Arlington County police are investigating a bold, broad-daylight armed robbery near Ballston.
The robbery happened two days before Thanksgiving — around 3 p.m. Tuesday — on the 4600 block of Washington Blvd. Businesses on that block include the Sunoco gas station and market.
Police say a man went inside the business, brandished a gun, stole cash and then ran off. Responding officers were unable to locate him nearby.
More, below, from an ACPD crime report.
ROBBERY, 2023-11210134, 4600 block of Washington Boulevard. At approximately 3:11 p.m. on November 21, police were dispatched to the report of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect entered the business, went behind the counter while brandishing a firearm and demanded cash. The suspect stole an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter, broadcast a lookout and searched the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a tall, thin-build male with a medium complexion, wearing a black jacket, hoodie, jeans and a black mask. The investigation is ongoing.
ACPD officer conducts traffic stop during November 2023 Street Smart campaign in Courthouse (staff photo by James Jarvis)
High speeds, traffic scofflaws and distracted drivers are the top three reasons people feel unsafe when traveling around Arlington.
That is according to the county’s latest Vision Zero mid-year report, which summarized how Arlingtonians responded to online and in-person surveys about their top concerns as travelers.
County data on fatal and severe-injury crashes appear to back that up. Among speeding, distracted driving and alcohol, speeding leads the pack as a factor in serious crashes.
To tackle speeding — and one day, other traffic violations — Arlington County is laser-focused on automated enforcement. The road to get there, however, is long and some goals could take years of politicking to achieve.
First, the county has to implement speed cameras in school and work zones, which the Arlington County Board authorized in January 2022, shortly after the General Assembly permitted this.
Although Arlington is still working on procuring a contract for speed cameras, the County Board, the Vision Zero team and ACPD are working on expanding the use of speed cameras by including it among legislative priorities in the upcoming General Assembly session.
This could be an uphill battle, as some local legislators told ARLnow there is not yet an appetite in Richmond for widespread automated enforcement.
“The General Assembly has been reticent to allow full use of red light cameras,” said Sen. Adam Ebbin. “I think there might be some hesitancy to having fully automated enforcement, in general.”
Still, the county is pursuing automated enforcement to influence driver behavior when police are not present, lower its reliance on in-person enforcement and reduce potentially adverse interactions with police.
“They’re doing everything they can with what they’ve got right now,” says Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker, of the traffic enforcement Arlington County Police Department currently conducts. “We’re both just really hoping for more automation to help keep that progress toward better behaviors.”
Automation would also “let officers do the work that they need to do and leave the traffic enforcement up to ubiquitous, unbiased technologies,” she said.
Mike Doyle, the president of Northern Virginia Families for Safer Streets, agrees that it would limit potential racial bias and escalation in routine stops as well as alleviate police staffing shortages.
“Technology, with a photo and sending the ticket to the person, mitigates the risk of the officer,” he said.
Cameras would be effective, he says, “as long as the speed cameras are balanced in terms of equity: we can’t put them just in all the poor sections of town — they have to be where the speeding is.”
ARLnow asked ACPD whether it supports more cameras or has concerns about the hours officers might have to dedicate to reviewing footage.
Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage says the department “will continue to work collaboratively with the County on any future legislative changes to automated enforcement programs.”
ACPD reports keeping busy with enforcement
Despite staffing concerns — and scaling back operations due to low numbers — ACPD says it is committed to traffic enforcement and considers it a key safety initiative.
ACPD is authorized to have 377 officers and currently has a “functional staffing level” of 278 sworn officers, down from 284 this fall. Sworn offices can stop people for traffic violations and are “expected to meaningfully contribute to the department’s key initiatives,” through education and enforcement, Savage said.
How many are assigned to traffic duties is sensitive information, she said.
“In March 2022, the department announced service changes due to a reduction in our workforce,” says Savage. “There were no key impacts to transportation safety and the department reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring the orderly flow of traffic in the County while conducting transportation safety enforcement and education campaigns.”
Enforcement stats from ACPD (data visualization by Jo DeVoe)
ACPD’s Special Operations Section conducts education and enforcement in “identified areas of concern with the goal of voluntary compliance when police are not present, Savage said.
They also address safety concerns, work with Vision Zero staff, deploy variable message boards and other technology, and manage the police department’s participation in local and regional traffic safety programs.
