Busy 72 Hours for Police with Chases, Thefts, and Brandishings

Social distancing is keeping lots of people at home, but that hasn’t necessarily resulted in a drop in notable police incidents in Arlington.

In just the past 72 hours, there have been multiple police chases, incidents involving guns and thefts.

Around 12:30 p.m. today, police swarmed the Lyon Village Shopping Center after a report of a fight in progress. It turned out to be a robbery in which the victim was assaulted and ultimately transported to the hospital.

“At approximately 12:39 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of a fight in the 3100 block of Lee Highway,” Arlington County Police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the suspect approached the victim and stole his cell phone. When the victim confronted the suspect, the suspect assaulted him. The suspect was taken into custody by arriving officers. Charges are pending.”

On Sunday evening, a Virginia State Police pursuit of a vehicle that originated in the Alexandria area ended in Arlington’s Long Branch Creek neighborhood. The Fairfax County Police helicopter hovered overhead while police searched for suspects that bailed out near the intersection of Army Navy Drive and 28th Street S.

“At 4:56 p.m. Sunday, Virginia State Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle traveling north on Route 1 near Ft. Hunt Road in Alexandria. The vehicle refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated,” VSP spokeswoman Corinne Geller told ARLnow today. “The pursuit ended in Arlington County at 28th Street and Army Navy Drive and three male subjects ran from the stolen vehicle on foot. All three were apprehended a short time later with the assistance of Arlington County Police. Two of the three were male juveniles and one adult male was transported to Arlington County Adult Detention Center.”

FYI: ACPD is assisting @VSPPIO with a subject search in the area of the 28th/Army Navy Dr. A helicopter is also being utilized. VSP is the primary investigating agency and ACPD has no further details to provide on the original incident.

— ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) April 12, 2020

Early Sunday morning, Arlington County Police were involved in another foot chase just a couple of blocks away in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood. A trio of suspected of breaking into and stealing cars allegedly rammed a police cruiser and tried to flee the scene.

More from an ACPD crime report:

GRAND LARCENY (significant), 2020-04120036, 1500 block of 28th Street S. At approximately 5:05 a.m. on April 12, police were dispatched to the report of multiple suspects tampering with vehicles in the area. Arriving officers located numerous suspects inside a vehicle, which was later determined to have been previously stolen. The driver allegedly put the vehicle in reverse, causing it to strike a police vehicle and all suspects attempted to flee on foot. Officers in the area located and detained three juvenile male suspects. During the course of the investigation, officers located two additional stolen vehicles, another vehicle which had been damaged, and multiple vehicles which had been tampered with and items of value stolen. Petitions for Suspect One were obtained for Grand Larceny – Motor Vehicle Theft, Hit and Run – Attended Property, Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. Petitions for Suspect Two were obtained for Grand Larceny – Motor Vehicle Theft (x2), Unauthorized Possession of 2+ Credit Card Numbers and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. Petitions for Suspect Three were obtained for Grand Larceny – Motor Vehicle Theft (x2) and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. The investigation is ongoing.

On Friday and Saturday, police responded to two incidents — one in Long Branch Creek, the other in Virginia Square — involving suspects that brandished firearms.

From ACPD:

BRANDISHING, 2020-04110090, 1700 block of 26th Street S. At approximately 2:48 p.m. on April 11, police were dispatched to the report of a person with a gun. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victims were inside their apartment when they heard the unknown suspect allegedly kicking at their door and observed him displaying a firearm. Arriving officers developed a possible suspect description and canvased the building. The suspect then exited his apartment and was taken into custody without incident. [The suspect], 40, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Brandishing, Possession of a Firearm While In Possession of Drugs, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Schedule I/II Controlled Substance. He was held on no bond

BRANDISHING, 2020-04100066, 3500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 12:38 p.m. on April 10, police were dispatched to the report of a brandishing. Upon arrival, it was determined that the victim, an employee, and the suspect were engaged in a dispute inside a business. The victim asked the suspect to leave, which he initially complied with, but then re-entered the business attempting to take a photograph of the victim. The suspect then entered his vehicle, and, as the victim attempted to photograph his license plate, he displayed a firearm and threatened the victim. The suspect is described as a black male. The vehicle is described as a black Dodge pick-up truck. The investigation is ongoing.