police

Suspect Nabbed After Foot Chase In Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A man who led a police officer on a foot chase through part of Pentagon City/Crystal City this morning is in custody. Police caught up with him in the parking lot of the Americana Hotel (1400 Jefferson Davis Highway) after a short chase just before 11:00.

Police say the man was intoxicated. He suffered a small cut to his face but refused medical treatment.

The suspect was transported to the Arlington County Detention Center and charged with Drunk in Public and Obstruction of Justice, according to police spokesman Lt. William Griffith.

BREAKING NEWS — Man Dies After Being Tasered By Police

By ARLnow.com

A man has died after being Tasered by Arlington police and going into cardiac arrest.

It happened around 1:00 a.m. on the seventh floor of the Wildwood Park apartments, at the western end of Columbia Pike. Police were called for a psychiatric emergency and found a naked man inside an apartment.

Police called for backup shortly after arriving on the scene, saying the man was going “crazy” and they were having difficulty restraining him. Police officers then used a Taser on the man.

After a few minutes, police noticed the man was not breathing. Paramedics, who were already on the scene, performed CPR.

The man was rushed to Virginia Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police have confirmed that a Taser was used and are now investigating the incident. It’s not known whether the Taser caused the man’s death.

This is the second time this year a person has died after Arlington County police used a Taser.  A 36-year-old man from the District died on January 17 after being Tasered at the Pentagon City Metro station.

Investigators are awaiting a final cause of death determination from the medical examiner’s office in that case.

Update at 1:45 p.m. — Police have identified the deceased man as 32-year-old Adil Jouamai of Fairfax County. He was at the apartment visiting family at the time.

“This is a very unfortunate incident and we are certainly taking this loss of life very seriously,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said in a statement. “The Police Department Criminal Investigation Section and Internal Affairs Section are conducting simultaneous comprehensive investigations. Although it is very early in the investigative process, there is no indication at this time that the level of force used by the officers was excessive considering the level of resistance they encountered.”

Police describe Jouamai’s conduct as “uncooperative” and “combative with the officers attempting to assist him.”

Afternoon Notes: Statement on Calls, DCA Emergency Landing

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Police Investigate “Annoying” Calls — The Arlington Police Department has received more than 150 reports of “annoying” phone calls from the 307 area code. Police say they believe the calls “may have been the result of a computer dialing error.” See the police statement here.

Emergency Landing at DCA — A U.S. Airways flight from Reagan National Airport to Boston turned around and made an emergency landing at Reagan National due to “mechanical problems,” the Washington Post reports.

Library Discusses Budget Impact — Although many of the funding cuts threatened for the Arlington Public Library system were restored thanks to a public outcry and a higher-than-proposed tax hike, the library will still face some service and material cuts. The official Library Blog has more details.

UPDATED: Arlington Bombarded With Calls From 307-459-1039

By ARLnow.com

Arlington residents are being bombarded with mysterious, repeated hang-up calls from a Wyoming telephone number at all hours of the day and night.

At an online message board, dozens of people identifying themselves as residents of Arlington and other Northern Virginia communities have swapped stories of receiving calls from the same phone number, 307-459-1039.

Upon picking up the phone, the mysterious entity at the other end hangs up.

By some accounts, the calls are coming in every two or three hours.  Most people mention receiving calls on Friday and Saturday. Others report having received calls for the past week.

Tamar Abrams, a Huffington Post blogger, wrote about receiving the bizarre phone calls at her Northern Virginia home. A Verizon operator reportedly told Abrams that an investigation into the calls is underway.

Calls to 307-459-1039 are greeted with a recorded message saying that the line has been disconnected.

Other localities around the country have reported getting repeated calls from the same 307 number. A Connecticut newspaper reported last month that the police department in the coastal town of Stonington received “hundreds of complaints” about the calls.

Although the number traces back to Cheyenne, Wyoming, some have theorized that the caller ID may be faked, or “spoofed,” and that the calls actually originate from overseas.

