2 DC police cars were totaled after officers drag raced each other and crashed. All 4 cops were hospitalized.
- Washington, DC, police cars drag raced and crashed into each other Thursday, Fox 5 DC reports.
- Two squad cars were totaled, according to an internal email obtained by the network.
- DC police said the four officers involved were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Four police officers in Washington, DC, were taken to the hospital after drag racing their squad cars last Thursday, Fox 5 DC's Lindsay Watts reported. The two squad cars were also totaled.
Fox 5 obtained an internal email to command staff written by Durriyyah Habeebullah, 6th district commander of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
According to Habeebullah, the drag race happened around 5 p.m. near Kenilworth Park, in the city's northeast quadrant.
"Two 6D scout cars were totaled because officers decided instead of fighting crime, patrolling their beats, or engaging the community - they decided to drag race each other on Anacostia Avenue at 5 pm in the evening," Habeebullah wrote, according to Fox 5 DC.
"What does this say to all of the members of MPD who are passionate about their job and work hard every day to make a difference. This is not fair to any of us," Habeebullah added.
Jaylah Jennings, a resident who witnessed the crash, told the network she saw two police cars going "really, really fast" before colliding and crashing through a wooden fence on the side of the road.
The department confirmed the crash in a statement to Insider, saying "preliminarily, it appears that members may have been racing the vehicles, resulting in an accident."
The department said that four officers were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. All have been placed on "non-contact" pending an investigation into the matter, meaning they've been placed on desk duty, with pay.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.