A pair of seemingly dramatic police actions rattled locals in two Arlington neighborhoods yesterday.
The first happened around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday on N. Highland Street near Clarendon Blvd and the Trader Joe’s store in Clarendon. Tipsters described a sudden rush of unmarked and marked police units making an arrest with guns drawn.
“Eating lunch at corner of Highland and Clarendon when suddenly a lot of police activity — including guns pointed, then arresting someone,” one tipster told ARLnow.
“Several men covering their faces and coming out of regular, unmarked vans were handcuffing a man,” said another.
Later in the afternoon, an armored vehicle, a SWAT team and other law enforcement personnel converged on a townhouse on the 3900 block of 6th Street N. in Ashton Heights, near N. Piedmont Street and the Ballston area Gold’s Gym.
“Many officers in plain clothes and masks,” a third tipster told ARLnow. “They used a battering ram to enter home. Heavily armed in bulletproof vehicle.”
“They used a drone to enter the home,” the tipster added. “Were not spotted taking anyone out.”
Another nearby resident described the residents of the townhouse as “sketchy renters.”
Several people who contacted ARLnow speculated that the actions were related to recent ICE activity in Northern Virginia, but an Arlington County police spokesperson said it was ACPD acting alone.
“As part of an ongoing criminal investigation, officers conducted a traffic stop at Clarendon Boulevard and N. Highland Street at approximately 1:32 p.m. and took one suspect into custody,” ACPD’s Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “There are no other law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.”
“The traffic stop included officers assigned to undercover positions,” Savage added. “The traffic stop is connected to the execution of a search warrant in Ballston. The investigation is ongoing and there is no ongoing threat to the community.”
Savage did not reveal the nature of the crimes being investigated. In the past, such ACPD actions involving tactical teams but no federal or state law enforcement have often been part of narcotics- or weapons-related investigations.