Update on 4/26 — The Arlington County Police Department says it has received more than 150 complaints about phone calls from the 307 area code. Police released the following statement:

Preliminary investigation reveals calls were received from this telephone number in Arlington, Alexandria, and parts of Maryland. Detectives are currently working with agencies from local jurisdictions, communications personnel, and several telephone providers. At this time, it appears that the telephone calls may have been the result of a computer dialing error.

Representatives at Verizon state that although the calls were not generated from a Verizon account; they are in contact with the service provider involved. A Verizon spokesperson stated that Verizon customers who are receiving the annoying telephone calls may contact them at (800) 257-2969 to initiate a courtesy trace for two weeks. Non-Verizon customers may contact their respective telephone provider to report any annoying calls.

The Arlington Police are aware of the issue and are actively working to resolve it. Arlington residents wishing to report telephone calls related to this matter may email Detective Diane Guenther at [email protected] (preferred), or call (703) 228-4242.

Verizon has also released a statement, via police.

“Verizon security is working with the carrier who has this number {a} to block that number from reaching Verizon’s network – and our customers – and {b} to investigate ultimately who’s responsible for this. We are not happy about this, and we sympathize with our customers and the level of annoyance this has caused them.”

DEVELOPING — Armored Truck Guard Robbed In Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

A Brinks armored truck guard was robbed in Crystal City just after 1:00 this afternoon.

Police say a man sprayed an unknown substance in a guard’s face as he was walking outside the truck at South Bell Street and 15th Street. The suspect grabbed a bag of money, got into a dark SUV with another suspect and sped off.

The guard did not require medical attention, police said. Another guard remained in the truck during the robbery, per company policy.

There were several witnesses who were interviewed by investigators.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation. The incident does not appear to be connected to an earlier bank robbery in Ballston.

BREAKING NEWS — Bank Robbery In Ballston

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred around 10:20 this morning at the HSBC bank in Ballston (4075 Wilson Blvd), less than a block from the Ballston Common Mall.

Police say the subject is a white male between 5’6″ and 5’8″, about 45 years old, with a slight beard. He was wearing an army green jacket, carpenter-style jeans and a tan safari hat. He was also carrying a black messenger bag.

The suspect entered the bank and demanded cash, police said. He did not display a weapon and no one was injured.

The man was last seen heading eastbound on Wilson Boulevard. Police canvassed local Metro stations and attempted a K-9 track, but could not locate the suspect.

The FBI is on the scene assisting with the investigation.

Update at 4:50 p.m. — Police have released a surveillance image of the suspect (right). He was wearing sunglasses at the time of the robbery.

Anybody with information about the case should call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703-228-4242.

Witnesses can also report information anonymously through Arlington County Crime Solvers at 1866-411-TIPS (8477).

Crime Report: Angry Drunks Edition

By ARLnow.com

If you’re drunk and next to a police station, and you assault a police officer, it’s not going to end very well for you. If you’re drunk and being thrown out of a bar, and you bite a security guard, well, that’s probably not going to end well for most people, except this one guy who had a getaway car at the ready.

ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 04/18/10, 2000 block of N. 15th Street. On April 18 at 4:30 am, an officer was assaulted by an intoxicated female. Ellen ******, 26, of Silver Spring, MD, was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement and Drunk in Public. She was held on a $5,000 bond.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING 04/18/10, 2600 block of Columbia Pike. On April 18 at 9:30 pm, an intoxicated subject bit a security guard as he was being escorted from a bar. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle. The suspect is described as a white Hispanic male in his late 20’s, 5’9″ and 200 lbs. He was wearing all black clothing.

This week’s full Arlington County Police Department crime report, after the jump.

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Media, Gun Rights Advocates Converge on Gravelly Point

By ARLnow.com

Around noon today at Gravelly Point, there they were, together at last: about 65 flag-waving, sign-holding and gun-toting Second Amendment advocates, swarmed by a slightly larger crowd of photo-snapping and microphone-wielding members of the media.

Off to the side, under the shade of some tall trees, about two dozen police officers looked on. Further in the distance, CNN’s John King chatted up a young man wearing nylon cargo pants, a florescent vest and a large rifle.

