police

Busy day for ACPD amid vehicle thefts, foot pursuit and an officer nearly run over

By ARLnow.com
Police car speeding to a call at night (staff photo)

It was a busy Monday for Arlington County police, as a string of incidents kicked off the holiday week.

Starting that morning, ACPD responded to a pair of car thefts in the Bluemont neighborhood and what might have been an attempted carjacking in the nearby Dominion Hills neighborhood.

From the lastest police crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/ATTEMPTED GRAND LARCENY AUTO, 2022-12190049/12190058, 5600 block of 8th Street N./1000 block of N. Liberty Street. At approximately 6:42 a.m. on December 19, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was making a delivery in the 5600 block of 8th Street N. when she observed the suspect vehicle pull up alongside her parked vehicle. The unknown male suspect exited the passenger side of the vehicle and attempted to enter into the victim’s vehicle, during which the victim confronted him. The suspect then entered back into the suspect vehicle and fled the scene. The suspect vehicle is described as a silver SUV. During the course of the investigation, it was determined between approximately 5:13 a.m. and 6:13 a.m., two vehicles with keys inside were stolen in the 1000 block of N. Liberty Street. The vehicles are described as a 2017 silver Ford Explorer and a 2022 white Toyota Prius. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 6’0″, wearing a black mask, black jacket, gray jeans and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

That evening, in Pentagon City near the mall, an officer conducting a traffic stop was nearly run over by a suspect in a BMW trying to flee from another traffic stop, according to ACPD.

That led to a brief car chase that ended when the suspect crossed the suspect crossed the bridge into D.C. The chase was caught on video by local public safety watchdog Dave Statter.

From ACPD:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING OF POLICE, 2022-12190190, 800 block of Army Navy Drive. At approximately 4:55 p.m. on December 19, an officer attempted a traffic stop for a vehicle displaying improper registration. The driver refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed, nearly striking an officer on a separate traffic stop at Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street. Officers initiated a pursuit of the suspect vehicle onto I-395 NB. The pursuit was terminated after the suspect vehicle fled into Washington D.C. The suspect is described as a Black male with a medium to slender build wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up. The investigation is ongoing.

A short distance away in Pentagon City, around 7:30 p.m., police found four stolen vehicles in the parking lot for Virginia Highlands Park. They then chased six potential suspects on foot, arresting and charging four in connection to the stolen vehicles.

All of the charged suspects were between the ages of 18-20 and from either D.C. or Maryland.

From the crime report:

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLES, 2022-12190216, 1600 block of S. Hayes Street. At approximately 7:29 p.m. on December 19, police received an alert for a stolen vehicle in the area and located it parked and unoccupied. During the course of the investigation, officers determined three additional vehicles in the parking lot were also reported stolen. Officers approached a group as they returned to the vehicles and the group ran. A foot pursuit was initiated and officers detained six individuals. Based on the investigation, four of the individuals were arrested and charged. Aziyah Johnson, 18, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools. Malik Blocker, 19, of Temple Hills, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Xavier Mitchell, 18, of Laurel, MD was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Receiving Stolen Goods. Marquis Hailstorks, 20, of Washington D.C. was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Possession of Burglarious Tools.

The apparent aftermath of the chase and arrests was also posted online.

Police investigating pair of vehicle thefts and another pellet gun drive-by shooting

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Arlington County police are investigating a pair of vehicle thefts along the Langston Blvd corridor.

The incidents happened Friday night or early Saturday morning. Two thieves wearing facial coverings stole cars in Cherrydale and near Courthouse, according to an ACPD crime report. Both stolen vehicles were later located in Alexandria, police said.

The thieves also allegedly attempted, unsuccessfully, to steal a car at an apartment complex on Spout Run Parkway.

From the crime report:

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/VEHICLE TAMPERING, 2022-12160312/12170013/12170061, 1900 block of Key Boulevard/3000 block of Spout Run Parkway/2100 block of N. Monroe Street. At approximately 11:32 p.m. on December 16, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. The investigation determined between approximately 6:30 p.m. on December 16 and 4:23 a.m. on December 17, the two unknown male suspects broke rear windows, tampered with the ignition and stole two vehicles in the 1900 block of Key Boulevard and the 2100 block of N. Monroe Street and attempted to steal a third vehicle in the 3000 block of Spout Run Parkway. The two stolen vehicles were subsequently located and recovered in the City of Alexandria. No items were reported stolen from inside the vehicles.

