S. Fillmore Street blocked by barricade situation (staff photo)
Police gathered on 7th Street S. (staff photo)
Updated at 10:30 p.m. — The person who was barricaded inside an Arlington Heights home has been taken into custody, police say.
INCIDENT: Police Activity LOCATION:300 Blk S. Fillmore St. IMPACT: Police Activity in the area has concluded. It is now safe to return to your residence.
Sent to: Map (Add on next page) at 21:25:57 on 04-08-2022
Earlier: Two streets north of Columbia Pike, in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, are blocked due to a reported barricade situation.
A person reportedly suffering from a mental health issue is inside a house on the 300 block of S. Fillmore Street and refusing to come out. Fillmore, an arterial street between the Pike and Route 50, is blocked by police south of 2nd Street S. as a result, while parts of 2nd Street are also blocked.
Arlington County police have established a command post on 7th Street S., near the Montessori Public School of Arlington. That street is blocked as well, west of S. Walter Reed Drive.
The incident started before noon and as of 3 p.m. is still ongoing. Both police and fire personnel are on scene, as negotiators try to coax the person out peacefully.
Police, meanwhile, are assisting students in the neighborhood as schools — including Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Fleet Elementary — are let out for the day.
The ACPD will be assisting students who live in the vicinity of S. Fillmore and S. 2nd St. There is no ongoing threat to either school community.
— Arlington Public Schools (@APSVirginia) April 8, 2022
Police continue to work towards resolving the incident. Be advised the following road closures are in place:
Arlington police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
A day after a carjacking was reported in the Buckingham neighborhood near Ballston, another was reported this morning in the Lyon Village area, north of Clarendon.
This time two — rather than three — suspects took a man’s car along Langston Blvd after he checked to see if the suspects, who were in an idling vehicle nearby, needed assistance. The carjacking happened around 5 a.m., around the same time of day as Wednesday’s carjacking.
From an Arlington County Police Department crime report:
CARJACKING, 2022-04080027, 2600 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 5:15 a.m. on April 8, police were dispatched to the report of a grand larceny auto just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 5:00 a.m., the victim was inside his parked vehicle when he observed the suspect vehicle idling in the area. The victim exited his vehicle to see if the driver needed assistance, when the two unknown male suspects exited their vehicle, grabbed the victim and demanded money. The victim refused, during which the suspects rummaged through his pockets, stealing his keys. Suspect One returned to the suspect vehicle, while Suspect Two entered into the victim’s vehicle and both drove away from the area. No injuries were reported.
This is the third reported carjacking in Arlington so far this year. Eight carjackings were reported in 2021, after 16 the year before.
Approximate location of carjacking near Ballston (via Google Maps)
A driver was carjacked Wednesday morning in the Buckingham neighborhood, just south of Ballston.
The incident happened just before 6 a.m. on the 4100 block of 4th Street N. and involved three male suspects believed to be between the ages of 20 and 30.
“At approximately 5:50 a.m. on April 6, police were dispatched to the report of a carjacking,” Arlington County police said today in a crime report. “Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was outside his vehicle when the three unknown suspects approached and pushed him aside before entering the vehicle and fleeing the scene.”
It’s the second reported carjacking in Arlington of the year, after the following incident in late February.
CARJACKING, 2022-02270120, Unit block of N. Columbus Street. At approximately 12:35 p.m. on February 27, police were dispatched to the report of a carjacking. Upon arrival, it was determined that the suspect and victim met for the prearranged sale of a vehicle. During a test drive of the vehicle, the suspect brandished a firearm, threatened the victim and demanded his property. The victim was able to exit the vehicle before the suspect fled the scene in the stolen vehicle with the victim’s cell phone and wallet. The victim was not injured.
Also in late February, a vehicle that was carjacked in Maryland was spotted in Pentagon City, leading to a brief pursuit and PIT maneuver by Virginia State Police on I-395.
Arlington is now roughly on the same pace for carjackings as last year. There were eight carjackings in Arlington in 2021, compared to 16 in 2020. The drop was attributed to an increased law enforcement and prosecutorial focus on carjackings, as well as the formation of a regional task force to combat a region-wide increase.