The unit includes civilians who work as parking enforcement agents; traffic directors during events, crashes and emergencies; and school crossing guards.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 11:45 a.m.) A man was shot Monday night while riding in a car, according to Arlington County police.
Police were dispatched shortly before 7:45 p.m. to the intersection of Langston Blvd and N. Kirkwood Road for an apparent shooting. Initial reports suggest the man was riding in the passenger seat of a car when he was shot in the face, near the eye, and started bleeding.
He was not sure when and where the shooting happened, according to scanner traffic.
The victim was rushed to a local hospital in what was initially described as critical condition, but ACPD said just before 10 p.m. that he was in stable condition.
UPDATE: The victim is in stable condition. Police continue to investigate the circumstances that preceded the shooting. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact ACPD's tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected].
In a press release late Tuesday morning, ACPD said the man was shot along Route 110 near Memorial Bridge, in was is suggested to be a road rage incident.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is investigating a shooting which occurred on the evening of November 20, 2023.
At approximately 7:42 p.m., police were dispatched to the 3100 block of Langston Boulevard for the report of an assault with a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located the adult male victim in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers immediately began rendering aid before the victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. He is in stable condition.
The preliminary investigation indicates the victim and a witness were driving on Richmond Highway when the suspect vehicle, which had two occupants, pulled alongside them and a verbal dispute over driving ensued. In the area of Richmond Highway and Memorial Avenue, an occupant of the suspect vehicle brandished a firearm and discharged rounds, striking the victim. Following the shooting, the driver of the victim vehicle traveled to the 3100 block of Langston Boulevard and sought help.
The suspect vehicle is described as a black sedan. The driver is described as a Black female with shoulder length hair. The passenger is described as a Black male wearing a face mask.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Tip Line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] or anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477). For additional community resources and contact information, visit our website.
Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
(Updated at 10:30 p.m.) Police responded to a bomb threat at an Arlington synagogue tonight.
Arlington County police were dispatched to Congregation Etz Hayim, along Route 50 in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, around 5:30 p.m. Initial reports suggest that someone texted a crisis hotline that they had placed a bomb at the synagogue and were also planning to stab people inside.
No bomb was found nor did any acts of violence occur, ACPD told ARLnow.
From a police spokeswoman:
At approximately 5:25 p.m. on November 17, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of Arlington Boulevard for the report of suspicious circumstances. The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect contacted a crisis hotline and allegedly made threats to bomb a house of worship. Responding officers made contact with the occupants of the property and searched the area and no evidence of a crime was located. The investigation is ongoing.
Swanson Middle School was put in “secure the school” mode this morning (Friday) due to a threat.
Initial reports suggest the school’s office received a shooting threat via email. Police responded to investigate around 10 a.m. and the security status was lifted about an hour and a half later.
This is just the latest in a series of apparent hoax threats at Arlington middle schools.
In March, Gunston was put in lockdown after “a message written inside a restroom stall referencing gun violence” was discovered. In May, a Kenmore student was charged after an implied shooting threat was posted on social media. Threats have also been made at high schools, with police investigating a verbal threat of “shooting up the class” at Washington-Liberty on Monday.
More on the latest threat, below, via Arlington Public Schools.
Safety Notification – @SwansonAdmirals is currently in Secure-the-Building. Staff received an email that included a possible online threat. During this time, all doors are locked and no one can leave or enter the building due to police activity. More to come.
Drone seen flying near former Key Bridge Marriott (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Drones could soon figure into the future of public safety in Arlington.
Arlington’s police and fire departments, the Sheriff’s Office and the Dept. of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management are developing a joint program to use drones when responding to public safety and emergency incidents.
Now through New Year’s Day, people can comment on their draft policies regulating the training, operations and oversight of the “Unmanned Aircraft Systems program,” or UAS.
“All comments provided will be reviewed and evaluated for incorporation into the policies,” a county press release says. “Implementation of the program is anticipated in early 2024 following the completion, review, and incorporation of community feedback on the draft policies.”
Law enforcement could use drones for situational awareness: for instance, one was seen during the large public safety agency presence at the Key Bridge Marriott when it was condemned. Drones could also help collect evidence, conduct search and rescue operations and monitor public events.
More on the purpose of the program, from ACPD’s policy:
The UAS program shall be used only to support the missions of participating agencies and for legitimate purposes such as situational awareness of public safety incidents, search and rescue operations, and evidence collection, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.
These drones will not be equipped with weapons. Only those assigned to the program, with proper training, can operate them, in accordance with the Fourth Amendment — which prohibits unlawful searches and seizures — and other applicable laws.
