guns

Police Called for Man Cursing Up a Storm in Lyon Park Gun Store

By ARLnow.com

Police cars outside of Department of Human Services (file photo)Police were called Wednesday afternoon after a man with mental health issues walked into the Lyon Park gun store and started yelling obscenities.

The incident was reported around 2:20 p.m. at Nova Armory (2300 N. Pershing Drive).

The man left before police arrived. He was later found but was referred to county social services and not charged with a crime.

This was at least the second time police were called to the store this fall. In September police investigated a potential burglary at Nova Armory; no guns were taken during the break-in.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

At approximately 2:19 PM on November 16, police were dispatched to the 2300 block of N. Pershing Drive for the report of a male subject who entered the business yelling obscenities. The man had exited the business prior to police arrival but responding officers were able to identify and locate the man. After investigation, officers determined that no crime had occurred. The subject has a history of mental health issues and had been referred to county government services.

Man Handcuffed in Middle of Columbia Pike After Reported Gun Brandishing

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) A man was taken into police custody at gunpoint in the middle of Columbia Pike this afternoon after a false report that he threatened someone with a gun.

The incident happened just before 2 p.m. near the intersection of the Pike and S. Glebe Road.

A 911 caller said the man had threatened him with a gun during some sort of confrontation, according to scanner traffic. According to Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage, the incident started as a verbal confrontation between the caller and the man over the caller allegedly ogling the man’s girlfriend while the couple was stopped in their car on Glebe Road near the Bank of America.

Police, told that the man had a gun, rushed to the scene and conducted a traffic stop on a car matching the description relayed by the caller. Officers ordered the man out of the vehicle with his hands up and took him into custody in the middle of Columbia Pike.

Upon further investigation, officers determined that the man did not have a gun in his possession and was not armed during the confrontation, Savage said.

“Basically it was just a verbal dispute that escalated,” Savage said. The scene has been cleared and no charges have been filed.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

View of Skyline from Douglas Park

Gondola Study Says System is ‘Feasible’ — It is “feasible” to build a gondola that brings riders from the Rosslyn Metro station to Georgetown, according to a study supported by the Georgetown and Rosslyn BIDs and other entities. The gondola system would cost $80-90 million to build and about $3.25 million per year to operate, according to the study. [Washington Business Journal, Washington Post]

Gun Store’s Lawsuit Dropped — Lyon Park gun store Nova Armory has dropped its lawsuit against 64 residents and elected officials who, it claimed, conspired to try to ruin its business. It previously contended that the actions of “local crazies” who spoke out against the store could be a case of “tortious interference.” [Washington Post]

GOP Candidate: Nov. 8 Will Be ‘Sad Day’ — Election Day will be “a sad day for American voters because they have been let down by the system,” says Charles Hernick, the Republican candidate for Congress who’s challenging Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.). Hernick said that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump “has brought the bar so low that he’s making Hillary Clinton look like a shining star,” even though Clinton’s presidency would be “damaged goods.” [Telegraph UK]

Commission Members Wanted — Arlington County is looking for residents to serve on a Joint Facilities Advisory Commission that will “provide input on capital facilities needs assessment, capital improvement plans and long-range facility planning for both the County Government and Arlington Schools.” The deadline to apply is Nov. 16. [Arlington County]

Police: Man Finds Bullet Hole, Bullet in Home

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)A resident of Arlington’s Long Branch Creek neighborhood, near Pentagon City, found a bullet hole and a bullet inside his home last night, but it’s unclear from where it was fired.

The incident was reported around 10 p.m. on the 2400 block of 27th Court S. No injuries were reported.

From an Arlington County police crime report:

MISSILE INTO OCCUPIED DWELLING, 161019045, 2400 block of S. 27th Court. At approximately 10:00 p.m. on October 19, officers responded to the report of a late shots fired. Upon investigation, it was determined that a male victim found a bullet hole in the roof of a room inside his residence. A bullet was found on the floor nearby. A search of the residence and a check on the welfare were conducted in nearby residences. An origin of the bullet was unable to be located. The investigation is ongoing.

Separately, but around the same time, police responded to a report of someone shooting at people and homes with an airsoft gun in the Columbia Forest neighborhood, just north of Wakefield High School.

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 161019048, 5200 block of S. 11th Street. At approximately 10:05 p.m. on October 19, an unknown subject(s) shot an air-soft firearm at a male victim and the surrounding houses in the neighborhood. The victim was uninjured and there was no damaged property found. There is no suspect(s) description. The investigation is ongoing.

Armed Robbery at Arlington Forest Shopping Center

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)Three masked men with guns robbed a business in the Arlington Forest Shopping Center last night.

The robbery happened around 11:40 p.m. The men fled on foot with cash from the business’ cash register.

Police would not reveal which store was robbed, but the only business in the shopping center that is open past 10 p.m. is the Brick’s Pizza shop.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 161010039, 4800 block of N. 1st Street. At approximately 11:39 p.m. on October 10, three unknown black males entered a business armed with handguns wearing black ski masks. The suspects stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the register and fled the area on foot. Investigation is ongoing.

Crime Report: Armed Robbery in Bluemont

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carA man with a gun robbed a couple of people on N. George Mason Drive in the Bluemont neighborhood yesterday evening.

The crime happened close to the entrance to the Bluemont Junction Trail. Attempts by police to find the suspect were unsuccessful.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ARMED ROBBERY, 161004036, 700 block of  N. George Mason Drive. At approximately 6:00 p.m. on October 4, officers responded to the report of an armed robbery. When on scene it was determined that a male subject approached the victims, brandished a firearm, and demanded money. The suspect then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. A K-9 track was attempted with negative results due to the amount of pedestrian traffic in the area. The suspect is described as a black male in his twenties, approximately 6’0″ tall and weighed 225 lbs. He was wearing a blue t-shirt, dark pants, and had dreadlocks.

