investigativevoice.com

By Stephen Janis 

Of all the deadly weapons wielded on the streets of Baltimore, a standard pants belt hardly seems formidable in a city known for Glock-armed drug dealers.

But that didn’t stop Michael Antonio Henderson, 22 -- armed with only a belt -- of trying to rob an unwitting bus passenger Tuesday night.

In a surreal scene, Henderson was seen wildly swinging a belt over his head while demanding money from a perplexed male victim as witnesses across the street looked on.

The crime, which unfolded at a bus stop on Pennsylvania Avenue at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, was only one of two improvised robberies perpetuated by Henderson that led to charges of assault, robbery and theft against the Baltimore man.

The bizarre string of crimes started shortly after 10 p.m., according to police, when Henderson approached a man several blocks north of the bus stop on Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street.

Using verbal threats, Henderson demanded and obtained a pair of shoes and a pants belt from the victim.

Armed with the belt and wearing the stolen shoes, Henderson walked to a bus stop on Pennsylvania Avenue at Laurens Street, where he began swinging the belt over his head, yelling wildly at an unidentified man, police said.

“Give me your f--- money!” Henderson said to his intended victim, according to police.

But Henderson’s target drew a knife, leading to a tense stand-off at the bus stop with Henderson and the victim exchanging verbal threats as he continued to swing the belt.

Unbeknownst to both men, an alert police officer had witnessed the attempted robbery, and moved to apprehend Henderson.
But the scene soon turned even more bizarre, when another officer whom the first cop had flagged down for assistance jumped out of his patrol car before putting the vehicle in park.

Both the first officer and Henderson ended up on the hood of the moving patrol car, which the second officer managed to bring under control before anyone was injured, police said.

But while police interviewed Henderson, his first victim -- who had reported the robbery to police -- showed up at the scene and accused Henderson of stealing two $5 bills, his belt, and his shoes, a claim backed up by the fact that the accuser's feet were clad only in socks. 

Frisking Henderson, police found two $5 bills, prompting Henderson to bang his head on the hood of the patrol car in frustration.

Charges against Henderson include second-degree assault, robbery, and misdemeanor theft. He was awaiting a bail review hearing at Central Booking .

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