Crystal City Office Building Placed on Lockdown

There were some tense moments in Crystal City this morning as Arlington County and Pentagon Police surrounded an office building after receiving a false report of a man with a gun.

Police were originally dispatched to the scene for a report of an intoxicated military service member who was said to be brandishing a handgun in an office on the 2200 block of South Clark Street. One floor of the building was evacuated, employees sheltered in place on other floors and elevators were locked down.

One tipster said their office was told there was a “gunman” on the 9th floor of the Crystal Plaza 6 office building, and that employees were “safe” and “awaiting instructions from building security.”

Eventually, it was determined that the incident was not as serious as reported, and may have actually happened over the weekend. A suspect was reported to be in custody, but it’s not clear when he or she was arrested.

Update at 9:00 p.m. –Federal Protective Service spokesman Chris Ortman issued the following statement tonight:

This morning, Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers responded along with Arlington County Police, Pentagon Security, and Defense Protective Service, to a report filed today of an incident that took place on Friday, April 8, involving an armed, intoxicated individual at Crystal City Plaza 6, 2221 S. Clark Street, Arlington, Va. The individual was found and the weapon was confiscated without incident. An investigation is ongoing and more details will be shared when they are available.