If approved, there would be monthly audits reviewing the number and length of flights, their efficacy, any safety or equipment concerns and potential violations of policy or law, the policy says.
ACPD will let the public know about all pre-planned drone deployments and it will publish an annual report with the total number of flights, the time, date, location of and reason for each flight. Exceptions would be made when this information would jeopardize personnel safety or a criminal investigation.
These aircraft could help these agencies work more efficiently and safely with fewer staff. ACPD, for instance, has had to scale back services amid ongoing challenges with recruiting and retaining officers.
Improved officer safety could, in turn, bolster staffing levels, Arlington’s police and fire chiefs said earlier this year, in a preliminary discussion with the Arlington County Board about drones.
More from a press release:
The draft policies were developed after an extensive review of model policies and recommendations by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and policies of police departments across the country with established UAS programs. The goal is to create model policies for Arlington County, utilizing established best practices while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. […]
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Background
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) provide enhanced operational capability, safety, and situational awareness for first responders in support of public safety. The UAS Program will only be utilized for specific public safety missions and will be operated only by trained and authorized personnel in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. For additional information on the UAS program, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit our website.
Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services says it is working on an expedited design and construction timeline to install a traffic signal at the intersection of N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive, near Barrett Elementary School, by the end of 2024.
Last month, the county told ARLnow it was working to get a signal installed within the next three years. The decision to shorten the timeline responds to an uptick in crashes there this year, DES told the Arlington Forest Civic Association in a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).
“The signal project is on target for completion by the end of next year,” Vision Zero Coordinator Christine Baker tells ARLnow. “We must procure all materials and finalize construction plans.”
With the installation date a year away, the county evaluated a trio of interim solutions while removing and trimming overgrown trees and shrubs in the median to improve sight distances.
At this troubled intersection, drivers on N. Park Drive have a two-way stop sign before traversing the four lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.
Left turns and through traffic on N. Park Drive are the primary causes of crashes, says Baker.
After evaluating temporary stop signs, traffic signals or barriers to restrict certain traffic patterns, DES decided to keep exploring how to add barriers.
“We are also assessing the potential impacts to nearby intersections, such as Henderson, to ensure safe alternative routing,” Baker said.
Potential turn restrictions on N. Park Drive and N. George Mason Drive (courtesy Arlington County)
In its presentation last night, DES said turn restrictions are easy to install and effective. Crashes dropped at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road when similar turn restrictions were introduced there.
The restrictions on turning and going straight on N. Park Drive are set to be installed before the end of 2023. They will be removed when the traffic signals go in at the end of next year.
Old Dominion Drive and Little Falls Road turn restriction impacts (courtesy Arlington County)
The updates are good news for residents, who have been asking for a solution soon, predicting pedestrians could get hurt. So far this year, the county has lowered speeds on the road near Barrett, repaved and restriped intersection — adding a “SLOW SCHOOL XING” message.
“Arlington Forest residents have been very concerned about safety at the intersection of George Mason Drive and North Park Drive for several years,” Arlington Forest Citizens Association President Esther Bowring said in a statement.
“That is why we are appreciative that Arlington County has now committed to not only expediting installation of a traffic signal at that location, but also to installing interim measures to improve pedestrian and traffic safety until the signal is installed,” she continued.
A traffic signal was recommended back in 2017, when traffic near the site was studied as part of plans for the new Lubber Run Community Center. Ultimately, the county moved forward with a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon and pedestrian refuge.
Staff did pledge to conduct a traffic signal analysis after the community center was finished and new travel patterns settled.
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
Police on scene at Gunston Middle School after threat found (staff photo by James Jarvis)
(Updated at 3:35 p.m.) Gunston Middle School was placed in lockdown this afternoon due to a threat found in the school.
Initial reports suggest that a threat of violence at a specific time was found in a bathroom. Police responded to the scene and the school’s classrooms were locked down.
“Do not come to the school,” Arlington Public Schools initially said on social media.
No actual incidents of violence have been reported.
As of 2:45 p.m. the lockdown had been lifted in favor of a “secure the school” status and students were being escorted to buses as part of a controlled dismissal.
POLICE ACTIVITY: ACPD is investigating the report of a written threat at Gunston Middle School. @APSVirginia placed the school on lockdown while police investigate the credibility of the threat. pic.twitter.com/NZU6c5srEs
This is the latest in a series of threats against Arlington middle schools.
