police

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

School and church groups pack the Pentagon City mall food court just before Memorial Day

Memorial Day Closures — Arlington County courts, offices, libraries, and schools will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Arlington’s three indoor public pools will be open on a holiday schedule on Monday. [Arlington County]

State Police Increasing Patrols — Virginia State Police say they’re increasing patrols statewide this weekend. “The additional patrols statewide are part of the annual Operation C.A.R.E., (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) to reduce crashes, fatalities and injuries associated with speed, failure to wear seatbelts and impaired driving. The state-sponsored, national program encourages law enforcement,” VSP said in a press release.

Bonchon Chicken to Offer Growlers — Korean chicken restaurant Bonchon is hoping to open its new Arlington location at 2201 N. Pershing Drive in mid-July. In addition to chicken, the eatery will have “a dozen beers on tap, including craft options, and growler service to cater to the restaurant’s carryout clients.” [Washington Business Journal]

Arlington’s Marv Albert Anniversary — On May 27, 1997, Arlington was in the news as sports broadcaster Marv Albert was arrested and booked by Arlington County Police, accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton hotel. [About.com, New York Times]

UPDATED: Arlington Deputy Sheriff Involved in Alexandria Shooting

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington sheriff badgeUpdate on 5/30/13 — Patterson has been charged with murder.

An Arlington County deputy sheriff is being interviewed by detectives regarding a shooting death in Alexandria overnight.

Around 12:45 a.m., Alexandria Police responded to reports of a person being shot in the 100 block of Lynhaven Drive, just south of Arlington and a block away from Potomac Yard.

Officers found the victim unresponsive. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives on the case are interviewing Arlington County Deputy Sheriff Craig Patterson, a 17-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and an Alexandria resident, who was involved in the shooting. The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office says it is cooperating with the investigation and is also doing its own internal investigation. Patterson, 44, has been placed on administrative leave while the case is ongoing.

Police have not said how Patterson, was involved, but according to scanner traffic the off-duty deputy said he shot a man who pulled a knife on him.

The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Alexandria resident Julian Dawkins. The medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death during an autopsy.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Section of the Alexandria Police Department at 703-746-6711.

Hat tip to John Antonelli

Annual Seat Belt Enforcement Effort Underway

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington County Police Department badge(Updated at 2:15 p.m.) Police have begun their annual crackdown on passengers who aren’t wearing seat belts. The Click It or Ticket enforcement period began yesterday (May 20) and runs through Sunday, June 2.

The Arlington County Police Department says motorists should always wear seat belts, and those who refuse to will be targeted. ACPD is joining other local and state law enforcement officers, as well as those across the country, who are focusing on seat belt laws during this time period.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ Safety Office, preliminary statistics show that last year 305 of Virginia’s 774 fatalities were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2011 indicate 272 Virginians lived through accidents due to wearing a seat belt.

Per state law, everyone in a vehicle must be wearing a seat belt. Drivers are encouraged to tell all people riding with them to buckle up. If there are passengers under the age of 18 violating the law, the driver can receive tickets for each unrestrained minor. Passengers over the age of 18 can receive their own tickets if unrestrained while riding in a car.

ACPD recorded 630 seat belt violations during traffic stops from May 2012 through April 2013.

Crime Report: Woman ‘Mugged’ in Sister Fight

By ARLnow.com

A woman had to get surgical staples in the back of her head after her sister struck her with a coffee mug, according to this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report

The alleged incident happened early Saturday morning in Ballston.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 05/11/13, 800 block of N. Quincy Street. On May 11 at 4:20 am, an argument between sisters escalated causing one to strike the other in the back of the head with a coffee mug. The victim was transported to Virginia Hospital Center to receive surgical staples. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival, but a warrant was obtained for Jennie Lee, 26, of Arlington, VA.

Also in the Ballston area over the weekend, a cab driver’s jaw was broken after he was assaulted by two young men.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 05/12/13, 4300 block of N. Carlin Springs Road. At 2:58 am on May 12, a cab driver was assaulted by two subjects after paying for the fare with a credit card. The victim sustained a broken jaw and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center. The suspects fled the scene on foot and were described as white males between 25-30 years of age.

The rest of this week’s crime report, after the jump. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(more…)

Photos: Arlington Police Memorial Ceremony

By ARLnow.com
1/30

Law enforcement personnel from Arlington, neighboring jurisdictions and locales as far away as London gathered outside the Arlington County courthouse this morning for the county’s annual observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Among those speaking at the ceremony were Police Chief Doug Scott, Sheriff Beth Arthur and County Board Chairman Walter Tejada. The ceremony honored the six Arlington officers who have been killed in the line of duty since 1935.

“Losing even one officer is too many,” said Chief Scott. Those who fell while in the service of Arlington County are:

Also recognized were law enforcement officers who have died outside the line of duty over the past year.

The ceremony, part of National Police Week, included bagpipe music and the playing of Taps. The 1400 block of N. Courthouse Road was closed to traffic during the ceremony.

Man Jumps on Tracks at Airport Metro Station to Retrieve Farecard

By ARLnow.com

National Airport Metro station (photo by John Pastor)A man jumped onto the tracks at the National Airport Metro station this morning, prompting a police response but no delays to Metro trains.

The incident happened just before 9:00 a.m. Police responded to the station for a report of suspicious activity — a man seen walking around on the track bed. Power was briefly taken down to the station’s “third rail” as a precaution. The man eventually climbed back up to the platform.

Police questioned the man and it turned out that that he had hopped down to the tracks to retrieve a farecard he accidentally dropped, according to WMATA spokesman Dan Stesssel. The man was not injured and there was no malicious intent. Power was restored and trains were not delayed.