The pedestrian bridge over Wilson Blvd in Ballston (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Police Looking for Missing Teen — “ACPD is seeking assistance locating 15-year-old Alejandro… Described as a Hispanic male, 5’8″ tall, 145 lbs with brown eyes and half yellow/half black curly hair. He has ear piercings, a nose piercing and wears a silver dog chain necklace.” [Twitter]
Another Missing Teen — “ACPD is seeking assistance locating 14-year-old Anderson… He is described as a Hispanic male, approx 5’7 tall and 130 lbs. Last seen wearing a black sweat shirt, gray pants and black sneakers. He is known to frequent Rocky Run Park and CVS (2121 15th St N).” [Twitter]
W-L Name Change Attorney Disbarred — “A Virginia state court has disbarred Jonathon Moseley, an attorney who has represented a slew of high-profile Jan. 6 defendants, including a member of the Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy, as well as several targets of the House select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol.” Moseley also represented opponents of changing the name of Arlington’s Washington-Lee High School to Washington-Liberty. [Politico, ARLnow Comment]
Another Drug Take-Back Day Planned — “On Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. This disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.” [ACPD]
Fmr. APS Superintendent Leaving WV Job — “Among 75 personnel transactions during Monday night’s Berkeley County Board of Education meeting, district Superintendent Dr. Patrick K. Murphy announced his retirement, which was unanimously accepted by the board along with the other movements.” [The Journal]
Historic Home Reopens — “The Ball-Sellers House, one of the few surviving examples of working-class 18th-century housing in Northern Virginia, reopened for the 2022 season on April 2. Owned and maintained since the 1970s by the Arlington Historical Society, the house will host a number of programs in 2022.” [Sun Gazette]
Nearby: MoCo Wrangles Over Housing — “In the D.C. region, where local governments are struggling to address a severe housing shortage that is driving up prices, elected officials are under growing pressure to push back against civically engaged homeowners who mobilize against new housing construction. Montgomery County, an affluent D.C. suburb that has experienced transformative growth and demographic change in the last 30 years, exemplifies how hard that can be.” [DCist]
It’s Thursday — Rain throughout the day, until evening. High of 56 and low of 48. Sunrise at 6:45 am and sunset at 7:39 pm. [Weather.gov]
Ukrainian flag hanging from overpasses along eastbound I-66 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County is donating thousands upon thousands of items to Ukraine relief efforts.
The county is holding a media availability tomorrow (Thursday) morning to discuss the donations, which are primarily from Arlington’s public safety agencies, including the fire, police and emergency management departments, as well as the Sheriff’s Office.
“For this initiative, Arlington is coordinating with United Help Ukraine, a grassroots, entirely volunteer-based organization that will handle the shipping of the donated goods, including 200,000 disposable gowns, 9,000 Particulate Respirator N95s, 19,000 latex gloves, more than 100 ballistic vests, 150 sets of firefighting gear and breathing apparatus, and two pallets of firefighting hand tools,” the county noted in a press release.
Among those expected to speak at tomorrow’s press conference are County Board Chair Katie Cristol, fire chief David Povlitz, and emergency management director Aaron Miller.
Up until this point, Arlington County’s actions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were mostly of the symbolic variety, including passing a resolution condemning the attack on Arlington’s Ukrainian sister city of Ivano-Frankivsk and illuminating the Ballston pedestrian bridge in the blue-and-yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Neighboring Falls Church and Fairfax County also recently announced donations of law enforcement ballistic vests to Ukraine.
Crash involving ACPD motorcycle officer on Shirlington Circle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash involving ACPD motorcycle officer on Shirlington Circle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crash involving ACPD motorcycle officer on Shirlington Circle (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 11 p.m.) An Arlington County Police Department motorcycle officer has been hurt in a crash.
The officer was struck by the driver of a Chevrolet in Shirlington Circle, the I-395 interchange that has been the scene of a number of crashes, amid larger safety questions. The other vehicle and its driver remained on scene.
The officer was able to use his radio to request that medics and other officers respond to the scene. He suffered serious injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said Tuesday night.
“At approximately 2:36 p.m., an Arlington County Police motorcycle officer was traveling in the area of Shirlington Circle when he was struck by another vehicle attempting to merge into his lane,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “The officer was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries and has been released. The driver of the striking vehicle remained on scene and was cited.”
