Author: Alex Koma

Crime Report: Robbers Crash Truck Through Storefront, Abscond with ATM

By Alex Koma

Arlington police are still searching for a group of suspects who they believe crashed a pickup truck through the front door of a business, then absconded with an ATM.

County police say the robbery happened just after 3 a.m. last Friday (Sept. 7) at a business along the 1100 block of S. George Mason Drive, near the road’s intersection with Columbia Pike.

The block is home to both a Wells Fargo bank branch and a Liberty gas station.

According to a county crime report, employees saw a “large white pickup truck” back through the storefront. Anywhere from three to four people then jumped out and threw the machine into the truck’s bed, before speeding off.

Police are not sure just how much money was inside the ATM, and described the suspects as “dressed in all black and wearing black masks.”

Full details from a county crime report:

GRAND LARCENY (Significant), 2018-09070042, 1100 block of S. George Mason Drive. At approximately 3:32 a.m. on September 7, police responded to the report of a robbery just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the employees of a business observed a large pick-up truck back through the storefront, causing damage. 3-4 suspects then exited the vehicle and forcibly stole an ATM machine with an undisclosed amount of cash, placed it in the truck and fled at a high rate of speed prior to police arrival. The suspects are described as being dressed in all black and wearing black masks. The vehicle is described as a large white pick-up truck. The investigation is ongoing.

And here are more highlights from crime reports from the past week:

UNLAWFUL ENTRY, 2018-09080258, 700 block of 22nd Street S. At approximately 11:50 p.m. on September 8, police responded to the report of an unknown male inside the victim’s residence. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim located the unknown male suspect asleep inside her residence and items inside tampered with. Nothing was reported missing. Matthew Agvent, 24, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with Unlawful Entry.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2018-09080027, 2700 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 1:46 a.m. on September 8, police responded to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect entered a business at closing time and was denied service. The suspect then entered the bathroom, leaving the door ajar, where the victim observed him masturbating. After being asked to leave the business repeatedly, the suspect fled on foot prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’11”, with an athletic build, defined jawline and round cheekbones, with stubbled facial hair, wearing a striped polo shirt with a white t-shirt under it, a brimmed hat, khaki pants, dark colored boxers and had a tattoo on his back. The investigation is ongoing.

PEEPING, 2018-09080030, 2300 block of 11th Street N. At approximately 2:29 a.m. on September 8, police responded to the report of a peeping. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was inside her residence when she observed the male suspect in the bushes outside the window allegedly looking inside. The suspect fled prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 25-40 years old, 5’5″-5’10”. The investigation is ongoing.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY, 2018-09090133, 1400 block of N. Rhodes Street. At approximately 5:24 p.m. on September 9, police responded to the report of an attempted burglary. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim was inside his residence when he heard someone attempting to gain access. The victim then made contact with the suspect and escorted him off of the property.  The suspect fled the scene walking north on Rhodes Street prior to police arrival. The suspect is described as a dark skinned male in his 30’s, approximately 5’6″-5’8″, wearing a black skull cap, black and white pants, a dark gray short sleeved t-shirt, black boots, carrying a black backpack and wearing a light colored towel or t-shirt around his neck. The investigation is ongoing.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, 2018-09050097, Washington Boulevard at N. Kirkwood Road. At approximately 12:20 p.m. on September 5, police were dispatched to the report of an indecent exposure just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the female victim was walking in the area when she observed the male suspect with his pants pulled down, exposing himself and masturbating. The suspect is described as a white male, wearing light-washed blue denim shorts or pants, and black shoes. Arriving officers canvased the area with negative results. The investigation is ongoing.

File photo

Planning Commission Looks to Pump the Brakes on Virginia Hospital Center Expansion

By Alex Koma
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Arlington’s Planning Commission isn’t ready to lend its seal of approval to a major expansion of the Virginia Hospital Center, urging the county’s lone hospital to re-work its plans for the project.

