Police charged a man who tried to sue the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for slipping on a banana peel after discovering he placed it on the ground before he fell, ABC News reported.
Authorities arrested Maurice Owens, 42, earlier this month and charged him with second-degree fraud after attempting to score a settlement from WMATA. He was originally asking for $15,000 after claiming he slipped and fell on the peel left behind by a janitor.
In the security footage from the August 8 incident, Owens is shown holding an object in his hand and placing it on the ground as he walks out of an elevator, immediately slipping on it as he exits.
Dan Stessel, a Metro spokesman, explained the video footage.
"What you will see in the camera footage is that the elevator, just prior to Mr. Owens boarding, shows there's nothing on the floor," Stessel said. "He is then seen with what appears to be a banana peel in his hand, looking in the direction of the camera."
After the "fall" at Potomac Avenue Metro Station, he was transported to the hospital after claiming to suffer injuries in his hip and leg.
During a court apperance earlier this month, Owens was ordered to have a mental health evaluation. His lawsuit was dismissed and he is scheduled to appear in court next week.
Stessel added the "investment in digital cameras" has been successful "in protecting fare-paying riders and the region's taxpayers from fraudulent claims."