New Football Coach for Wakefield — “For someone who has never previously been a high-school football head coach, Darrell Weeks’ vast and diversified experience in the sport certainly makes him qualified. Now his chance has come. On March 30, the 45-year-old Austin, Texas, native was announced as the Wakefield Warriors’ new head coach during an after-school gathering in the high school’s town-hall area. Weeks, a special-education and math teacher at Wakefield, has been out of coaching since 2010.” [Sun Gazette]
Target Opening Delayed — “The new Target at Pentagon Row didn’t open today. Opening has been pushed back a week to April 10. No carts yet.” [Twitter]
ACPD Looking for Missing Man — “MISSING: ACPD is seeking assistance locating Shaun… [age] 39. Described as a White male, 5’7″ tall and weighing 145 lbs. He was last seen on the afternoon of March 15 in the 1400 block of S. Joyce Street” in Pentagon City. [Twitter]
Honor for Clarendon-Based Axios — “@axios Congrats on being named on @Comparably’s Best Places to Work in Washington, DC Metro Area 2022 list.” [Twitter]
Peter Chang Responds to Award Nod — “‘We were surprised this time it’s the outstanding chef category, not the regional. It’s such an honor to be recognized among all the talented chefs,’ Peter Chang told me in an email through his daughter, Lydia Zhang. When Zhang informed him of his nomination, he says, his response was, ‘OK, what’s next? We have a business to run here.'” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Clarendon Bars Win ‘Fake ID Awards’ — “Last night, @ARIArlington recognized two security guards and management of two restaurants (@dontitova & @BarBaoVA) during ACPD’s sixth annual Fake ID Awards. The recipients were recognized for their excellence in detecting false identifications and preventing underage drinking.” [Twitter, WTOP]
Amazon Pledges Millions More for Housing — “As it seeks county approval for the next phase of new HQ2 construction, Amazon is pledging a $30 million contribution to support affordable housing in Arlington. The figure was revealed in county documents posted online this week, as Amazon’s latest HQ2 development proposal is set to go before the county planning commission on Monday.” [WJLA]
Nearby: Armed Robbery in Falls Church — “City of Falls Church Police seek two men who are suspected of armed robbery. At about 3:30 today, police responded to a tobacco and vaping shop in the 1100 block of W. Broad St. for a report of an armed robbery. Store employees told police that two men entered the store, one showed a handgun, and demanded valuables. There were no injuries. The men seemed to arrive and leave by foot.” [City of Falls Church]
It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 57 and low of 37. Sunrise at 6:49 am and sunset at 7:36 pm. [Weather.gov]
ACPD is grappling with the impacts of attrition from the department, retirements and officers leaving the force for other jobs, including private-sector security jobs at Amazon’s second headquarters.
According to the department, these staffing struggles mirror national trends.
Police Chief Andy Penn said in a video message released yesterday (Tuesday) that the department has 290 “functional” police officers — those who are able to respond independently to calls for service. Another 40 officers are in training or on light-duty status, while 46 positions are unfilled.
In 2019 and 2020, ACPD had between 313 and 334 functional officers. The current figure, 290, has not changed since ARLnow reported exclusively last September on the department’s shrinking staff in the wake of anti-police-violence protests in 2020 and due to low morale, stagnant wages and burnout.
“This significant reduction in officers significantly reduces our ability to deliver the amount of services we have traditionally provided to the Arlington community,” Penn said.
As a result, ACPD says staffing and priorities are changing in three ways so that officers can focus on follow-up investigations into more serious crimes.
First, officers will be dialing back investigations into crimes like scams with “no identifiable suspects,” hit-and-run crashes that are reported well after the fact and with little evidence to identify the striking driver, and incidents involving minor property damage that lack “solvability factors.”
Second, ACPD will continue to divert the reporting of non-emergency crimes that are not currently in progress and being reported well after the fact — such as fraud, theft, vandalism, harassing phone calls and minor property damage — to its online system. Submissions are then reviewed by an officer and, if approved, an official police report number is issued.
“ACPD will prioritize follow-up investigations on crimes against people and serious property crimes,” notes a police press release. “Examples include, but are not limited to, homicide, robbery, carjacking, sex offenses, assaults, burglary and motor vehicle theft.”
Finally, Penn says vacant “specialty positions” — like community engagement and transportation safety — will not be filled for the time being, so ACPD can prioritize core services.
With the changes, Penn says he aims to give overworked officers a more sustainable work-life balance while focusing on investigating and responding to serious criminal incidents across the community. In the nearly ten-minute video, he tells residents they will remain safe despite the changes to staffing and priorities.
“Arlington remains a safe place to live, work and visit and the incredibly dedicated and professional men and women of the Arlington County Police Department work each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve,” Penn said. “I am confident that despite our service adjustments, we will continue to work in partnership with the community and remain proactive in ensuring public safety.”
These reviews concluded, among other things, that ACPD can do more to recruit and retain officers with defined career paths, while removing officers from certain incidents like mental health calls.
The department says it remains committed to the following goals, despite the service changes.
Maintaining operational readiness and preparedness to respond to any public safety incident that occurs in Arlington.
Ensuring the orderly flow of traffic in the County while conducting transportation safety enforcement and education campaigns
Engaging and building partnerships with those we serve
Proactively recruiting qualified candidates to join upcoming academy classes with the ultimate goal of returning the department to full staffing as soon as possible
In a lengthy statement released Wednesday morning, two Arlington police employee groups said that the department’s staffing challenges stem from relatively low pay. The groups — the Arlington Coalition of Police and Arlington Police Beneficiary Association — called for an across-the-board 10% pay raise for ACPD in the upcoming county budget.
“It is time for the county board to take action to retain our current employees and attract new officers who will continue the legacy of ACPD’s high quality of service,” the groups said.
Another incident drew a police response to a rowdy block of 23rd Street in Crystal City on Sunday night.
