police

Police: Three Arrested for Gang-Related Stabbing Along Four Mile Run

By ARLnow.com

Update at 11:55 a.m. — Three suspects, all teens, have been arrested and charged in the stabbing. Police say the incident was gang-related.

Police have charged three Alexandria, VA juveniles for their involvement in a stabbing on the Four Mile Run Trail on Monday evening. The suspects, ages 16 and 17, were each charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Gang Participation.

At approximately 4:50 p.m. on January 22, police were dispatched to the 3400 block of S. Glebe Road for the report of a stabbing. Arriving officers located one male victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and immediately began performing life saving measures. The victim was transported by Alexandria Fire Medics to George Washington University Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The investigation determined that the male victim was walking on the trail when he was approached by the suspects. Following a verbal altercation, the suspects assaulted the victim before fleeing the area. Arriving officers established a perimeter and located three suspects matching the descriptions provided by witnesses.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective Henretty of the Arlington County Police Department’s Gang Unit at 703-228-4110 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Earlier: Arlington County Police are investigating a stabbing along the Four Mile Run Trail.

The stabbing happened around 4:50 p.m., along the trail near the county’s water treatment plant. Police say a man was stabbed after some sort of altercation with a group of suspects.

Other trail users came to the victim’s aid. He was transported to the trauma center at George Washington University Hospital and is expected to survive.

An ACPD spokeswoman said the investigation is “ongoing” and that police talked to witnesses at the scene, but thus far no arrests have been made. As of Monday evening there was no description of any of the suspects nor any word of a motive for the crime.

Photo via Google Maps

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Map Tracks Water Main Breaks — A new map created by Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services shows the location of the dozens of water main breaks in Arlington County since Nov. 1. “It has been a particularly brutal winter season in Arlington,” DES said via Twitter.  [Google Maps]

Local History Archives Closing Temporarily — “Beginning February 1, the Center for Local History’s off-site Community Archives, located at the Woodmont Community Center, will temporarily close for a renovation project.” The archives are not open to the public but are available to researchers on a by-request basis. [Arlington County]

County to Release Amazon Bid Details — Win or lose, after Amazon’s HQ2 process concludes Arlington County plans to release details of its bid for the tech and online retail giant. Arlington is now among those in the Top 20 for the second corporate headquarters. [InsideNova]

Fake ID Stat from ACPD — Bouncers caught 703 fake IDs in Clarendon last year, according to stats from the Arlington County Police Department. Extra vigilance from establishments like Don Tito and Whitlow’s helps “maintain Clarendon has a safe place to enjoy nightlife and entertainment,” says ACPD. [Twitter]

Nearby: DCA Noise Case in Federal Court — “The three-year battle between residents in Northwest Washington and the Federal Aviation Administration over noise from flights at Reagan National Airport is now in the hands of a federal appeals court… A ruling, which could take several months, will be closely watched by communities across the country grappling with similar issues tied to the FAA’s efforts to modernize the nation’s air traffic system.” [Washington Post]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More Stuff Coming to Ballston — Even more hip food-and-drink spots are on the way for Ballston. A 3,000 square foot Union Kitchen Grocery store is coming to the ground floor of the revamped Ballston Quarter mall, at the corner of Wilson Blvd and N. Randolph Street, while a Compass Coffee cafe will also be opening in the mall. [Washington Business Journal]

Wheels Stolen Off the Lot at Dealership — Someone stole tires from three vehicles parked in the lot of a car dealership on Lee Highway just after midnight Wednesday. “An unknown suspect(s) removed the tires from and tampered with multiple vehicles in the parking lot of a business,” police said in a crime report. There is no suspect description and no surveillance footage, we’re told. There is a Toyota dealership on the 4000 block of Lee Highway, where police said the crime occurred, but also a Honda dealership nearby. [Arlington County]

Garvey Confident About Amazon — Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey is optimistic about Amazon coming to the area. “I think Amazon is very likely coming here,” she said at a Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce conference, shortly after it was announced that Northern Virginia, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland were among the top 20 finalists for Amazon’s HQ2. “We have got everything here.” [Washington Business Journal]

Crime Report: Man Accosts Girl Near Westover

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are looking for a man who “made a sexually inappropriate comment” to a girl under the age of 18 near the Westover neighborhood.

