Blind man assaulted by 2 suspects on Metro Red Line train, police say

WASHINGTON - Metro Transit Police are searching for two suspects who reportedly assaulted a blind man with a service dog on a Red Line train.

The alleged assault happened Monday morning after the victim boarded a train at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station heading towards Shady Grove, according to the police incident report.

Police say the blind man accidentally bumped into one of the suspects as he boarded the train. The suspect allegedly responding by pushing and threatening the victim.

A witness reported to police that she intervened and attempted to defuse the situation, but the suspects cursed at her. When she tried to call police, she said the suspects tried to grab her phone. However, the woman held on to her device and called police. She was also able to record video of the altercation between the two suspects and the blind man as the train continued on to the next two stops, the police report states.

Police say things escalated when the train arrived at the NoMa-Gallaudet U station. According to witnesses, it became an all-out brawl when people tried to protect the blind man from the pushing and shoving by the suspects.

"Every guy on the train was punching, trying to punch these guys out because they were assaulting a blind man," another witness told FOX 5. "He had only bumped into them accidentally and they are like, 'Hey you bumped into me,' and then just a verbal assault. There was an old lady sitting next to him and they verbally assaulted her and then it just started a rumble."

Following the assault, the suspects got off the Metro train at Union Station, police say.

The victim did not report any injuries and he did not need medical attention, according to the police report.

Police say one of the suspects is described as a black male who had a bandage under his right eye. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with dark blue jeans and dark blue, blue and white underwear showing.

The second suspect is described as a black male between 18 and 20 years old. He was wearing a black knit cap with blue stonewashed jeans.

If you have any information about the suspects, you are asked to call Metro Transit Police at 301-955-5000 or send a text to MyMTPD (696875).