Also in this week’s crime report, a man with a gun was able to detain a suspect who allegedly broke into his Waverly Hills home and stole booze from his refrigerator.

BURGLARY, 160929016, 4300 block of N. Old Dominion Drive. At approximately 10:03 a.m. on September 29, officers responded to the report of a fight in progress involving a firearm. Upon arrival, it was determined that a male victim witnessed a male subject exit his apartment through a window. The victim retrieved his firearm, chased the subject and was able to hold down the subject until officers arrived on scene. The firearm was not discharged and there were no injuries. It was later learned that the suspect took alcohol from the victim’s fridge. Ben Houssen, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with burglary, grand larceny, and identity theft. He is being held without bond.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including some that we’ve already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bee and flower (Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk)

Gun Store Has New Owner — Lyon Park gun store Nova Armory has reportedly been sold to one of its employees. Shawn Poulin, the store’s manager, says he is now also its majority owner. The previous owner, Dennis Pratte, at one point claimed that the store was actually owned by his 16-year-old daughter. Poulin says the store is profitable and he plans to expand it to a second floor, “with a showroom to feature rifles, tactical gear and an expanded clothing line.” [Washington Post]

New Bishop for Arlington — Updated at 9:25 a.m. — The Catholic Diocese of Arlington is getting a new bishop. Bishop Michael Burbidge, 59, is transferring to Arlington from Raleigh, N.C. Burbridge is scheduled to be installed as bishop on Dec. 6, replacing current bishop Paul Loverde, 76. Some local Catholics have been pushing for a new bishop who will take the diocese in a different direction than Loverde, a traditionalist who decried the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage. Burbridge was critical of North Carolina’s HB2 “bathroom” law, which was seen as anti-LGBT, though he was also against an anti-discrimination ordinance in Charlotte that HB2 was intended to undo. [Fox 5, InsideNova]

The Evolution of Ballston — GGW takes a look at the past, present and future of Ballston. The article notes that Ballston was once the end of the Orange Line and that ridership at the station fell in the 1980s when the line was extended to Vienna. [Greater Greater Washington]

Immigrant Women to Protest at DCA — Immigrant women and labor union allies are planning a protest at Reagan National Airport today. They’ll be protesting the treatment of immigrant women who work at the airport, claiming poor working conditions for immigrant mothers in particular. [Patch]

Flickr pool photo by ksrjghkegkdhgkk

UPDATED: Report of Man With Gun on Marymount Campus

By ARLnow.com

Arlington's Marymount University (Flickr pool photo by Eric)Update at 2 p.m. — The “all clear” has been given by police. “This appears to have been a false report,” the university said via Twitter. “Please resume normal activities.”

Earlier: Arlington County Police are investigating a report of a man with a gun on the Marymount University campus in north Arlington.

Those on campus are being told to “go to a secure location and await further information,” according to the university’s Twitter account.

“This is not a drill,” the tweet also notes. The university was scheduled to conduct a series of active shooter drills on campus starting this Thursday, Oct. 6.

Police are advising people to avoid the area while they look for the man.

Flickr pool photo (top) by Eric

Clarendon Bar to Join ‘Concert Across America to End Gun Violence’

By Andrew Ramonas

Sehkraft concert (Image via Facebook/Concert Across America)A Clarendon bar this weekend is set to take part in a nationwide concert series that aims to promote efforts to curb gun violence.

Sehkraft Brewing (925 N. Garfield Street) is scheduled to host singer-songwriter Jeff Smith and the Human Wilderness as part of the “Concert Across America to End Gun Violence” Sunday. The free show is from 6 to 8 p.m.

“The power of music has fueled countless important movements throughout history,” a Facebook event page says. “Now we want to use music as a balance to the hateful and divisive rhetoric that’s become a hallmark of the gun debate.”

About 350 events are scheduled throughout the country for the concert series, according to organizers. The day will culminate with performances by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash and other musicians in New York.

Image via Facebook/Concert Across America

ACPD Investigating Burglary at Lyon Park Gun Store

By ARLnow.com

Break-in at Nova Armory (courtesy photo)

(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) There was a break-in this morning at Nova Armory, the recently-opened gun store in Lyon Park, but no guns were taken, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the scene just after 5 a.m. for an activated burglar alarm.

“Arriving officers located a broken door to the business and secured the scene,” according to an Arlington County Police Department crime report. “The suspects had fled prior to police arrival.”

Some items were stolen during the burglary, police said.

“Empty firearm cases were taken but there were no weapons inside,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Police remained on scene to investigate.

A photo of the store’s back entrance shows doors and windows smashed in. The entrance is currently being repaired, we’re told.

Courtesy photo

Crime Report: Driver Flashes Gun After Getting Cut Off

By ARLnow.com

Police car (file photo)A 52-year-old Arlington man is facing charges after police say he got mad and brandished a gun at a driver who tried to merge into his lane.

The road rage incident happened around 9 p.m. on Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn. The man was later located by police and arrested.

From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:

BRANDISHING, 160902041, 1300 block N. Wilson. At approximately 9:07 p.m. on September 2, a male suspect brandished a firearm after the victim attempted to merge his vehicle into the same lane as the suspect. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival but was later located and positively identified by witnesses. Sergio Martinez, 52, of Arlington VA was arrested and charged with brandishing a firearm. He was held on a $5,000 secure bond.

The rest of the past week’s crime report highlights, including two items already reported, after the jump.

(more…)

View More Stories