The incident happened last Thursday afternoon, according to this week’s ACPD crime report.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (late), 2018-01110206, 5600 block of N. Washington Boulevard. At approximately 6:47 p.m. on January 11, police were dispatched to the late report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 2:30 p.m., a juvenile female victim was walking in the area when an adult male approached her on foot and made a sexually inappropriate comment before fleeing the scene. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’5″ to 5’11” tall with an average build, and a black beard. He was wearing a red baseball hat and blue jeans at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

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

Map via Google Maps

(more…)

Card Skimmer Found in Clarendon ATM

By Chris Teale

Arlington County Police said they recovered a “skimmer” device designed to steal credit and debit card information from a Clarendon ATM late last week.

ACPD said officers responded to the 3000 block of Wilson Blvd just after 11 a.m. on Friday, January 12 after hearing reports of the device. Police determined that it was installed at some point between the previous afternoon and that morning.

Police did not specify which ATM the device was installed at. That block is home to a BB&T bank branch and ATM.

The skimmers have recently been discovered inside pumps at local gas stations, while AAA warned of a spate of the devices across the region last year.

In a tweet, ACPD warned ATM users to monitor their bank statements and report any activity that appears to be fraudulent.

More from an ACPD crime report:

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (Significant), 2018-01120112, 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 11:11 a.m. on January 12, police responded to the area for the report of a skimming device located inside an ATM. Upon arrival, it was determined that between 4:30 p.m. on January 11 and 10:30 a.m. on January 12, an unknown suspect placed the device inside the machine. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

Photo via Google Maps.

Arlington Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested By Transit Police

By ARLnow.com

The man suspected of robbing the TD Bank in Clarendon last week is now in police custody.

Police say 33-year-old Jason Walker was arrested by Metro Transit Police at the Columbia Heights station in D.C. He’s accused of robbing the bank last Friday while unarmed and, reportedly, without implying that he was armed.

More from an Arlington County Police Department press release:

A bank robbery suspect wanted in Arlington County has been taken into custody by the Metro Transit Police Department. Jason Walker, 33, of no fixed address, was arrested during the evening of January 10, 2018, at the Columbia Heights Metro Station. Walker has been charged with strong-arm robbery of a business and is currently being held pending extradition to the Commonwealth.

On Friday, January 5, 2018, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a male suspect entered the TD Bank located at 3101 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia and passed the teller a note, demanding money. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect exited the bank and fled the area on foot.

“Our detectives were able to identify this suspect in a timely manner as a direct result of our outstanding relationship and the ability to share resources with our partners at Metro Transit Police Department,” comments Daniel J. Murray, Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations Division for Arlington County Police Department.

Crime Report: Attempted Carjacking in Courthouse Area

By ARLnow.com

A Maryland man armed with a “piece of metal” allegedly threatened to steal a woman’s car in the Courthouse area last week.

The crime, described as an attempted carjacking, happened just after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, according to police.

More from this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

ATTEMPTED CARJACKING, 2018-01040128, 1400 block of N. Scott Street. At approximately 4:37 p.m. on January 4, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male suspect, holding a piece of metal, approached the female victim and allegedly told her he was going to take her vehicle. The victim was able to safely leave the location and contact police. Responding officers canvased the area and located a suspect matching the description provided by the victim. Jeffrey Johnson, 40, of Waldorf, MD was arrested and charged with attempted carjacking. He was held on no bond.

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

Map via Google Maps

(more…)

Former NFL Player Reflects on Journey to Becoming Police Corporal

By Chris Teale

A former player in the National Football League now patrols local streets as a Corporal in the Arlington County Police Department.

Dorian Brooks spent two seasons (2010-2011) as an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers after graduating from James Madison University and signing a free agent contract with the NFL after going undrafted.

Brooks joined ACPD in 2012, and since then has worked in patrol on the south side of the county. He was promoted to Corporal from Police Officer II in July.

In an interview with Go Law Enforcement, which has resources for those looking to go into policing and similar fields, Brooks said there are plenty of parallels between his current and former jobs.

“There are a lot of parallels between law enforcement and football,” he said. “Specifically, with me playing offensive line, you have to protect the quarterback, you’re the unsung heroes. we don’t do it for the glory, we just have great times but at the same time it’s a tough job to do. so I feel like that translated in a way, plus the camaraderie of the game of football, I could draw that parallel.”

Brooks’ brief NFL career included appearing in Super Bowl XLV in early 2011, at the end of his rookie season, a memorable experience for the first-year player.

“It was an incredible experience for me, that was my rookie year, so I’m 22-23 years old at the time,” he said. “Being able to make it to a point where a lot of guys spend their entire career not getting to that point, it was a great experience.”