The commission unanimously voted last night (Tuesday) to urge the County Board to delay its consideration of the project, perhaps providing a major speed bump for an expansion the hospital has claimed is essential for serving the county’s growing population in the coming years.

VHC has hoped for roughly a year now to acquire a parcel of land adjacent to the hospital’s campus at 1701 N. George Mason Drive, and use it to construct a seven-story outpatient facility and a 10-story parking garage. That would enable the hospital to convert some of its existing outpatient space into 101 new hospital beds to better meet local demand, and pave the way for a wholesale redevelopment of the hospital’s campus.

But VHC’s plans have consistently run into opposition over the last few months, with neighbors worried that the new buildings will tower over residential neighborhoods in the area and transit advocates fretting that the large new garage will spur hospital employees to choose driving over more environmentally friendly transportation options.

The hospital addressed the latter concern by slightly shrinking the size of the garage from 2,093 spaces down to about 1,800, but the neighbors’ concerns about density proved persuasive to the Planning Commission. While they can only recommend that the County Board push back its planned Sept. 22 vote on the project, with the final decision resting with the Board itself, the commission forcefully outlined a series of changes they hope to see to the expansion effort before it becomes a reality.

“We all know it’s necessary, but we want to be respectful to the neighbors to north of the property as well as to the south,” said Commission Vice Chair James Schroll.

Specifically, the commission wants to see the hospital move some of the largest buildings toward the center of the land it hopes to acquire, which is bounded by 19th Street N. and N. Edison Street. Commissioners were perturbed that the current plans place some of the tallest structures just across the street from single family homes — Commission Chair Jane Siegel compared the new design to a “wall” between the hospital and the nearby neighborhoods.

“You’re not transitioning to other large buildings, you’re transitioning to single family neighborhoods,” said Commissioner Nancy Iacomini.

Nan Walsh, an attorney representing VHC, argued that the hospital was doing all it could to provide the necessary setbacks and vegetation to help the new structures blend into the neighborhood. However, she stressed that the hospital is fundamentally constrained by the fact it will someday seek to fully redevelop its existing campus and is looking to build on “every single inch of land” it owns in the area.

“We have 10 very, very old buildings there, but we can’t take them down until we construct these new buildings to replace them,” Walsh said. “This is it for us.”

Walsh doesn’t expect any redevelopment of the existing hospital campus to take place over the next 10 years, but she repeatedly stressed that VHC will eventually need to make such an overhaul happen.

Accordingly, commissioners frequently wondered why they couldn’t pursue a more holistic “phased development site plan” process, similar to the one developers are currently pursuing for the PenPlace project in Pentagon City. Such a planning process would give the county a chance to study each phase of the hospital’s development as it proceeds, and it’s one commissioners urged VHC to consider going forward.

“The hospital is an amazing resource to the community and we want it to be the best it possibly can, and the way to do that’s through a PDSP,” said Commissioner James Lantelme. “That will help it fit into its community as best as it possibly can.”

Former Trump Aide Sebastian Gorka to Raise Cash for County Republican Women’s Club

By Alex Koma

Sebastian Gorka, a former aide to President Trump fired amidst mounting criticism of his anti-Muslim views, is coming to Arlington to raise money for local Republicans.

The Arlington Republican Women’s Club announced this weekend that Gorka will be a featured guest at its Sept. 23 fundraiser, to be held at the Army-Navy Country Club. Tickets run anywhere from $25 to $250 for the evening.

Long a fixture on Fox News and other right-wing news outlets, Gorka joined the Trump administration shortly after doing consulting work for the campaign on foreign policy matters. Yet he frequently courted controversy during his time in the White House, particularly after reporters discovered his ties to far-right, anti-Semitic groups in Hungary, and he was dismissed from his post last August.

Carole DeLong, the president of the Republican Women’s Club, told ARLnow that she expects Gorka “will speak to us about his time in the White House, and the interesting subjects of his books.” Gorka’s published works include “Why We Fight: Defeating America’s Enemies — With No Apologies” and “Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War.”

