A group trying to jump the Metro turnstiles in Pentagon City assaulted an officer and led police on a series of foot chases Tuesday night.
The wild incident started around 7 p.m., when Arlington County police were dispatched for as many as eight people reportedly loitering in the mall and refusing to leave. Shortly thereafter, as the group was said to be leaving the mall, a Metro Transit Police officer was allegedly assaulted by a “a group of individuals attempting to fare evade.”
“At approximately 7:00 p.m. on April 15, Arlington County police responded to the Pentagon City Metro Station to assist Metro Transit Police,” Arlington County police spokesperson Alli Shorb tells ARLnow. “Officers observed a group of individuals fleeing the Metro station and multiple foot pursuits were initiated. Five males, one adult and four juveniles, were taken into custody and transferred to Metro Transit Police.”
One of the people being chased ran onto the vacant Amazon PenPlace lot along 12th Street S., trailed by police. The scene was captured on traffic camera footage, posted online today by local public safety watcher Dave Statter.
Group fare evasion becomes foot chase: This was some of the scene Tuesday evening along S. 12th Street from Hayes to Eads after @MetroTransitPD say an officer was attacked in the Pentagon City Metro Station trying to stop teen fare evaders. At least two were stopped pretty… pic.twitter.com/VtiU9LreqA
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) April 17, 2025
Metro Transit Police confirmed to ARLnow that a total of five people were arrested and are facing charges including “fare evasion, assaulting a police officer, and obstruction.”
The foot chases Tuesday follow other recent incidents at the Pentagon City station, including one this past Friday when a girl threw food at an officer and struck another, after her male companion was stopped for fare evasion, according to ACPD.
On Monday, a local social media user who’s active on X reported “tons of fare evasion this afternoon exiting Pentagon City Station… Piggy-backing behind paying customers and jumping the turnstiles.”
Metro spokesperson Jordan Pascale tells ARLnow that at the Pentagon City station, “95.5% of trips are tapped/paid and 4.5% are non-tap/fare evasion, according to our data.”
Fare evasion increased to record levels during the pandemic, according to WMATA, leading to more secure faregates being installed at all 98 Metrorail station as of last fall.
