Thomas Greene, the main suspect in today’s Metro incident. Photo via Metro Transit Police.
This morning at around 10:20 a.m., the District-wide DC Alert system issued a warning: Stations along the Orange/Blue/Silver line, from Federal Center SW to Stadium-Armory Metro, were closed. The reason cited at the time was that a suspicious powder was found at Eastern Market Station.
Since the first alarms were issued a few hours ago, Metro Transit Police has shared their investigative findings. You can read the Tweets here, but I’ve pulled the highlights for you:
- A man was caught by security cameras spreading white powder at Eastern Market. He then jumped aboard a westbound train and departed the system at Metro Center station.
- Eastern Market Metro was closed down, and the system was paralyzed for about 45 minutes from Federal Center SW to Stadium-Armory.
- The Hazmat crews determined that the substance was not hazardous. The trains still bypassed Eastern Market most of the morning.
- Metro police issued a search for the man in the photo above, Thomas S. Greene, 59. Greene is “under arrest for multiple open warrants,” according to Metro Transit Police.
Some of our readers and our own Robert Pohl shared their view this a.m.:
Really not looking good at eastern market metro, @theHillisHome. Avoid area. pic.twitter.com/xCD6do5OFc
— Robert Festivus Pohl (@RSP_DC) December 31, 2018
It is a TOTAL disaster. At 7th and Penn outbound, the only option is to turn north on 7th… traffic is gonna be terrrrrible for a while.
— Jason Levine ☕ (@delfuego) December 31, 2018
21 emergency vehicles at Eastern Market Metro responding to unattended package pic.twitter.com/upinKrLjW7
— Larry Janezich (@ljjanezich) December 31, 2018