In March, Gunston was put in lockdown after “a message written inside a restroom stall referencing gun violence” was discovered. Last week another threat found in a Gunston girls’ bathroom prompted a police investigation. Swanson was locked down yesterday due to a phoned-in bomb threat.
In May, a Kenmore student was charged after an implied shooting threat was posted on social media.
Separately today, Wakefield High School families were informed of an alleged shooting threat. Principal Peter Balas sent the following message to families.
Dear Wakefield Families and Staff,
Late yesterday, Wakefield Administration was informed of a threat of violence overheard by several students. The specific threat reported involved “shooting up the class.”
The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) and the APS Safety, Security and Emergency Management office were made aware of the threat, and they investigated the situation. Any students who have knowledge of this are asked to contact the school administration.
The preliminary investigation has not revealed an ongoing threat to the safety of the school community. Students are reminded that making threats, regardless of credibility, is unacceptable and in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action by the school as well as a referral to law enforcement.
We appreciate the students who brought this to our attention and ask all members of our community to report any threats they may see or hear, whether they believe they are credible or not.
We always take threats of violence of any kind very seriously. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and I want to thank the Wakefield community for your support and responsiveness, and if you hear or see something that concerns you, please let me or a member of our staff know immediately.
Arlington Public Schools has partnered with the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia’s Youth Violence Project to provide free threat assessment training for students and parents. This training program is designed for all students ages 12 and up and parents of all students in Arlington Public Schools. Additional information is available on the APS website.
James Jarvis and Jo DeVoe contributed to this report
Arlington 911 dispatcher at the county’s Emergency Communications Center, in 2021 (via Arlington County)
The next year will see some important steps forward as Arlington County looks to uncouple law enforcement from its response to homelessness and behavioral health crises.
In 2024, the county will implement new protocols and a call system to ensure people experiencing behavioral health crises — due to a mental illness, substance use disorder or disability — receive services rather than get arrested and jailed.
The coordinator of the forthcoming Marcus Alert system, Tiffany Jones, provided the update during an Arlington Committee of 100 forum last week, adding that more details will emerge during the implementation stage.
“The main purpose is to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity, accessibility to services and is treated with dignity and respect and given the proper services that they need to thrive,” Jones said. “However, there is a specific mission to increase the availability of and access to racially responsive crisis supports — so, in short, to target the BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] community.”
The system comes from the Marcus-David Peters Act, which was signed into law in late 2020 and is named for Marcus-David Peters, a Black, 24-year-old biology teacher who was killed by a police officer in 2018 in Richmond while experiencing a mental health crisis.
Once operational, the system will transfer people who call 911 or 988, the national suicide and mental health crisis hotline, to a regional call center. There, staff determine whether to de-escalate the situation over the phone, dispatch a mobile crisis unit or send specially trained law enforcement.
“Our emergency communications center partners have been doing a wonderful job in getting trained on mental health, psychotic disorders, substance use, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care: various different topics that will help them learn how to assess and manage and transfer calls when they receive Marcus Alert-type calls,” Jones said.
The regional crisis call center is also building mobile crisis teams, Jones said, noting more information on these teams will come out at the time of implementation in December.
“Arlington County and the police department are well ahead of what the state protocols are for the Marcus Alert implementation that we’re working towards in 2024,” ACPD Community Engagement Division Supervisor Lt. Steve Proud said.
The state required localities to ready implementation plans by the summer of 2022. However, localities have until 2028 to stand up a Marcus Alert system.
“When we implement the funding that we will get from the state [for Marcus Alert], we’re going to expand our MOST team due to how effective they have been in the community and pouring into our community members,” she said. “So we’ll be able to have new team with a new van, and expanding hours of operation as well.”
MOST launched this summer and comprises licensed clinician, a peer recovery specialist and an outreach worker from the Dept. of Human Services. Between 1-9 p.m., they respond to referral calls in a retrofitted van equipped with everything from a defibrillator to Narcan and fentanyl test strips.
The vehicle was funded through a 2-year, $390,000 federal grant.
Mobile Outreach Support Team coordinator Michael Keen shows Rep. Don Beyer the county’s behavioral health crisis response van launched last month (staff photo by James Jarvis)
MOST Coordinator Michael Keen said he conducts homeless outreach while shelters, the public and the police department refer individuals to him, so he can introduce them to county programs. He says he has received 45-55 referrals per month in the last two months, up from an average of 15-20, largely from police.