Stessel said the man’s actions were “incredibly ill advised.” If you drop something on the tracks, he said, don’t take matters into your own hands — contact a station manager.

“If you drop something on the tracks, the station manager can help you,” said Stessel. “The station managers have special equipment that can be used to safely retrieve an item without leaving the platform. Entering the track bed puts you at risk of electrocution (you don’t even have to touch the third rail for power to transfer) or getting struck by a train.”

Flickr photo by John Pastor

Car Hits Parked Police Cruiser, Flips Over

By ARLnow.com

Flipped car on S. Wakefield Street (courtesy photo)

(Updated at 9:20 a.m.) A car flipped on its roof near Shirlington on Sunday after colliding with a parked police car.

The incident happened on the 2800 block of S. Wakefield Street Sunday afternoon. According to police, an Acura TL heading eastbound on Wakefield Street struck two parked vehicles — a Ford Mustang and an Arlington police cruiser — before flipping over. It damaged a third vehicle after overturning.

The police car “sustained major damage” to its rear axle, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The driver, identified as a 26-year-old Arlington man, was charged with reckless driving, driving with a revoked license and DUI. No injuries were reported.

Courtesy photo

One Arrested After Stabbing in Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police carA man suffered a serious but non-life threatening injury this morning when he was stabbed in the Buckingham neighborhood.

The incident happened just before 7:00 a.m.

Police say the victim had been drinking all night and was making noise outside of a garden-style apartment building on the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. An angry resident came out and confronted the man about the noise, and a verbal altercation ensued, according to Arlington County Police Department spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

During the argument, the resident pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim in the left torso, below the armpit, Sternbeck said.

The victim was transported to George Washington University Hospital and is expected to be okay. The suspect is in custody and is being interviewed by police.

Trial Date Set as Krusinski Appears in Court

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, the Air Force sexual assault prevention chief who’s accused of sexual battery in Crystal City, will face trial in July.

With his attorney by his side, a stone-faced Krusinski was arraigned in Arlington General District Court this afternoon. Defense attorney Sheryl Shane argued for a later trial date, citing the need to track down and talk to witnesses, but the judge denied the request, instead setting a trial date of Thursday, July 18.

When Krusinski exited the courthouse after today’s hearing, he was mobbed by reporters and photographers from local and national news outlets. Despite a barrage of questions from microphone-toting TV reporters, he said nothing as he got into the back seat of a dark-colored BMW, which quickly drove off.

Krusinski was removed from his post as head of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program on Monday after ARLnow.com first reported that he had been arrested, accused of drunkenly grabbing the breasts and buttocks of a woman he didn’t know in a Crystal City parking lot.

The case became national headline news, leading to statements from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and President Obama, and contributing to a renewed debate about how to deal with the widespread problem of sexual assault in the military.

The charge of sexual battery that Krusinski faces carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine. Prosecutor Cari Steele, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, declined to say whether she will seek the maximum sentence in the case.

Crime Report: Forged Documents

By ARLnow.com

A Falls Church woman has been arrested and charged with obtaining more than $28,000 in public assistance from Arlington County thanks to forged documents, according police.

From this week’s Arlington County crime report:

FORGERY OF PUBLIC RECORDS & FALSE STATEMENTS AND REPRESENTATIONS,05/01/13, 2100 block of N. Washington Boulevard. Between October 2010 and April 2013, a subject obtained approximately $28,121 of public assistance from Arlington County by forging documents and providing false statements in regards to residency, welfare status and medical diagnosis. April Dugard, 35, of Falls Church, VA was arrested and charged with Forgery of Public Records and Making False Statement and Representations. She was issued an unsecured bond.

“The individual was using forged physicians’ notes to certify a medical condition, and forged school forms,” said Arlington Department of Human Services (DHS) spokesman Kurt Larrick. “The forgeries were were pretty sophisticated.”

“We take fraud seriously, and have effective safeguards to prevent it,” Larrick continued. “When it does occur, we always take appropriate measures, which can include restitution and prosecution.”

Larrick was unable to elaborate on the accusations, explaining that DHS “can’t really say much about a case that is in the legal system.”

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

(more…)

ACPD Seeks Pool Locker Room Thieves

By ARLnow.com
1/3

Arlington County police are asking for help identifying three suspects who allegedly stole credit cards and cell phones from from the locker rooms of two high school pools.

The suspects were caught on surveillance camera at a CVS in northwest Washington where police say they used their victims’ credit cards.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying three suspect that were involved in larcenies that took place in local aquatic center locker rooms.

On the morning of March 30, 2013, a victim was swimming at the Washington and Lee High School Aquatics Center and had his belongings stolen from his locker in the locker room. In this incident, the victim found that his lock had been cut, and also discovered that his iPhone 4 and credit cards were among the missing items. Later that same day, a victim was swimming at Yorktown High School Aquatics Center and had his wallet stolen from his locker room locker. The victim’s lock, Blackberry phone, cash, and credit cards were among the items stolen. Credit cards stolen from both aquatic centers were used at a CVS in NW, Washington, D.C. by the three suspects in the attached photographs.

Suspect one is described as a black female, wearing black pants, a blue jacket, and a baseball cap while using the credit cards. Suspect two is described as a black female, wearing dark pants, a red hooded sweatshirt, and had a short style haircut. Suspect three is described as a black male with glasses, wearing camouflage pants and a t-shirt with a unique graphic. These subjects have been seen together at the Wakefield High School Aquatics Center in recent weeks, but it is unknown if anything was stolen at that time.

If anyone has information on the whereabouts of this individual, please contact Detective James Stone of the Arlington County Police Department’s Burglary/Larceny Unit at 703.228.4245 or at [email protected]. To report information anonymously, contact the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866.411.TIPS (8477).

Photos courtesy ACPD

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