A Metrobus driver was assaulted by a passenger in Pentagon City yesterday, police say.
The attack happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday along Army Navy Drive at the intersection with S. Joyce Street.
Police say a 52-year-old D.C. man struck the driver with an object following a verbal dispute that led to both individuals getting off the bus.
The suspect was arrested just down the road a short time later.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect entered the bus, paid his fare and allegedly engaged the driver in a verbal dispute over the operation of the bus,” Arlington County police told ARLnow. “The driver exited the bus to call police during which he was struck by what he believed was the suspect’s backpack resulting in a cut.”
“Responding officers located the suspect in the area and took him into custody without incident,” the ACPD statement continued. “The driver was treated on scene by medics for minor injuries. [The suspect], 52, of Washington DC was arrested and charged with Assault & Battery.”
Video, below, also shows the suspect picking up a road sign following the initial confrontation.
#Caughtoncamera: A Metrobus driver was injured in a fight in Pentagon City with a man who was either on his bus or trying to get onto it. In this video, the driver seems to come off the bus injured and is still confronted by the man with a backpack. At about 50 seconds into the… pic.twitter.com/rJzqO5dsMN
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) March 25, 2024
Photo courtesy Paul W.
An Alexandria man is facing a battery of charges after police say he tried to take an officer’s gun while being arrested for theft.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. this past Friday in the Courthouse area. The alleged shoplifting took place on the 2000 block of Clarendon Blvd, which includes a 7-Eleven and an Ace hardware store.
More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2024-03220226, 2000 block of Clarendon Boulevard. At approximately 6:10 p.m. on March 22, police were dispatched to the report of a larceny just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect allegedly entered the business, selected merchandise and exited the store without payment. A lookout was broadcast and a responding officer located an individual matching the description of the suspect in the area of Clarendon Boulevard and N. Rhodes Street and gave him commands to stop. The suspect disregarded the officer’s commands and attempted to leave the area. The officer then attempted to detain the suspect who actively resisted arrest, grabbed the handle of the officer’s firearm and kicked the officer. The officer deployed pepper spray and took the suspect into custody. Medics transported the suspect to an area hospital for medical evaluation. The officer sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the suspect stole merchandise from the same business during a separate incident. [The suspect], 30, of Alexandria, Va. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police, Attempted Disarming a Police Officer, Petit Larceny (x2) and Obstruction of Justice. He was held without bond.
The same suspect was previously arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest in Arlington in 2020, but charges were dropped, court records show.
Also this past weekend, an Arlington man was arrested and charged with slashing a male acquaintance during an argument Saturday night.
MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 2024-03230236, 800 block of S. Frederick Street. At approximately 11:11 p.m. on March 23, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person. Upon arrival, it was determined the male suspect and male victim, who are known to each other, became involved in a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation during which the victim suffered a laceration from a sharp object. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect was located in the area by responding officers and was taken into custody. [The suspect], 27, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding.
On Sunday night, police say a male victim was confronted along Columbia Pike by a group of five juvenile male suspects he knew.
Serious crimes remain on the rise in Arlington as the Arlington County Police Department continues to seek more officers.
Simple assaults increased in 2023 for the fourth year in a row, while narcotics offenses surged 19% compared to the previous year, Chief Andy Penn told the Arlington County Board at a budget work session on Thursday. Every major category of offenses — crimes against persons, property and society — went up last year, he said.
Though the police department’s staffing increased by four officers between the start of the year and the fourth quarter of 2023, it remains well below its target levels.
“With our reduced staff numbers, we’ve found it is critical for us to focus our efforts on being efficient and smart with how we deploy to resources we have,” Penn said.
Arlington police seized 134 firearms last year, 15 of which were ghost guns. Despite these numbers, aggravated assaults declined by over 10%.
The latest crime numbers are preliminary but will be “very close” to official stats set to be released in a few weeks, the chief said. Despite the continued uptick in crime, he noted that “Arlington remains a very safe place to live.”