It was an active weekend for Arlington County police.
A number of notable incidents were detailed in the latest ACPD crime report. Among them were a pair of assaults on police early Saturday morning.
In the first incident, an intoxicated suspect allegedly kicked an officer after ACPD was called for “vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic” on 23rd Street S. in Crystal City.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110021, 500 block of 23rd Street S. At approximately 1:46 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of a fight. Upon arrival, witnesses directed officers to a vehicle stopped in the middle lane of traffic. As officers approached to investigate, they came into contact with the male and female suspects. The female suspect disregarded officers commands and attempted to go back towards the vehicle. When officers attempted to detain her, she allegedly became combative and resisted before being taken into custody. As officers were detaining the female suspect, the male suspect became aggressive and attempted to interfere. Additional arriving officers detained the male suspect during which he resisted officers. During a search of the female suspect, she kicked a police officer. [Suspect 1], 29, of Washington, DC. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication. [Suspect 2], 25, of Greensboro, NC, was arrested and charged with Obstruction of Justice and Public Intoxication.
Another assault on police was reported later that morning along S. Four Mile Run Drive, after a victim was allegedly assaulted by a woman she knows.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-11110041, 4200 block of S. Four Mile Run Drive. At approximately 4:25 a.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an assault with injury. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect and female victim, who are known to each other, had a verbal dispute inside of a parked vehicle during which the suspect exited the vehicle and assaulted the victim through an open car window. Responding officers located the suspect on scene and while officers attempting to detain her, she allegedly struck a police officer. Medics responded and treated the victim of the initial assault on scene for non-life threatening injuries. [The suspect], 33, of Jacksonville, FL was arrested and charged with Assault on Police.
Later Saturday evening, police responded to the assault of two teen girls in Rosslyn by a teen boy armed with a taser, who remains at large.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING BY A CAUSTIC AGENT, 2023-11110171, 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 5:53 p.m. on November 11, police were dispatched to the report of an incident involving a juvenile. Upon arrival, it was determined the two juvenile female victims were walking in the area when they were approached by an unknown group of juveniles. The juvenile male suspect then knocked Victim One to the ground, produced a taser and attempted to steal her personal belongings before the victims fled into a nearby business. The suspect then followed the victims into the business and tased Victim Two. The victims exited the business and ran from the area during which the suspect caught up with them, pepper sprayed Victim Two and followed them into a residential building where he poured a drink on Victim Two before fleeing the scene on foot. Medics responded and evaluated the victims on scene.
Finally, on Sunday night, a man walking in the Barcroft neighborhood was knocked to the ground by someone who ran up on them from behind. The victim suffered serious injuries, according to ACPD.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2023-11120208, 900 block of S. Buchanan Street. At approximately 10:23 p.m. on November 12, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the male victim was walking in the area when the unknown male suspect approached from behind, knocked the victim to the ground, physically assaulted him and produced a possible taser or stun gun. The suspect then stole the victim’s wallet before running from the scene. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. Officers established a perimeter and searched the area with negative results. There is no suspect description. The investigation is ongoing.
Police on scene of the Key Bridge Marriott site after shooting (photo courtesy Edward M.)
A 53-year-old Maryland man has been charged after a shooting on the former Key Bridge Marriott site.
Police say the man was working as a security guard Sunday afternoon when he confronted a group of teen trespassers at the fenced-in property, brandished a firearm, and fired a shot that struck one of the teens.
The teen fled the scene and called police. Officers located him at the Rosslyn McDonald’s restaurant with a reported gunshot wound to the ankle.
More on the arrest, below, from an Arlington County police press release.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing an arrest in a shooting that occurred in the 1400 block of Langston Boulevard at the former Key Bridge Marriott property on November 12, 2023. Ahmed Namnoom, 53, of Laurel, Md. is charged with Malicious Wounding and Use of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. He is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
At approximately 4:24 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1800 block of N. Lynn Street and located a juvenile male in his teens suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately began rendering aid. Medics transported the victim to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect was operating as a security guard in the 1400 block of Langston Boulevard when a group of juvenile teens allegedly entered the fenced property and were walking towards the vacant structure. The suspect drove towards the group, exited the vehicle and confronted them while he brandished his firearm. The suspect then discharged his firearm, striking the victim and resulting in his injury. The victim ran from the scene to the 1800 block of N. Lynn Street where he called police.
This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