DeLong added that she recently met Gorka at an event they both attended, and quickly convinced him to come speak in Arlington.

“He is a very nice and unique person,” DeLong said. “We are all so happy that he agreed.”

Arlington Democrats are considerably less enthused about Gorka’s imminent arrival in the county.

County Democratic Committee Chair Jill Caiazzo dubbed Gorka a “far-right ideologue” in a statement, highlighting his vocal defense of Trump’s travel ban targeting majority Muslim countries, in particular. She noted that her committee happens to holding its own potluck on the same day, headlined by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th District), which she sees as a clear contrast between the two parties.

“Like the races on the ballot in November, it’s not a hard choice for Arlington voters who seek to reject the extreme Trump-GOP agenda, including the discriminatory travel bans championed by Dr. Gorka,” Caiazzo said. “We look forward to seeing those voters at the potluck and the polls.”

Despite Caiazzo’s criticisms, DeLong said she had no compunctions about working with Gorka, calling him “delightful to work with.”

Gorka has made headlines in Arlington once before, prompting a brief Twitter outcry when someone spotted his distinctive Ford Mustang with the vanity plate “ART WAR” parked on a sidewalk near Rosslyn’s Gateway Park.

https://twitter.com/Bilsko/status/925454462239543298

Photo via @SebGorka

Arlington Often Charges Hefty Fees to See Public Records, Or Fails to Respond to Requests

By Alex Koma

In recent weeks, Arlington County and its school system have sought to charge ARLnow hundreds of dollars to fulfill public records requests, or simply not responded to them — and others around the county have noticed similar issues accessing public documents.

The county has asked for more than $1,140 in all to provide records in response to three requests by ARLnow under the Freedom of Information Act, using accounting practices that raised eyebrows at one of Virginia’s open government watchdog groups. In another case, Arlington Public Schools has gone more than a month before providing any response to an ARLnow FOIA request, missing a state-mandated deadline by weeks.

Other reporters and political activists told ARLnow they’ve received even larger bills, or similarly been stumped by radio silence from the county on the requests.

Virginia’s FOIA, designed to open up public documents for public inspection, has frequently been criticized by transparency advocates for its litany of exemptions allowing government officials to withhold vast swaths of information from disclosure. Rather than claiming any of those exemptions in these instances, however, the county could be running afoul of the law itself.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, was particularly taken aback by the size of the fees the county has sought to assess ARLnow. While the FOIA does allow government agencies to “make reasonable charges” to offset costs associated with tracking down the necessary documents, Rhyne expressed bewilderment at some of the county’s tactics for calculating those fees.

For instance, in response to one ARLnow request for six months worth of data on Arlington Transit service, the county estimated that a “management analyst” would need to spend 13.5 hours searching for records that could match ARLnow’s request, at a rate of $40.39 per hour.

Then, the county said an “associate planner” would need to spend three hours on the request, at a rate of $35.95 per hour. Finally, the “acting transit services manager” would spend an hour on the work, to tack on another $40.76.

“That’s a LOT of time,” Rhyne wrote in an email. “And what will the ‘associate planner’ need to take three hours to do different from the analyst? And then the ‘manager.’ What do any of them DO as part of this process? That’s three layers, with more than 17 of those hours going to people all making over $74,000/year.”

Rhyne points out that “the amount of the fees charged does not tell the whole story,” noting that what’s really important is how the county arrived at those figures. But if Arlington is adding unnecessary steps to the process, she says that wouldn’t match up with the law’s requirements.

“Fees must represent the actual cost to the government, and the costs must be reasonable,” Rhyne said.

It’s difficult to pin down, however, just how often the county is assessing such large fees for FOIA requests.

Logs released through a separate ARLnow FOIA request show that the county charged an average of $28.50 to respond to records requests over the first six months of this year — however, those logs do not include fees assessed on requests that weren’t completed, meaning people could be choosing not to move forward with a request if the price tag is too steep. The logs do show that the county’s completed five requests with fees of $100 or more from January through the end of June, including ones with fees of $316, $550 and $614.50.

