Talk about the wrong thing at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Around 5:30 p.m. last Tuesday night, police say Joseph McInnis III, 21, and Tyree McCoy, 22, attempted to stage an armed robbery at a pub in Woodlawn, Md.
There was just one problem: the bar was hosting a retirement party for a police officer and so was filled to the brim with off-duty cops.
“I’m sure that they weren’t planning on there being a large room filled with police officers,” Baltimore County police Officer Jennifer Peach told WBAL-TV.
According to police, the two men entered the take-out area of Monaghan’s Pub in Woodlawn and held up an employee at gunpoint, demanding cash.
Meanwhile, dozens of Baltimore County police officers had converged on the pub to celebrate the retirement of Sgt. David Neal, a 29-year veteran of the force.
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“At that time, the person who had been behind the counter knew that there was a retirement party for a police officer happening, so they went into the other portion and alerted the officers to the fact that they had just been involved in an armed robbery,” Peach said.
The two men fled the bar on foot but didn’t make it far before they were apprehended by police. Neither police nor any employees of the bar were injured during the robbery or subsequent foot chase.
Jack Milani, the owner of Monaghan’s Pub, told the Baltimore Sun that he’s surprised anyone would consider robbing his establishment, a known hangout for off-duty cops.
“It’s kind of odd you would even attempt it,” Milani said. “[Police officers] are always in here. There was a decent amount of them.”
The two men were charged with armed robbery and possession of a handgun, and transported to the Baltimore County Detention Center.
Police also confirmed to local media that a use of force investigation is underway after one of the arresting officers struck McCoy with a closed fist.