Police say a couple skipped out on their bill at an establishment on the 300 block of 23rd Street S. just before 11:30 p.m. A security guard who tried to write down the license plate of the suspects’ vehicle was then nearly run over, and another parked car was damaged, as they made their getaway, according to a crime report today.
From the Arlington County Police Department:
ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2022-03270226, 300 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 11:26 p.m. on March 27, police were dispatched to the report of a hit and run just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that the male and female suspects left an establishment without paying their bill. A Security Guard made contact with the suspects outside the establishment and requested they return to pay. The two suspects declined and entered their nearby parked vehicle. As the Security Guard was documenting the license plate, the male suspect allegedly reversed the vehicle, almost striking the Security Guard and hitting a parked vehicle before fleeing the scene. No injuries or significant property damage were reported.
“The investigation is ongoing,” the police department noted.
While the name of the business was not listed by ACPD, there have been dozens of incidents — including fights, noise complaints and indecent exposure reports — associated with the nearly two-year-old Bowlero bowling alley on that block.
Separately, police and medics responded to the same block just before noon on Friday for a report of two teen girls having an adverse reaction — potentially an overdose — to marijuana edibles. The incident happened several hours before Bowlero’s normal operating hours and likely did not involve the bowling alley.
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Law enforcement on scene of a reported fatal jump from an apartment building (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) A person is dead after leaping from an upper floor of an apartment building on Columbia Pike, amid a federal law enforcement presence at the complex.
Arlington police and medics were dispatched to the Infinity Apartments at 955 S. Columbus Street shortly after 10 a.m. for a person who jumped from the building and was in cardiac arrest. Responders were told to expect plain clothed U.S. Marshals Service personnel on scene.
Initial reports suggest that the person jumped from the fifth floor of the building, was impaled on a fence, and is deceased. Police requested that a tarp be brought to the scene.
ACPD set up a command post and officers appeared to be taking equipment to and from the pool area of the complex. Personnel with “U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force” ballistic vests and a battering ram can be seen in the parking lot of the complex, which is located just south of Columbia Pike and the Arlington Mill Community Center.
In a press release about the incident Friday afternoon, Arlington police said that the person who died was a suspect in a robbery in Loudoun County. The Marshals Service and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office “were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at the residence” when the person “attempted to exit the residence through a window and fell.”
The full press release is below.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is conducting a death investigation in the Columbia Forest neighborhood.
At approximately 10:02 a.m. on March 25, Arlington County Police and Fire were dispatched to the 900 block of S. Columbus Street for the report of cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, an adult male was located unresponsive outside of a residential building. Medics pronounced him deceased on scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.
The preliminary investigation indicates the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, consisting of members from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at the residence related to a robbery that occurred in Loudoun County, Virginia. Upon knocking and announcing themselves, the subject allegedly attempted to exit the residence through a window and fell.
The circumstances of the fall 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).
Screenshot from video of a fight at a cafeteria in Arlington Public Schools (courtesy anonymous)
Over the last four days, fights involving kids and weapons broke out near Gunston and Thomas Jefferson middle schools, while Wakefield High School had multiple trash cans set on fire.
Those are the most recent incidents in what some parents — mostly to middle schoolers — say is a rash of fights, threats of violence and other concerning behaviors happening in the public school system.
Earlier this month, for example, a mother told the School Board her daughter at Gunston Middle School was attacked by other students.
“My daughter’s eye is messed up,” Shana Robertson told the Arlington School Board on March 10. “She was jumped by two boys and two girls, and nothing has been done.”
A parent, Shayna Robertson, speaks out about unsafe conditions in Arlington Public Schools (via APS)
ARLnow spoke to multiple parents who say these issues are happening across the school system. We also reviewed several videos of brawls on school grounds, or near them, recorded by students this year.
Arlington Public Schools confirms to ARLnow that the school system has, in fact, noticed an increase in the number of reported fights and incidents this school year.
“This rise in concerning behaviors follows the national trend that is not unique to Arlington, as students re-acclimate to being back in school and face increased stress and anxiety, as well as other mental health and social-emotional challenges due to COVID and the trauma students experienced as a result,” APS spokesman Andrew Robinson said.
The trend has prompted some parents to call for more disciplinary actions for students and a renewed conversation about whether to reinstall Arlington County Police Department School Resource Officers, who were removed over the summer out of concern for racial disparities in juvenile arrests.
Opinions on reinstalling SROs are mixed. Some say this would help keep students in line and some say they may help — but they will not address the root cause. Others say SROs would not only fail to address the root cause, but they would also needlessly drive up the number of arrests.
“This is happening across the country, even at schools with police officers,” says Symone Walker, a member of the Arlington branch of the NAACP’s education committee and a former ARLnow columnist. “You really have to start addressing the emotional needs, the physical needs, the academic needs. Of course, there’s stuff going on at homes where families are stressed. Parents are angry and the kids are soaking it all up — it’s a much deeper problem.”
