No one ever said your average street thug was very smart, but these knuckleheads appear dumber than most.

A man police shot near North Jones Boulevard and West Washington Avenue late Thursday was expected to survive.

Metropolitan Police Department plainclothes officers were “conducting a surveillance” in an alley behind the 1100 block of Jones near Carmen Avenue about 9:40 p.m. when an officer shot a man, Capt. John McGrath with Metro’s Office of Internal Oversight said.

“As one officer was out of his vehicle, he was approached by two black male adults, who attempted to rob him,” McGrath said.

He said one of the two men was holding a gun. The officer was alone and identified himself, he said, and one of the men raised a gun. He said the officer then shot the armed man.

“We’re not exactly sure how many rounds were fired,” McGrath said.

The man went down, McGrath said, and officers found a black revolver next to him.

He said the two men who tried to rob the plainclothes officer were not related to the surveillance they were doing in the area. The person shot was taken to University Medical Center’s trauma unit, Metro spokesman Larry Hadfield said. He was undergoing surgery at the time of a media briefing just after midnight Friday, but was expected to live.

I have a number of friends in law enforcement, and most officers put off a certain “cop vibe,” even in plainclothes, and especially when they’re working.

This was felony stupid, and the man who was shot is very lucky that he didn’t get killed.