Also on Friday, teens driving around in an SUV allegedly fired a pellet gun at at least one person walking by near the intersection of George Mason Drive and Langston Blvd.

Similar incidents were reported earlier this year and earlier this month. This particular pellet gun drive-by happened after dismissal on the last day of school before winter break for APS students.

More from ACPD:

ASSAULT & BATTERY (Significant), 2022-12160182, N. George Mason Drive at Langston Boulevard. At approximately 4:10 p.m. on December 16, police were dispatched to the report of suspicious circumstances. The investigation indicates unknown male suspect(s) discharged a water pellet gun from a vehicle, striking at least one victim. The victim did not require medical attention. The suspect vehicle is described as a black SUV with three juvenile male occupants. The investigation is ongoing.

UPDATED: H-B Woodlawn secured after telephone threat

By ARLnow.com
Police car seen on traffic camera near H-B Woodlawn school in Rosslyn

(Updated at 5:20 p.m.) The H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Rosslyn was put in “secure the building” mode after reports of a shooting threat phoned in to the school.

Police were first dispatched to the school at 1601 Wilson Blvd around 3 p.m.

Around 3:45 p.m. Arlington Public Schools said via social media that “all students and staff are safe at this time” but the school was still secured. About 35 minutes later, the school said that students had been safely dismissed.

“Responding officers have not located evidence of a crime inside the school and no injuries have been reported,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow just before 4 p.m. “Police remain on scene investigating and will assist with dismissal.”

The anonymous threat might be a case of “swatting.” Arlington County is asking the Virginia legislature to strengthen laws against such false threats, particularly those called in to third parties like schools and then reported to police.

Today was the last day of school before winter break for APS students.

ACPD: Man exposed himself to girls near Swanson Middle School

By ARLnow.com
Arlington police car (file photo)

A man allegedly exposed himself to four girls near Swanson Middle School in Westover.

Police are investigating the incident, which reportedly happened around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The girls told officers they heard a banging sound then saw an older man inside a residence exposing himself through the window.

From yesterday’s Arlington County Police Department crime report:

INDECENT EXPOSURE (Late), 2022-12140164, 5800 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:43 p.m. on December 14, police made telephone contact with the reporting party regarding a late indecent exposure. The investigation indicates that at approximately 2:30 p.m., the four juvenile female victims were walking in the area when they heard banging and observed the male suspect in the window of a residence allegedly exposing himself. The suspect is described as an older, heavy-set, White male. The investigation is ongoing.

Around the same time on Wednesday, police say a 31-year-old Arlington man kicked and shattered an ART bus door along Columbia Pike. The man is also accused of kicking a police officer after his arrest.

More from ACPD:

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2022-12140119, Columbia Pike at S. Dinwiddie Street. At approximately 2:15 p.m. on December 14, police were dispatched to the report of destruction of property. Upon arrival, it was determined that an Arlington Transit bus was slowing to a stop at this location when the suspect approached and allegedly kicked the door, causing the glass panel to shatter. Responding officers located the suspect and took him into custody. While conducting their investigation, the suspect twice kicked a police officer. Yohana Gebremeskel, 31, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Destruction of Property and Public Intoxication. He was held without bond.

Woman flees police in U-Haul after significant theft of clothing and beauty products

By ARLnow.com
1/3

(Updated at 11:10 a.m.) A theft suspect in a U-Haul managed to flee from police in Pentagon City last week.

The theft happened just before 4 p.m. at or near the Pentagon Row shopping center. The suspect, a woman, reportedly stole a large quantity of clothing and beauty items before fleeing in a rental truck driven by second suspect, a man.

An Arlington sheriff’s deputy then spotted the truck stopped near Virginia Highlands Park and took the driver into custody, at which time the female suspect allegedly started driving off. Arlington officers followed the truck onto I-395 but did not give chase after the driver refused to pull over, given police department policies about chasing non-violent suspects.

Virginia State Police appear to have caught up to the truck as it traveled south in the I-395 Express Lanes, based on traffic camera feeds viewed by ARLnow at the time, but it is unclear what happened after that.

A Virginia State Police spokeswoman deferred to Arlington County police for comment. An Arlington police spokeswoman deferred comment on the actions of the VSP troopers.

“I can’t speak to specifics regarding Virginia State Police and would defer to their agency for additional information,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

ACPD released the following report about the incident.

