WASHINGTON — Charlie Sheen, who likes to say, “I’m an F-18, bro,” was moving at a decidedly subsonic speed Tuesday evening as he motored to Washington from suburban Dulles International Airport. Still, 80 mph in a sport utility vehicle is pretty fast.
At the time, Sheen was running nearly an hour late for his stage show, “Violent Torpedo of Truth: Defeat Is Not an Option,” at DAR Constitution Hall.
But you might wonder: Who authorized the D.C. police escort — at least two marked cars with emergency lights blazing — that helped the fired sitcom star and his entourage hurry into Washington? How important or famous must one be — how much tiger blood and Adonis DNA must one possess — to rate a police motorcade in the nation’s capital? How is such a thing arranged? And what does it cost? You’ll have to wonder awhile longer: As of Thursday, 48 hours after Sheen had come and gone, no one in his camp or the police department would publicly explain the deployment of law enforcement resources.
“Citizens of the District don’t want to see their police force used to escort private citizens and that Charlie Sheen, of all people, is getting a personal escort,” said D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, chairman of the committee that oversees police.
Police Chief Cathy Lanier did not reply to e-mailed questions. Sheen’s publicist and tour promoter said they had no answers. And a spokeswoman for Constitution Hall said the venerable venue had nothing to do with the actor’s commute.
“This entire matter is under investigation,” D.C. police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said Thursday, declining to answer questions about the escort.