Nearly all the rally participants had rifles or handguns, and a solid minority had both.

From the bed of a pickup truck, in the middle of the park’s large grass field, people started giving speeches.

“I want to thank the media for coming out, as much as I dislike the media,” said Tom Fernandez, co-founder of a group called Alarm & Muster.

Two counter-protesters held handmade signs criticizing the timing of the rally — on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Fernandez thanked them for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Further into the program, another speaker compared the government’s bailout of banks to the hijacking of United Flight 93.

“Does our government not act like suicidal hijackers?” he asked, later shouting the newly-minted term “commie-kazies” as a commercial jetliner roared overhead (it was, at best, a poorly thought-out venue for speeches).

As the speeches continued, reporters conducted one-on-one interviews. Pointed questions were asked.

“What constitutional rights do you think are being violated?”

“What do you think about President Obama?”

“What kind of gun is that?”

Amid the media circus, joggers and bicyclists continued on with their daily routines, some shooting quizzical looks at the gathered crowd.

“I think it’s another Tea Party,” one bicyclist said to another.

Lot of photos, after the jump.

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Crime Report: Grand Theft Auto Edition

By ARLnow.com

The past week saw three people — the oldest of whom was 25 — arrested for alleged crimes that are straight out of the video game “Grand Theft Auto.” Despite the fact that the other two suspects are mere kids, which is its own special brand of audacity, the chutzpah award goes to the guy who police say got drunk, stole a Dominion Power utility truck, crashed it and tried to flee the scene.

GRAND LARCENY AUTO/HIT AND RUN-ARREST 04/07/10, 5200 block of N. 12th Street. On April 7 at 8 pm, a teenage suspect stole a vehicle and was then involved in a minor traffic accident. Officers apprehended the suspect and he was detained.

GRAND LARCENY AUTO-ARREST 04/09/10, I-395 South at Boundary Channel Drive. On April 9 at 8 pm, a juvenile male was found driving a stolen vehicle. He was detained.

GRAND LARCENY AUTO-ARREST 04/10/10, 700 block of N. Randolph Street. On April 10 at 3:20 am, a man was seen stealing a power truck, crashing it, and then fleeing the scene. Police located the suspect nearby. David Catalano, 25, of Fairfax, was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Grand Larceny of an Automobile, and Hit and Run. He was held on a $7,500 bond.

The rest of this week’s Arlington County Police Department crime report, after the jump.

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Police Investigating Threat At Marymount University

By ARLnow.com

Arlington police are investigating a threatening letter sent to an official at Marymount University.

The letter was delivered to the Arlington campus over the Easter holiday but was discovered Wednesday afternoon.

“Our campus safety staff is aware of it, and proper security policies are in place and being followed,” said Shelley Dutton, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the university. She declined to reveal what sort of threat was made or who it was sent to, citing the ongoing police investigation.

Dutton said she could not recall any previous instances of threats made against university administrators.

Crime Down in 2009

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s violent crime rate fell 8.3 percent in 2009, the Arlington County Police Department announced this afternoon. The overall crime rate dropped by 3.7 percent.

There were four homicides in 2009, compared to two in 2008. There has been one homicide (for which an arrest has been made) so far this year.

There were 15 rapes in 2009, compared to 23 the year prior, a 35 percent decrease

There were 319 burglaries last year, an 18 percent decrease versus 2008.

There were also 297 vehicles reported stolen in 2009. Vehicle theft in Arlington County has not been that low since the early 1960’s.

“This is very good news for our community,” said Arlington County board chairman Jay Fisette. “In these tough economic times, to see a drop in the overall crime rate, and a significant drop in the violent crime rate, is more evidence that Arlington is a safe place to live — and getting safer.”

“Our officers have accomplished a great deal in the past year combating crime in Arlington and receive notable support from the community,” police chief M. Douglas Scott said. “We continue to enjoy a close working relationship with the community to increase awareness and the practice of good crime prevention strategies.”

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