When it comes to hiring and retaining officers, however, progress remains slow.
Following increased investment in advertising and outreach, plus sign-on bonuses of up to $25,000, the police department received more applications in 2023 than it did in 2022 — 1,222 compared to 880. Of these, however, the agency hired fewer officers: 28 compared to 36.
Low staffing levels caused ACPD to scale back some of its services in 2022. But even with these changes, officers worked 10,591 overtime hours in 2023, 16.6% more than they did the year before.
“It’s clear that this has not been sustainable,” Penn said. “It’s not the long-term solution. But our staff have been great in helping us out and doing this as we get through this time.”
Arlington’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposes a 2% increase to police department expenditures. The Arlington Coalition of Police has argued that that number should be substantially higher in order to fund a greater pay increase within the department.
The police union blames the agency’s ongoing staffing issues — including over 70 current vacancies — on its relatively low wages.
Board members did not direct county staff to make any changes to the police department’s proposed budget.
A man reportedly shot a boy in the face with a water bead gun after he got off a school bus in Pentagon City.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, near the Westpost shopping center on S. Joyce Street, and prompted a police investigation.
“The preliminary information reported to police indicates the juvenile male victim was walking in the area when the adult male suspect approached in a silver SUV and discharged a water bead, striking the victim,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage told ARLnow shortly after the incident. “No injuries were reported. Police remain on scene investigating the circumstances of the incident.”
A series of similar drive-by paintball and pellet gun shootings were reported in Crystal City and Pentagon City almost exactly two years ago.
A suspect allegedly armed with a loaded handgun unsuccessfully tried to run from Pentagon police today.
The chase happened around lunchtime Wednesday, starting near the Pentagon and ending in Pentagon City.
“At around 12:14 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Pentagon Force Protection Agency police officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle that was driving in the bus lanes on the Pentagon Reservation,” Pentagon police told ARLnow in a statement.
“The male passenger exited the vehicle and ran up Eads Street to Army Navy Drive, discarding a loaded Glock 9mm handgun along the way,” the statement continued. “PFPA recovered the weapon. During the apprehension, a PFPA officer tackled the subject, resulting in a minor head injury to him. Arlington County medics transported the subject to the hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The subject was subsequently released to the custody of PFPA, charged and released.”
The driver of the vehicle stayed in the car during the traffic stop and was questioned, ticketed and sent on his way, PFPA said.
Arlington County police assisted with the arrest, which happened along Army Navy Drive near S. Fern Street. Traffic on Army Navy Drive was temporarily blocked after the arrest.
Watch: Some excitement at the Pentagon spilled onto the streets of Arlington just after noon. @PFPAOfficial officers chased a man onto S. Eads St. and then across Army Navy Dr. where police caught up with him. The initial report was the man fled from a car at the Pentagon where a… pic.twitter.com/8I4FYPvp8N
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) March 20, 2024
LOCATION: Army Navy Dr/S Fern St.
INCIDENT: Police Department Activity
IMPACT: Army Navy Dr. currently has one lane open in both directions between S Fern St. and S Eads St. Expect delays and seek an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/6HKyHRF8Sm— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) March 20, 2024
An 18-year-old Arlington woman is facing a litany of charges after an reported bike theft led to violence.
The incident happened Sunday evening near the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and S. Glebe Road.
Police say they were called after a woman entered a home and stole a bike. Confronted by a victim a couple of blocks away, the woman allegedly “assaulted him, attempted to steal his jewelry, damaged a watch and struck him with a bottle.”
The suspect is also accused of kicking two of the police officers who subsequently took her into custody.
More, below, from the latest Arlington County Police Department crime report.
