Do you live near the intersection of 13th Street and Maryland Avenue NE? If so, you may have been awakened by the constant sound of a hoving helicopter, floating above the neighborhood around midnight last night. Neighborhood residents took to the police listserv en masse (well, en masse for the local police listserv, that is), wondering whether “something bad happened very nearby,” with one resident simply stating “No spotlight that I can see — come on! Weeknights, OK?”

The reason for the interruption to their Thursday night beauty sleep? MPD was searching for a robbery suspect in the area — cordoning off the area around 13th and Maryland — and using the helicopter for backup. A suspect was found and arrested, so at least the buzzing wasn’t for naught. Just chalk up the intrusiveness to your REM cycle as the price we all pay at one point or another for effective policing!