Even when he was playing football in college and professionally, Brooks said he always had other interests, and had thought of joining the military after high school before going to JMU.

When he left the NFL, his wife was starting an OB-GYN residency in Washington, D.C., and after some research, Arlington’s police department came up as a place to work. He noted that his father and stepmother both served in the military.

“I’ve always had an appreciation for service,” Brooks said. “[I] kind of stumbled across it once I stopped playing football and I had to make a decision on what I was going to do.”

Since then, Brooks said he has found his size to be a benefit, especially as, he said, people “maybe think I’m one type of person, and once we have a conversation they might think, ‘Oh I would never have guessed you’re this type of person.'”

And for anyone looking to transition into law enforcement, Brooks said anyone can flourish regardless of their prior experience.

“Go into it knowing that you don’t have to have per se a criminal law background. you don’t have to be in criminal justice,” he said. “I tell students or folks who come over from the military, they feel that they have to have this to be a cop. I work with people who have English backgrounds, history backgrounds, business backgrounds. I think that’s part of it that really helps with the people we interact with, that it’s not just one type of person. It’s not just one type of person that becomes a great officer.”

Photo via Arlington County Police Department

Arlington Man Cited for Bringing Loaded Gun to Reagan National Airport

By Chris Teale

An Arlington man had what Transportation Security Administration officials called “a bad start to the new year” after he tried to bring a loaded gun onto a plane at Reagan National Airport.

TSA officers spotted the .32 caliber handgun (pictured above) in the man’s carry-on luggage yesterday morning (January 4). It was loaded with six bullets, including one in the chamber.

After spotting the handgun on the X-ray monitors in the airport’s security checkpoint, TSA officers alerted Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police officers, who confiscated the gun and cited the man on a state weapons charge.

Airport operations were not affected. The TSA said it was the first gun caught at the airport so far this year. In 2017, officers caught 13.

More from the TSA:

Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared. Firearms must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided case, locked, and packed separately from ammunition. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality.

As a reminder, individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement. In addition, TSA has the authority to access civil penalties of up to $13,000. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $3,900. The complete list of penalties is posted online here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement.

TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site here: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition. Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Travelers should also contact their airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies.

Photo via TSA

UPDATED: Police Investigating Bank Robbery in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 3:10 p.m.) Arlington County Police are investigating a bank robbery that happened in Clarendon this morning.

Police were called to the TD Bank on the 3100 block of Wilson Blvd, just across from the Clarendon Metro, around 11 a.m.

A man entered the bank, passed a note to a teller and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. The suspect did not display or imply a weapon. He remains at large.

ACPD issued the following press release Friday afternoon.

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a bank robbery suspect captured on surveillance footage.

On Friday, January 5, 2018, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a male suspect entered the TD Bank located at 3101 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia and passed the teller a note, demanding money. No weapon was shown or implied. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect exited the bank and fled the area on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male in his mid-20’s, 5’8″ tall, weighing approximately 150lbs with a thin build. He was wearing a gray hoodie, a red knit hat and gray Nike sneakers at the time of the incident.

The Arlington County Police Department requests that anyone with information regarding this incident contact Detective R. Munizza at 703.228.4171 or [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

UPDATED: SWAT Team Arrests Man in Crystal City Parking Lot

By ARLnow.com

Update at 3:25 p.m. — The charges have been posted in Friday’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.

NARCOTICS VIOLATION (Significant), 2018-01040111, 2200 block of S. Clark Street. At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 4, police executed a narcotics search warrant and one suspect was taken into custody. Jacob Hill, 36, of Fairfax, VA was arrested and charged with manufacturing, selling, giving, distributing, or possessing with intent to manufacture, sell, give, or distribute a controlled substance and transporting a controlled substance.

Earlier: A man was arrested by a heavily-armed SWAT team in the middle of Crystal City today, to the surprise of residents and office workers who watched it happen.

It happened around 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot behind the WeWork and WeLive building in Crystal City (2221 S. Clark Street). Video and photos posted to Twitter show three dark SUVs filled with heavily-armed law enforcement personnel surrounding a man in a light-colored SUV. Damage is visible on the light SUV’s windshield as the man surrenders to police.

In a brief statement, the Arlington County Police Department confirmed that they were involved in the arrest and that it was drug related.

“Arlington County Police executed a narcotics search warrant in the 2200 block of S. Clark Street,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “A diversionary device was utilized and one suspect was taken into custody. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing at this time.”

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