Other would-be requesters around the county say such large fees are not unusual, however.

Matthew Hurtt, a local Republican activist, says the county sought to charge him more than $1,100 when he asked for email correspondence related to Arlington’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters. He says even a “significantly refined” request came with a fee north of $900.

Jonathan O’Connell, a reporter with the Washington Post, says the county wanted to charge him $319.55 for Amazon-related documents — and even if he’d paid, officials informed him they’d be claiming an exemption to withhold all the information anyway.

“Arlington actually gave me a pretty similar response to what other Virginia jurisdictions gave me, which is nothing of value,” O’Connell told ARLnow. “I didn’t pay them because they told me they weren’t going to to give me anything related to HQ2.”

In other cases, the county’s responses have been confusing or non-existent.

Roshan Abraham, an activist with Our Revolution Arlington, filed a request on July 30 for documents related to the county’s incentive package to bring Nestle to Arlington, but didn’t hear back from the county for weeks. When informed by ARLnow that documents posted to the county’s website on Aug. 17 could match his request, Abraham said he never received any communication from the county about it, and that some documents he’d asked for remain missing.

Similarly, county transit bureau chief Lynn Rivers told ARLnow in early August that staff had erred when they attached a $323 fee to a June 29 request for two months’ worth of Arlington Transit data. She pledged to deliver the documents free of charge, but even after several calls and emails seeking clarity, ARLnow hasn’t received any response.

And in the case of the school system, officials have yet to respond to a July 30 request from ARLnow seeking documents related to plans to rename Washington-Lee High School.

The FOIA calls for officials to respond to requesters within five “working days,” and either detail whether the records are available or ask for more time to track them down. Linda Erdos, Arlington Public Schools’ assistant superintendent for school and community relations, wrote in an email on Aug. 21 that she’d provide such a response the following day.

After two follow-up emails to Erdos since then, ARLnow still has yet to receive any answer.

File photo

Glebe Elementary PTA Recovers $88,000 It Feared Lost

By Alex Koma

The Glebe Elementary Parent-Teacher Association says it’s managed to recover more than $88,000 raised in its spring auction, after initially fearing that a Crystal City company that collected the funds wouldn’t hand them over.

PTA President Kristen Johnson warned members in late August that the group’s vendor to collect payments for the auction — Student Info Hub, a subsidiary of ConnectUs, LLC — had only transferred over about $11,200 of the more than $98,000 the PTA raised at the April event. Johnson and PTA leadership consulted with law enforcement about the discrepancy, and even considered legal action over the incident.

But it seems the two sides have managed to come to a resolution. In an email to PTA members today (Tuesday) obtained by ARLnow, Johnson wrote that “the contract dispute between Glebe PTA and ConnectUS has been resolved to the satisfaction of Glebe PTA.” She subsequently confirmed the email’s contents to ARLnow, but wouldn’t discuss the issue in more detail.

“We have cashier’s checks in the amounts of $80,000 and the remaining funds in escrow pending any remaining chargebacks which will be accounted for in November,” Johnson wrote her email to the PTA.

The PTA previously feared that losing out on the money would mean the group would have to severely curtail the programs and events it offered this year, but this resolution should alleviate those concerns.

Johnson also would not say whether the PTA was considering additional legal action against ConnectUS in the wake of this outcome. This was the first year the PTA had worked with the company to collect payments for its annual spring auction.

Representatives with the company have not responded to requests for comment on the dispute.

Photo via Glebe ES PTA

Working Group to APS: Career Center Should Open as an Option School

By Alex Koma

The Arlington Career Center could someday be home to more students than any of the county’s three comprehensive high schools, but a group studying the site is urging school leaders to keep the campus open to all students countywide for the foreseeable future.

