Saturday-Night Vigilante Justice: Victims Catch U Street Mugger

The victim of a Saturday-night mugging on the 900 block of U Street NW fought back with the help of two friends and caught the mugger, according to a friend who saw the incident. What ensued for the mugger was not pretty.

It also appears that the police might not have been involved at all. Since this occurred in Police Service Area (PSA) 305, I am asking MPD Third District if they have any additional information.

According to my source,  the incident took place around 11:45 p.m. last night (Saturday the 19th). Three guys were walking along U Street between 9th and 10th Streets NW. Then the mugger appears and apparently accosted and grabbed something from one of the three guys. The three guys chased the mugger eastward on U Street and caught him in front of of Nellie’s Sports Bar at 900 U Street NW.

Here is my friend’s report:

I was a witness as this happened in front of us, along with a friend. Were were standing in line to get into Nellie’s, probably about 100 people. It could have been a little earlier than midnight, 11:45ish? It started approximately half a block west of Nellie’s, ending at the curb directly in front of Nellie’s.

Following the mugging, he and his friends were completely fearless in chasing the mugger on U Street, dodging cars. They knocked the thug to the curb in front of Nellie’s and started some serious punching, then kicking the thug as he cowered in the gutter. Serious beat down.

At this point, the crowd broke into applause, while a few guys up on the rooftop deck of Nellie’s threw stuff… straws and napkins… on the mugger… he was in the gutter. Then the mugger got back on his feet and ran down the street. I didn’t get a chance to ask the victims-turned-vigilantes if they managed to recover the wallet or other goods.

The three guys who fought back were mid-20s… seemed to be straight, hipsters, but not too dressed up. They looked like they could have been software engineers, something like that.

No police were involved, it happened damned fast… unfolded in just minutes in front of everyone.

I would not want to be that mugger when word gets around that he was turned into a bitch in front of cheering queens.

Okay, three points:

1. First, I am not condoning anything. The right thing would have been for the three guys to hold down the mugger while waiting for the police (if they could have managed to do so.) Tempting as it is to wail on someone who just mugged you… you know it is not the right thing to do.
2. Second, the guys who chased and caught the mugger could have been badly hurt. He could have been armed with a gun.
3. This follows another U Street robbery that occurred about four blocks away at 13th Street on Friday morning at 9:29. Here is the Police Alert: “ROBBERY HU GUN. ROBBERY HU GUN_929AM_1300 BLK OF U STREET NW_LOOK FOR 2 B/MS, #1 IS HEAVY SET & BLK HOODIE & BLK MASK, #2 IS SLIM, BLK HOODIE & BLK MASK DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090519752. Sent on: 09/18 09:39″