News

Police Respond to Huffing Disturbance

Arlington County police carA disturbance at the Phoenix House on the 500 block of N. Quincy Street prompted a call to police late Monday night, when a resident allegedly became out of control while huffing a chemical.

According to police, two roommates at the Ballston-based substance abuse treatment center alerted a resident adviser that their roommate had been acting erratically and their room was in disarray. When the resident adviser arrived in the room, the subject was wearing only a t-shirt and had a sheet over his head while allegedly huffing disinfectant spray. The resident adviser called police because the subject was reportedly hissing, speaking in tongues, shaking uncontrollably, trying to eat coins and had attempted to set his mattress on fire.

Police say when they arrived and tried to speak with the 18-year-old man, he was naked and still attempting to eat coins. Officers tried taking the man into custody but he didn’t cooperate. The officers gave him a warning but he continued to stay on all fours and growl at them, so they successfully tased him and handcuffed him, according to a police spokesman. The man then attempted to eat the Taser cords, we’re told.

Police say once they managed to handcuff the man, the naked subject bent over with his hands still behind his back, and according to the police report “spreads his anus open and proclaims, ‘Who wants some?'”

The subject appeared to have some type of seizure or shaking fit and fell to the floor, where he somehow managed to get his cuffed hands in front of his body, according to police. Cops say the man then spat at them and tried to grab them.

The man has voluntarily committed himself for psychiatric evaluation and nobody was hurt in the incident.

No charges have been filed against the man; police say they are more concerned with getting him proper mental assistance.