Within the next decade, Arlington Public Schools plans to add 800 new high school seats at the site to meet the demands of an ever-growing student population — but there are still endless details to be worked out around how to accomplish that task, and what the center’s long-term future might hold. After nearly a year of deliberations, a working group convened by the School Board is attempting to provide some answers with a final report released last week.

Though the 35-member group can only offer recommendations to the Board, the report repeatedly reiterates the value of the center accepting students from across the county as an “option school,” at least until APS can build enough amenities on the site to match Arlington’s other three high schools.

“All Arlington students, regardless of the type of school they attend, deserve an educational experience that includes quality indoor and outdoor spaces, including access to (un-programmed) green space,” the group wrote.

The Board has yet to make any decision on the very thorny question of whether the Career Center will be open to students countywide or only draw in nearby students from set attendance boundaries. That’s prompted some fierce advocacy from local parents over the past few months, who argue that making the center a “neighborhood school” without a full complement of facilities and athletic fields would be unfair to South Arlington students.

As part of updating its 10-year construction plan in June, the Board did commit to constructing a multi-use gym, a “black box” theater, a performing arts wing, a synthetic athletic field and a parking garage at the site, all in time for 800 new students arrive in 2025. Yet the “lack of an on-site pool in the near-term” remained a “sticking point” for some members, the group said. The report recommends that APS build a pool on the site at some point, a feature backed by some county officials, but budget constraints make such an amenity unlikely, for now.

Most of all, however, the group expressed “frustration” about a lack of clarity on the option versus neighborhood question, noting that “the distinction in seats would have a direct impact on whether the Career Center site could become a de facto fourth neighborhood high school.”

Whatever the center’s ultimate status, the group repeatedly stressed that school leaders should see the site’s long-term future as a “high school campus.” While APS doesn’t yet know how many students it will need to educate at the center, the group expects anywhere from 2,200 to 2,800 could someday attend school there — for context, just over 2,200 students were enrolled at the county’s largest high school, Washington-Lee, as of this June.

Accordingly, the group recommended that the school system design any changes to the center in a way that “supports potential growth and maintains maximum adaptability.”

APS isn’t sure whether it will someday demolish the current structure in its entirety or simply renovate it to accommodate the new students, but the group wrote that staff repeatedly assured them that “utilizing the core structure of the Career Center is the most environmentally friendly approach and one which can lower construction costs by up to 20 percent through limiting the amount of demolition required.”

However, the group does suggest that APS knock down some structures currently used for career and technical education classes, in order to free up space for a new, six-to-seven story “multi-level education space” near 9th Street S. and S. Walter Reed Drive. Those classes would then be moved to a new structure built along S. Highland Street.

The report also recommends adding a third floor “on top of the existing Career Center building for classrooms,” which could then connect to the new S. Highland Street structure.

Looking a bit further into the future, the group also urged APS to someday relocate the Columbia Pike Branch Library from its current home within the Career Center.

To do so, it suggests that the county acquire some properties owned by the Ethiopian Community Development Council just behind the center, running along S. Highland Street from its intersection with 9th Street S. to where it meets the pike. The group wrote that the nonprofit has already “signaled an interest in selling to the county,” and the land could help Arlington to build an expanded library on the site that “fronts Columbia Pike” to increase its visibility.

Ultimately, the group envisions that such a change would be transformative for the area, and it reasons that Arlington Economic Development officials could take the lead in pulling in developers, local universities and even art groups to chart a new future for the property. And it helps that all of those entities “could provide financial support necessary to acquire and develop” the properties, which surely won’t come cheap.

Photos via Arlington Public Schools

Lee Highway Taco Bell Shuts Down Ahead of Full Renovation

By Alex Koma
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The Taco Bell on Lee Highway will be out of commission for the next few months, as its owners tear down the existing store and replace it with a new one.

The fast food restaurant, located at 4923 Lee Highway near Yorktown, shut down last week and construction tape now blocks off its drive-through lane. The eatery will remain closed for the next three to four months, general contractor Steve Taylor told ARLnow.