ASSAULT ON POLICE, 2024-03170214, 1700 block of S. Walter Reed Drive. At approximately 7:15 p.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect allegedly entered the victims’ home and was verbally confronted by Victim One. The suspect then stole a bicycle, exited the home and fled the scene. Victim Two located the suspect with the stolen bicycle at 18th Street S. and S. Monroe Street and approached her. The suspect subsequently assaulted him, attempted to steal his jewelry, damaged a watch and struck him with a bottle. The suspect then assaulted a witness who attempted to intervene. As responding officers were detaining the suspect, she kicked two of the officers. Victim Two reported minor injuries and did not require medical treatment. [The suspect], 18, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Assault on Police (x2), Assault and Battery (x2), Malicious Wounding, Burglary, Destruction of Property and Attempted Robbery. She was held without bond.
Another notable burglary incident happened early Sunday morning in the Cherrydale area. A man tried to force entry into four homes before police were called and a 38-year-old suspect was taken into custody, according to ACPD.
ATTEMPTED BURGLARY (Series) , 2024-03170063/2024-03170064/2024-03170087, 4000 block of Vacation Lane/3900 block of Lorcom Lane/3700 block of Lorcom Lane. At approximately 3:20 a.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was inside her residence when she heard loud banging and observed the male suspect allegedly attempting to force entry into her home by kicking a door. The suspect then left the scene and a short time later, three additional victims in the area reported an individual matching the description of the suspect attempt to force entry into their homes before fleeing the scene. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers canvassed the area and located the suspect. The suspect ran from officers and was subsequently located in the 2400 block of N. Lincoln Street and taken into custody. [The suspect], 38, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Attempted Burglary (x4).
A 42-year-old Arlington woman is in jail after police say she robbed a bank in Clarendon yesterday morning.
The robbery happened around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the TD Bank at 3028 Wilson Blvd, across from the Clarendon Metro station.
Police were first dispatched to the area for a report of a woman harassing customers at the nearby District Dogs location. Then, officers were told that a woman matching the same description had robbed the bank, fled with cash and boarded an ART bus, according to scanner traffic.
The bus was stopped on Columbia Pike and a suspect was taken into custody. Court records show the suspect was charged last year in Arlington with public intoxication and three separate incidents of alleged fare evasion.
More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
BANK ROBBERY, 2024-03130067, 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 8:28 a.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined the female suspect entered the bank, approached a teller and demanded money. The suspect then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash and boarded a bus. No weapon was implied or displayed and no injuries were reported. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect. Officers in the area of Columbia Pike and S. Courthouse Road observed an individual matching the suspect’s description exiting a bus and took her into custody. During the course of the investigation, the stolen cash was recovered. [The suspect], 42, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Robbery. She was held without bond.
(Updated at 5:30 p.m.) All lanes of southbound I-395 were blocked near Shirlington Circle this evening due to a serious crash.
Initial reports suggest that a motorcyclist crashed and remained down in the middle lane of the highway. The person’s injuries were reported to be potentially life threatening or life altering.
The I-395 express lanes remained open, but evening rush hour traffic in the main lanes of the highway was backed up to the 14th Street Bridge as of 5:20 p.m.
As of 5:30 p.m. all lanes were back open, though Virginia State Police remained on scene, on the right shoulder.
LOCATION: SB I-395/Exit 7 (Glebe Rd.)
INCIDENT: Traffic Collision
IMPACT: All lanes of SB I-395 are blocked near Exit 7 (Glebe Rd.). Seek alternate routes. pic.twitter.com/l2gwN5loPl— Arlington Alert (@ArlingtonAlert) March 13, 2024
(Updated at 1:40 p.m.) An Arlington school went into lockdown Wednesday after a student reportedly brought a gun to school.
All students at the Langston High School Continuation Program and New Directions secondary program are safe and the lockdown lasted about 30 minutes, Principal Kim Jackson-Davis said in an email to families Wednesday afternoon.
“The student responsible for bringing the gun to school has received consequences in accordance with the Arlington Public Schools Student Code of Conduct,” she wrote. “This matter has also been referred to law enforcement for further investigation.”
Police were dispatched to the school around 2:30 p.m., after the gun was confiscated, according to scanner traffic.
The email from Jackson-Davis, below, thanked “the student who brought this to our attention.”