LARCENY, 2022-12080166, 1100 block of S. Joyce Street. At approximately 3:57 p.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect allegedly entered a business, concealed merchandise and exited without paying. An employee observed the female suspect enter a rental truck, driven by the male suspect, and flee the area. A responding officer located the vehicle stopped in the area of 15th Street S. and S. Hayes Street and took the male suspect, who was outside the vehicle, into custody without incident. The female suspect, who had [remained] inside the rental truck, then fled the scene in the vehicle. A lookout was broadcast and an Arlington County Sheriff’s deputy observed the suspect vehicle traveling on S. Hayes Street and attempted a traffic stop. The female suspect refused to stop and fled onto I-395. The suspect is described as a White female, 30 – 40 years old, with brown curly hair, wearing jeans, a multicolor sweater and black shoes. Attempts to identify the male suspect were unsuccessful and he was booked as a John Doe on charges of Grand Larceny, Identity Theft and Public Intoxication. The investigation is ongoing.

Gun store employee chases down thief in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
An Arlington police car in Clarendon (file photo)

A man tried to steal a gun from an Arlington gun store last week but was chased down by a store manager as he tried to flee.

The incident happened Thursday around 6:30 p.m. at Nova Armory, which is now located at 2607 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon.

“At approximately 6:37 p.m. on December 8, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred,” Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the unknown suspect concealed a firearm and exited the business without purchasing the item. An employee confronted the suspect outside the business and recovered the firearm. The suspect then pushed the employee and fled the scene on foot.”

Though the gun was recovered, the suspect remains at large.

“The suspect is described as a White, Hispanic male in his early 20’s, approximately 6’1″ tall wearing overalls, a black hat and brown shoes,” Savage said. “The investigation is ongoing.”

Hat tip to Alan Henney

Police investigating ‘suspicious death’ on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County police are investigating the death of a man found unresponsive in a park along Columbia Pike.

Police were called around 10 p.m. Friday night for a man lying on the ground and not moving near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run Drive, which is also in proximity to the bike trail.

The man, who was in cardiac arrest and not breathing, was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

While a cause of death has not been released, police are calling the man’s death suspicious. A helicopter was called in from a nearby police agency to search the area, along with officers on the ground.

No arrests have been announced and police are asking the public for additional information about the case.

More from ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a suspicious death which occurred on the evening of December 9, 2022.

At approximately 10:03 p.m., police were dispatched to Columbia Pike at S. Four Mile Run Drive for the report of trouble unknown. Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive adult male in the park. Medics performed lifesaving measures before transferring him to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.

The circumstances that preceded the death remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

JUST IN: Woman groped, pulled to ground in Lyon Park

By ARLnow.com
File photo

A woman was groped, followed and pulled to the ground by an unknown suspect in the Lyon Park area, police say.

The incident happened last night (Wednesday) around 5:30 p.m.

The suspect initially grabbed the victim’s buttocks as she was walking along the Arlington Blvd trail at 10th Street N., not far from Courthouse, according to Arlington County police.

He then re-approached on the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive and pulled her to the ground by the shoulders, but ran off when she screamed, police said.

From an ACPD crime report today:

SEXUAL BATTERY (Late), 2022-12070193, Arlington Boulevard trail at 10th Street N. exit ramp. At approximately 7:32 p.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined approximately two hours prior, the victim was waiting at a crosswalk when the unknown male suspect approached her from behind and touched her buttocks before fleeing the area on foot. The victim continued traveling and was in the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive when the suspect reapproached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing her to fall to the ground. The victim yelled and the suspect fled the area on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’8-5’10, medium build, wearing a black hoodie and black pants. The investigation is ongoing.

The suspect description is a bit different than that of a man who groped a woman in Courthouse last week, though the victim in that case wrote that she “didn’t get a good look at the guy.” Both suspects were reported to have been wearing a black hoodie and black pants, according to police.

“Both incidents remain under investigation and detectives will work to determine if they are linked,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

Arlington helps lead statewide push for new law combatting ‘swatting’

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

In February of this year, a hoax call about an armed suspect inside Yorktown High School holding hostages triggered a lockdown, evacuations and a massive police response.

That incident is now informing one of Arlington’s legislative priorities for the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session. The Arlington County Board and School Board are calling for a law that specifically names and criminalizes false calls to police, describing a life-threatening situation, with the intent to trigger a police response. It is widely known as “swatting” because of the SWAT teams it sometimes elicits.

Swatting is on the rise in Arlington County, according to Lt. Matt Martin of the Arlington County Police Department. There have been four instances in 2022 so far, up from two in 2021 and one incident per year from 2018 through 2020. (Martin says because there is no swatting category in crime statistics, these numbers were pulled manually based on case facts and may not be comprehensive.)