Taylor said the exact timeline for the project will depend on the weather in the coming weeks, but current plans call for the old restaurant to be demolished and completely replaced.

County records show its owner, the Ionedes Family Corporation, received the necessary permit approvals for much of the project in April.

The records also show that the current restaurant was built back in 1993.

USS Arlington Prepares for Second Overseas Deployment

By Alex Koma

The USS Arlington, named for the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, is soon bound for its second overseas deployment.

The U.S. Navy vessel is currently at sea preparing for the deployment, away from its base at Naval Station Norfolk, according to a news release. The ship is one of three named for the victims of 9/11, and was commissioned back in 2013.

Members of the county’s Military and Veterans Affairs Committee visited the ship in Norfolk two weeks ago before it went out to sea, in order to meet with its commander, Navy Capt. Todd Marzano. According to the county,  “the group discussed opportunities for greater interaction with Arlingtonians, both virtual and in-person.”

They settled on forming a new partnership where a county school will “adopt” the ship, with students getting a chance to stay in regular communication with its crew. The group picked Oakridge Elementary School as the first school to participate in the program, and the county says “work is underway to plan the first activities.”

A small team of the ship’s crew members not set to be deployed also recently traveled to the county to run in this past Saturday’s Police, Fire & Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K.

The USS Arlington has a crew of 360 sailors, and is one of the Navy’s 11 San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks.

Photo via Facebook

Arlington Agenda: September 10-16

By Alex Koma

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form.

Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Tuesday, Sept. 11

Arlington 9/11 Remembrance and Wreath-Laying
Bozman Government Center Plaza (2100 Clarendon Blvd.)
9:30 a.m.

Arlington County government invites residents and community members to join neighbors, county officials and first responders to commemorate the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and express gratitude to all those who responded that day. U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and other elected officials plan to attend.

Friday, Sept. 14

Opening Reception for “Ingredients”
Barry Gallery, Reinsch Library (2807 N. Glebe Road)
6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Marymount University invites the public to a free opening reception for the exhibit “Ingredients” featuring five paintings by David Carlson along with 10 photographs by Slobodan Mitrovic that explore details of Carlson’s work.

Saturday, Sept. 15

Nauck Civic and Community Pride Day 2018
Drew Elementary School & Community Center (3500 23rd S. Street)
12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Join hundreds of citizens, residents, friends and family, businesses and community partners that will come together for the Nauck Civic Association’s annual community day. Activities include health screenings; various information and community exhibits; concession stand; children’s pavilion; video game truck, moonbounces, community basketball game; live Gospel, R&B and Go Go music as well as dance and much more.

EcoAction Arlington Fall Cleanup at Barcroft Park
Barcroft Park (4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive)
9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Volunteers will remove trash and debris from the waterways, capture important data about the trash and litter collected, and provide it for analysis. Greenpeace will also assist with auditing the plastic collected during the cleanup.

Sunday, Sept. 16

St. Andrew’s Picnic/Meet New Rector*
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (4000 Lorcom Lane)
11:15 a.m.-1 p.m.

The picnic will follow a 10 a.m. service to mark the official arrival of the church’s new rector, the Rev. Dorota Pruski. The afternoon will include fabulous food, family fun and festive fellowship, including a moon bounce. There’s no need for reservations or contributions.

St. Agnes’ Annual Picnic*
Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road)
1 p.m.-4 p.m.

The picnic is a community event to which everyone is invited for burgers, hot dogs, sausages, plenty of sides, ice cream and beer. There will be water games, bocce ball, volley ball and bounce houses for the kids. Call the Parish Office with any questions at 703-525-1166.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Man Shot by Arlington Police Claims Officers Opened Fire as He Tried to Surrender

By Alex Koma

An Arlington man shot by police claims officers aren’t telling the whole story about the incident that led up to the shooting — and he expects video evidence will help him prove his case in court.

County police shot Steven Best several times on May 3 on a street just off Columbia Pike, claiming he tried to flee a traffic stop and nearly hit officers with his van in the process.

