were riding aboard the train noticed the altercation and attempted to intervene.
After a struggle, the male employee was able to restrain Tibbs by pinning him to the floor of the railcar while the female employee radioed the control center to dispatch Metro Transit Police, according to the release. During the altercation, the male employee was able to grab a handgun away from Tibbs and move it out of his reach.
"I could not be prouder of the courageous action taken by two of our colleagues yesterday afternoon," said Metro Interim General Manager Jack Requa. "Faced with an armed suspect, they selflessly sprang into action and may well have saved others from harm."
Metro Transit Police intercepted the train at Gallery Place, where officers placed Tibbs under arrest and recovered a 25-caliber semi-automatic handgun. The news release said the weapon was fully loaded with one bullet in the chamber.
Green and Yellow line trains were single-tracked around the police investigation for about 30 minutes.
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Tibbs is charged with armed robbery and carrying a pistol without a license. Additional charges are possible.
The employees have not been identified.
