Photo by afagen.

UPDATE 12:30 p.m.: An eyewitness to the robbery sent us the following report, which goes a little further in explaining why the police helicopter was in use: the suspect had climbed onto a roof as he fled the scene.

It actually happened right in front of my house…so I saw the whole thing. A man snatched the purse of a young woman after following her for several blocks. She chased after him, and he ran into a courtyard and climbed onto the roof – which explains the helicopter. They also had the canine unit out looking for him, but were unable to find him after an hour or so of searching.

The tipster also adds that the victim of the crime didn’t suffer any injuries.

A helicopter hovered over Eastern Market for a very long time last night, and our Twitter and tipline lit up with questions about what was going on. You ask, we find an answer: according to an email from MPD First District Commander David K. Kamperin, the helicopter was “likely assisting in the canvass for the suspect” in a robbery on 6th Street SE. According to the First District’s police report, someone did indeed report a pocketbook snatch at the intersection of 6th Street and Independence Avenue SE at 10:40 p.m. last night, but there was no information available regarding apprehension of the suspect, who was last seen running south down the street.