In nearby Fairfax County, there were 11 such incidents in 2020 and 30 in 2021, a police spokesperson previously told our sister site, FFXnow. There were four such incidents in Alexandria this year.

“Swatting has been on law enforcement radar for 15 years,” says Martin. “The intent is to send officers to a call where someone’s life is at risk, which ups the ante, and ups our response.”

It started in the online gaming community, when people would call the police on their target in response to a slight or unpaid bet, Martin says. It has since become a nationwide problem, one where even identifying those behind the incidents can be tricky, says ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

“The person that calls in could realistically call in anywhere in the world, which leads to a challenge for identifying them,” she said.

In September, hoax calls triggered a police response at Washington-Liberty High School and several other schools across the state, including in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. W-L was previously evacuated in October 2021 after a false report of an active shooter.

A 19-year-old man from Vienna was sentenced last year for his roles in numerous swatting attacks that targeted journalists, the Old Dominion University in Norfolk and Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, which has a predominantly Black congregation.

Swatting not only applies to pranksters calling the police, but also to people who call others — schools, for instance — and describe a threat that prompts them to call 911. But Virginia law only criminalizes making a false report, which means people who spread false information but don’t make the call can’t be charged with a crime.

That is what police and elected officials would like to see changed.

“Any law that’s going to prohibit a behavior needs to define the behavior,” Martin said. “The detective who investigated [the Yorktown incident] came to me and said, ‘We looked at potential charges. Making an indirect call doesn’t violate Virginia law… It was that detective who recognized that gap in the law that started all of this.”

(more…)

ACPD: Would-be robber punched in Buckingham, shots fired along Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
File photo

Crime doesn’t pay, the saying goes, and that is particularly true if you get punched during a failed robbery attempt.

According to Arlington County police, that’s what happened early this morning in the Buckingham neighborhood.

Around 12:30 a.m., a man armed with a knife tried to rob another man of money along the 200 block of N. Glebe Road — the same block as the CVS and the post office. It did not go as planned for the would-be robber.

From an ACPD crime report:

ROBBERY, 2022-12070004, 200 block of N. Glebe Road. At approximately 12:32 a.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was walking in the area when he was approached by the unknown male suspect who asked him for money. When the victim declined, the suspect allegedly displayed a knife and attempted to grab the victim. The victim then struck the suspect and ran from the area. The suspect fled the scene on foot prior to the arrival of police. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with a skinny build, 5’11, wearing a red hat, red shirt, black pants and white shoes. The investigation is ongoing.

Also in today’s crime report, someone fired several gunshots into a residential building along the 2000 block of Columbia Pike around 4 a.m. That’s the same block as the Dorchester Towers and Dorchester Apartments complexes, east of Penrose Square.

So far, there is no indication that anyone was actually shot, but a door was damaged.

SHOTS FIRED, 2022-12070025, 2000 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 4:08 a.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, officers recovered evidence outside a residential building confirming multiple shots had been fired and located property damage to a door within the building. No injuries were reported. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.

ACPD honored in Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for Jan. 6 defenders

By ARLnow.com
1/5

The Arlington County Police Department was honored yesterday for its role in defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Arlington officers in riot gear helped to defend the Capitol amid the pro-Trump violence at the Capitol. ACPD — along with the Arlington Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police and other regional law enforcement agencies that jumped into action on Jan. 6 — were recognized for that service to the country at a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony yesterday (Tuesday).

Arlington firefighters also provided assistance on that day and were the first medics on the Capitol steps, treating the injured.

Arlington first responders “answered the call to restore order and aid in the defense of the U.S. Capitol,” ACPD said on social media. “Today and every day, we are thankful for their bravery, courage and unwavering commitment to public safety.”

More on the ceremony, from the Washington Post:

The law enforcement officers who protected lawmakers while defending the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack were awarded Congressional Gold Medals — the highest honor from Congress — nearly two years after the insurrection.

The ceremony took place Tuesday in the Capitol Rotunda, a site many supporters of Donald Trump entered illegally with the hopes of stopping Congress from counting the electoral votes for Joe Biden and overturning the 2020 presidential election.

“Our nation suffered the most staggering assault on democracy since the Civil War,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said during the ceremony, which drew lawmakers, police officers and family members. “January 6th was a day of horror and heartbreak. Yet it’s also a moment of extraordinary heroism.”

The following video shows riot-gear-clad Arlington officers in front of the Capitol the evening of Jan. 6.

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