D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says rescuers were called to the Benning Road station in northeast Washington shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. A large bird of prey -- possibly a hawk or a falcon -- had its foot stuck in the escalator.
Metro employees shut off the power, and a passer-by held the bird to keep it from injuring itself more. When firefighters arrived, they removed a portion of the escalator to free the bird.
Piringer says that despite a slightly injured foot, the bird flew to the top of a nearby gas station, where it sat for a while before continuing on its way.
