Park Police

Cyclist Struck, Injured on GW Parkway

By ARLnow.com

A bicyclist was struck and injured this morning on the George Washington Parkway.

The accident happened in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway just south of Memorial Circle, in an area that has seen tragic accidents and close calls between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

According to U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Brooks, the cyclist was conscious and breathing after being struck by the vehicle, and was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. No charges have been filed against the driver, Brooks said.

According to Brooks, cyclists and pedestrians are “required to stop and make sure the roadway is clear before crossing” the section of parkway where today’s accident occurred.

“It’s a confusing area and unfortunately we have a lot of accidents involving bicyclists and motorists and joggers,” he said.

Suspicious Package at Arlington Cemetery Metro Station

By ARLnow.com

Update at 12:20 p.m. — The ‘all clear’ has been given, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokesman Capt. Gregg Karl.

Blue Line trains are bypassing the Arlington Cemetery Metro station due to a suspicious package outside the station.

U.S. Park Police, Metro Transit Police and the Arlington County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the package, which was reported at some point before 11:00 a.m.

Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said via Twitter that shuttle bus service is operating from Arlington Cemetery station to the Rosslyn Metro station.

Funeral for Park Police Officer Will Close Local Roads

By ARLnow.com

A number of temporary road closures are planned on Wednesday, Dec. 28 to accommodate the funeral procession of a fallen U.S. Park Police officer.

Sergeant Michael Boehm, a 19-year Park Police veteran, suffered an apparent heart attack and collapsed while responding to man found critically injured under the Key Bridge in D.C. on Dec. 16. Boehm, an Army veteran, was rushed to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead. He is survived by a wife and a son.

According to USPP, Boehm’s funeral procession will depart from a Burke, Va. funeral home at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 28. It will head into the District, pass by Park Police headquarters near Hains Point, then head back to a cemetery in Fairfax.

A number of rolling road closures will accompany the funeral procession in Arlington. Closures are expected on I-395, Washington Boulevard/Route 27, and the Memorial Bridge.

“Partnering law enforcement agencies and departments of transportation will assist with the road closures. All roads will be reopened as soon as possible,” USPP said in a media advisory. “The U.S. Park Police anticipates that the procession will take about 1.5 hours. The beginning time is approximate.”

Shooting Suspect May Have Been Squatting in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A man suspected in a shooting incident near the White House on Friday night might have been squatting in a vacant Arlington home.

Gunfire was heard around 9:30 Friday night on the 1600 block of Constitution Avenue NW, near the White House. According to news reports, a driver was later seen abandoning a car and fleeing across the Memorial Bridge into Arlington. An AK-47 rifle was recovered, according to the Secret Service.

The Highland Park/Overlee Knolls listserv is now abuzz with word that Oscar Ortega, who is wanted by U.S. Park Police for carrying a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident, may have been staying in their neighborhood.

According to an email sent to the listserv on Sunday: “I thought you all might like to know that the police informed my husband and one of our neighbors that they suspect that someone they are seeking in connection with a shooting incident near the White House was squatting in the house on the corner of N. 22nd and Madison that is currently empty and awaiting demolition.”

Spokespersons for Arlington County Police and U.S. Park Police said they were unaware of any investigation in the area. But two residents who spoke to ARLnow.com confirmed that there were at least four police cars parked near the house on Sunday morning.

Oscar Ramiro Ortega is described by police as a 21-year-old Hispanic male with brown eyes, black hair and a medium build. He’s 5’11” and 160 lbs, with tatoos on his right hand, upper back, chest and on the left side of his neck. Police say Ortega has ties to the state of Idaho.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call U.S. Park Police at 202-610-7500 or 202-610-8737.

Photo courtesy U.S. Park Police

Jeep Skids Off Road, Into Spout Run

By ARLnow.com

A Jeep skidded off the eastbound Spout Run Parkway this morning, careening down a small ravine and into Spout Run itself.

The driver of the Jeep was taken to the hospital with what were reported to be minor injuries. U.S. Park Police are on the scene while tow trucks attempt to get the vehicle out of the creek. One lane of eastbound Spout Run is blocked as a result.

Park Police Looking for ‘Critical Missing Person’

By ARLnow.com

U.S. Park Police are looking for a man who went missing from the Lincoln Memorial yesterday afternoon.

Beatty Stevens is considered a “critical missing person” due to “several serious medical conditions including [a] non-dangerous mental disease and a respiratory condition.” He does not have his medication with him.

“Mr. Stevens is a 48 year old white male 6’1” tall weighing about 220 pounds,” police said. “He has facial hair. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt and blue jeans.”

Anyone who has information about Mr. Stevens’ whereabouts is asked to call U.S. Park Police at 202-610-7500.

Police Arrest Suspect After Foot Pursuit Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:10 a.m.) A U.S. Park Police helicopter helped Arlington County police search for a suspect near Ballston tonight.

Police were investigating a possible attempted sexual assault just before midnight when a man took off running. After police lost track of him, the helicopter and a K-9 unit were called in to help search a neighborhood just west of Ballston Common Mall.

Around 12:50 a.m., police located the suspect, who took off running again. Officers were able to catch up with him and take him into custody outside the church at N. Carlin Springs Road and N. Thomas Street.

Photo courtesy @navidsm

Unregistered Tour Buses Seized by Police

By ARLnow.com

Police impounded five unregistered tour buses at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday.

The Hartford Courant reports that the buses, which took 250 eighth-graders from Connecticut to D.C. for a school trip, were operating without insurance or registration. One of the buses had a pair of bald tires, according to the paper.

The buses were impounded in the cemetery’s parking lot by U.S. Park Police and Arlington County police. School officials were eventually able to find other buses to pick the stranded students up from the cemetery.

File photo

Auto Theft Suspect Eludes Police Near Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

While most people were asleep early this morning, police were trying to track down a grand theft auto suspect.

Just before 3:30 a.m., an officer radioed to dispatch that he was chasing a suspect on foot in the area of Shirlington Road and South Four Mile Run Drive. The suspect ran into an area of thick brush near Champion Billiards, where the officer apparently lost sight of him.

Police dogs and the U.S. Park Police Eagle helicopter were called in to look for the suspect. After about half an hour of combing the area, the search was called off.

Officers recovered a suspected stolen vehicle from the scene.

Death Investigation in Roosevelt Island Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

U.S. Park Police have cordoned off the section of the Mt. Vernon Trail that runs through the Roosevelt Island parking lot due to a death investigation.

Preliminary reports suggest the victim committed suicide with a firearm. Right now it’s unclear whether anybody who was on the busy stretch of trail at the time witnessed the shooting.

The deceased individual’s identity has not been released.