The Metropolitan Police Department has recently taken into custody a man suspected of a string of unconventional robberies involving a fire extinguisher as the weapon of choice. The suspect, identified as 42-year-old Rahman Barnes from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was accused of robbing several convenience stores in both Northwest and Northeast D.C.
As reported by the MPD, an arrest warrant was issued on May 1, 2024, after an investigation pointed to Barnes as the perpetrator. Ironically, at that time he was already held in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for crimes unrelated to the D.C. robberies. It wasn't until July 1, 2025, that Barnes was extradited back to Washington, D.C., to face his new charges.
One of the more brazen incidents occurred on April 15, 2024, at around 6:30 a.m. Barnes purportedly walked into a convenience store located on the 300 block of Hawaii Avenue, Northeast. After selecting some items, he approached the counter, only to wield a fire extinguisher – not a gun, not a knife, but an everyday fire extinguisher. He sprayed the clerk, incapacitating them, before proceeding to rip the cash register away along with other items. The charges against Barnes include armed robbery, despite the weapon in question lacking traditional lethality.
