A 19-year-old man was robbed and attacked with a stun gun early Saturday morning in the 4500 block of Hartwick Road, an area near College Park Shopping Center that is frequently passed by students.
About 2:15 a.m., four suspects approached a group of friends and asked to borrow a cell phone. After the victim allowed one of the suspects to use his phone, he was approached from behind by a second suspect who displayed a stun gun and demanded money, Cpl. Clinton Copeland of Prince George’s County Police said.
The suspects then took the victim’s wallet and stunned him three times before fleeing toward the College Park Metro Station, Copeland said.
The victim suffered minor injuries and refused hospital treatment, Copeland said. Police would not confirm whether the victim was a student because the investigation is ongoing.
After the attack, police patrolled the surrounding area and found some of the victim’s belongings, but have no leads on the identities of the suspects, Copeland said.
“The officers checked the area and didn’t find anyone,” Copeland said.
Copeland said in robbery situations – especially those involving weapons – it is best to comply with the suspect and focus on their description.
“Sometimes you just have to be a good witness so you can give officers a more detailed description,” Copeland said.
University Police Spokesman Paul Dillon said he was not aware of any recent assaults that involved stun guns, and believed it was an isolated incident.
“We have not had any instances where stun guns have been used, to my knowledge,” Dillon said.
Maj. Kevin Davis, commander of District 1, said this is the first citizen robbery involving a stun gun in several years. He created a crime solvers flyer with a picture of a stun gun so College Park residents are familiar with what one looks like.
Stun guns deliver a strong electrical shock that can incapacitate a person, but the weapon is not considered lethal.
“It’s literally a hand-held stun gun that looks like a TV remote control,” Davis said. “If someone sees the flyer and then sees a stun gun, then it would be a reason to contact police.”
Davis said it is common for citizen robberies to increase at the start of a new school year, and that his department is prepared.
“We have some enforcement plans in pale to make sure the semester starts out right in College Park,” he said.
Contact reporter Cassie Bottge at cbottge@gmail.com.