But, in a series of court filings, Best’s attorneys allege that he was trying to surrender when police opened fire on him. They claim he was confused and trying to protect himself as he drove away from the scene, rather than attempting to harm any of the officers involved.

Best’s lawyers did not respond to requests for comments on those claims, but court documents show they’ve repeatedly sought access to video footage from nearby businesses, arguing that it will provide Best with crucial “exculpatory evidence.”

“He’ll be innocent of these charges when everything comes out,” Heather Rose, Best’s sister, told ARLnow. Best and the rest of his family otherwise declined to comment on the case, but they’ve frequently proclaimed his innocence in an online fundraiser to pay for Best’s legal and medical expenses.

County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage said she “can’t speak” to Best’s claims of innocence, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos declined to discuss them as well.

In the police department’s account of the shooting, officers tried to pull over Best near the intersection of 12th Street S. and S. Edgewood Street, as they were searching for the passenger in Best’s car: 40-year-old Jessica Lary of Annandale, who was wanted on a warrant for violating her parole.

Police say officers approached the vehicle on foot, but that Best “ignored their verbal commands and struck police vehicles in an attempt to flee the scene.” Two officers then opened fire on Best as he drove down 12th Street S., striking a parked car in the process.

Police say Lary and Best abandoned the vehicle near the intersection of 13th Street S. and S. Irving Street, where they were subsequently arrested. Savage added that neither Best nor Lary displayed any weapons during the incident. Three police officers were taken to a nearby hospital “for evaluation” afterward.

In Best’s version of events, several “unmarked police vehicles abruptly boxed in” his van and “unidentified officers drew their weapons immediately and began firing.”

His attorneys claim that Best “raised his hands to surrender,” leading to one of his fingers being “shot off.” The lawyers allege he was then shot “five additional times while sitting in his van.”

“Mr. Best attempted to drive away for the safety of himself and his passenger,” the lawyers wrote.

The attorneys made these arguments as part of an attempt to earn Best’s release on bond in mid-May. They acknowledged his past run-ins with law enforcement — Arlington court records show Best pleaded guilty to a series of drug charges from 1999 through 2008 — but argued he’d been working to turn his life around.

A judge ultimately agreed to his release, and to discontinue his electronic monitoring.

Best’s case will now head to a grand jury, which will determine whether his prosecution will move forward. Police originally charged Best with two counts of the attempted malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer, but he’s now only facing one — Stamos says prosecutors decided to move forward with the pursuit of a single charge against Best “after a review by my office.”

The case was originally set to go to a grand jury in August, but Stamos now hopes to “present the case to the grand jury later this month.” A grand jury is currently set to convene on Sept. 24.

In the meantime, court documents show that both Best’s lawyers and prosecutors are pursuing surveillance video from businesses in the area.

Best’s attorneys most recently won a subpoena for video from the Day’s Inn hotel at 3030 Columbia Pike, arguing that the video recordings of the hotel’s exterior parking lots “contains exculpatory evidence” for Best. The lots are located near the intersection of 11th Street S. and S. Highland Street, roughly a block from where police say the incident took place.

Photo via GoFundMe

Arlington Celebrity Chef David Guas Set to Appear on ‘Chopped’ Tomorrow

By Alex Koma

David Guas, Arlington’s resident celebrity chef and TV personality, will return as a judge on “Chopped” tomorrow (Tuesday).

The owner of Courthouse’s Bayou Bakery is set to appear on the Food Network show once more Tuesday at 9 p.m., per a spokeswoman.

The New Orleans native will be judging an episode with competitions centered around Cuban food, dubbed “Under The Cuban Sun.” Guas’ father was born and raised in the country.

After opening the Courthouse eatery in 2010, Guas has gone on to appear on “Chopped” several times over the years — his son has even competed on the program.

Guas has also hosted the Travel Channel show “American Grilled,” written two cookbooks and is a frequent guest on NBC’s “Today Show.”

File photo 

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