Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 29, 2003

Man who discharged weapon on Metro train Saturday night charged with carrying a pistol without a license

Pierre Capel, a 22- year-old resident of Laurel, MD, turned himself in to Metro Transit Police and has been charged with carrying a pistol without a license in connection with Saturday night’s incident on a Green Line train near the Congress Heights Metrorail station, Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson announced today.The charges stem from an incident Saturday (April 26) night at approximately 8 p.m. on a train approaching the Congress Heights Metrorail station. According to the charging documents, Mr. Capel saw acquaintances aboard the train and showed them a firearm that he had in his possession.As Mr. Capel was attempting to show the gun, it discharged, striking one of the acquaintances, a female who was treated for a non-life threatening injury at a local hospital."Despite Saturday’s incident, Metro is still one of the safest transit systems in the nation because incidents of this nature are rare," stated Metro Transit Police Chief Hanson. "Our transit officers continuously look for disorder and strenuously enforce the laws and public conduct ordinances in an effort ro prevent crime in our system."Officers were able to quickly respond to this incident because a customer activated the intercom at the end of the rail car," Chief Hanson added. "We appreciate that type of response by our customers when this type of incident does occur."The suspect will be remanded to D.C. Superior Court for the normal prosecutorial procedures to take place.

News release issued on April 29, 2003.