Dear Langston/New Directions Families,
This is to inform you that our administrative team confiscated a gun from a student during school today. Information and support from our school community enabled us to quickly investigate and take immediate action. As soon as administrators found the weapon, they called 911 and placed the school in lockdown out of an abundance of caution. The lockdown lasted for about 30 minutes and dismissal occurred on time. All students and staff are safe.
The student responsible for bringing the gun to school has received consequences in accordance with the Arlington Public Schools Student Code of Conduct. This matter has also been referred to law enforcement for further investigation.
We appreciate the student who brought this to our attention and ask all members of our community to report any threats they may see or hear, whether they believe they are credible or not. We continue to inform students about the importance of reporting incidents that are wrong or potentially dangerous. Please also help us spread the word to our kids that it is against the law to bring weapons of any type to school. Weapons can result in serious injury.
Together, we can do our part to keep our school and each other safe.
Sincerely,
Kim Jackson-Davis
Principal
On Thursday, the Arlington County police crime report said the 18-year-old student is facing a pair of weapons charges.
2100 block of N. Culpepper Street. At approximately 2:35 p.m. on March 13, police were dispatched to Langston High School Continuation Program for the report of an alarm. Upon arrival, it was determined school administration located a firearm in a student’s possession on school property and subsequently placed the school on lockdown. Responding officers took possession of the firearm and took the suspect into custody. Tashawn Carter, 18, of Arlington, Va. was arrested and charged with Possession of a Weapon on School Property and Carrying a Concealed Weapon. He was held without bond.
Photo via Google Maps
An East Falls Church woman was killed by her husband in December in a murder-suicide, Arlington County police announced today.
Maria T. MacKnight worked as an acupuncturist, according to her website. Police say she and her husband, Gregory Cunningham, both died of “intentional carbon monoxide poisoning” in early December, at their house on N. Powhatan Street.
Today, ACPD said the deaths were determined by the medical examiner to be the result of a murder-suicide.
Cunningham and MacKnight were both 72.
Today’s announcement follows a murder-suicide in Pentagon City on March 5, in which a man killed a woman with whom he was in a relationship.
More on the December incident, below, from a press release.
A death investigation in the East Falls Church neighborhood has been ruled a homicide-suicide following a determination of cause and manner of death by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
At approximately 5:18 p.m. on December 7, 2023, police were dispatched to the 2400 block of N. Powhatan Street for the report of a check on the welfare. Upon arrival, officers made entry into the residence and located an adult male and female deceased inside with signs of intentional carbon monoxide [poisoning].
The deceased were identified as Maria Theista Macknight, 72, and Gregory Cunningham, 72, of Arlington, VA. They were married.
Following the discovery of the deceased, the Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit immediately initiated a death investigation. In March 2024, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of Ms. Theista Macknight’s death a homicide with cause being carbon monoxide poisoning. Mr. Cunningham’s death was ruled a suicide with cause being carbon monoxide poisoning.
This remains an active investigation and anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
This weekend the Arlington County Police Department is reminding motorists of the dangers of drunk driving.
The police department will host “Don’t Press Your Luck,” an anti-drunk-driving event that will highlight the impacts of alcohol when behind the wheel, this Saturday from 8-10 p.m. at the intersection of N. Irving Street at Wilson Blvd.
The free event, on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, aims to ensure that anyone celebrating the holiday does so safely.
“Impaired driving is 100% preventable and why the Arlington County Police Department is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death,” per the press release.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration, or NHTSA, reported 272 drunk-driving-related deaths during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period between 2017 and 2021, the release said.
Meanwhile, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Lyft will offer free rides home from St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on Sunday, March 17 from 12 p.m. to midnight as part of its SoberRide program. WRAP notes in a new report that the number of alcohol and drug-related traffic fatalities increased nearly 13% in the D.C. area between 2021 and 2022, per the most recent NHTSA data available.
ACPD has hosted anti-drunk driving events for other holidays, including Halloween and Christmas last year. A similar event for St. Patrick’s Day was cancelled last year due to inclement weather.
Photo via NHTSA
