The man who pulled a Metro emergency lever and brought a train to a halt during rush hour Tuesday was caught on video -- and Metro says police questioned and released him.
A man traveling with a young child about 5 p.m. Tuesday wanted to exit a Greenbelt-bound Green Line train at L'Enfant Plaza but didn't make it off the train in time, a Metro spokeswoman said.
Video released by Metro Thursday shows the six-car train gaining speed and then jerking to a halt, forcing passengers to brace themselves. Passengers in the silent video appear to look in one direction and point.
A man in a baseball cap appears to pry one of the train doors open, and then he runs off the train with a child who looks under 10 years old.
A woman who said she witnessed the incident said the man pulled the lever because he and an older child got separated from a younger child who looked about 5 years old, according to The Washington Post.
The train doors closed behind the man and the girl, leaving the boy alone on the platform and screaming, the Post reported.
Metro could not confirm the woman's account, according to the Post.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The incident left commuters stranded while police investigated.
Metro operating procedure requires officers to ensure tunnels and restricted areas are secure before a stopped train can be restarted, an official said. Also, workers must walk around the outside of the train to ensure no one is on the track bed.
The man was not charged because he did nothing criminal, according to Metro.
The incident caused additional delays Tuesday after a previous signal problem at L'Enfant Plaza slowed down commuters. Metro said the combination of the two incidents led to major crowding on platforms.
Residual delays and crowded conditions continued on the Blue, Green and Yellow lines until about 7:30 p.m., Metro said.
