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ACPD: Bystanders intervene as suspect fights officer in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com
Police on scene of assault in Clarendon on Sunday, June 25 (photo courtesy Matthew Hurtt)

A man allegedly assaulted a police officer in Clarendon last night, prompting bystanders to intervene.

The incident happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. Police were initially dispatched to N. Danville Street near the Starbucks for a report of a potential domestic violence incident between a man and a woman.

The suspect reportedly started fighting with the first arriving officer before her backup arrived, according to scanner traffic, leading to numerous officers throughout the county speeding to the scene to assist.

Before they arrived, however, several bystanders “attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle,” an Arlington County police spokeswoman said. The suspect was eventually taken into custody and now faces multiple charges, including assault on police and DUI.

More, below, from ACPD.

ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2023-06250225, 2600 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 7:45 p.m. on June 25, police were dispatched to the report of a dispute. The preliminary investigation indicates the male victim observed the suspect yelling at an individual inside a vehicle and banging on the vehicle’s window before the suspect entered the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle on. The victim was recording the incident with his cell phone when the suspect allegedly exited the vehicle, approached the victim and knocked his phone out of his hand. As the responding officer attempted to detain the suspect, he became combative and struggled with and assaulted the officer. Bystanders attempted to assist the officer as the suspect continued to struggle. With the assistance of additional arriving officers, the suspect was taken into custody. [The suspect], 26, of Annandale, VA was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Assault and Battery, Driving under the Influence and Obstruction of Justice. He was held on a secure bond.