Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Falls Church was locked down around 9:30 this morning after a jogger told police she saw a man with an assault weapon in the area.
The man was wearing camouflage, a utility belt and a helmet, the woman said. Falls Church police officers searched the school and the neighborhood but did not find anyone matching the description. The scene has since been cleared, according to city spokesperson Hyun June.
If you spend enough time listening to Arlington’s police frequencies, you’ll notice that people love calling in to complain about things. Since complaining is so popular, we’re launching a periodic feature called the “complaint of the day,” to highlight the most humorous, outrageous or otherwise unseemly complaints received by police.
When it comes to citizen gripes in Arlington, noise complaints and “aggressive driver” complaints are common, but far and away the most frequent complaint is the parking complaint.
In Lyon Park last week, police say a man purposely backed into a parking space, hitting a person who was assumedly trying to save the space for someone else.
ASSAULT AND BATTERY-ARREST 07/21/10, 900 block of N. Wayne Street. On July 21 at 10 pm, a man purposely reversed his vehicle into someone standing in a parking space. William Reintzel Jr., 39, of Arlington, was charged with Assault and Battery and held on a $2,000 bond.
Simmons, who was hired by a contractor that specializes in collecting petition signatures, should have been well-known to local law enforcement, had they seen her collecting signatures on their behalf.
In 2006, Simmons was arrested for shoplifting and giving her family unauthorized discounts at the Arlington Hecht’s department store, where she worked, according to Arlington Police spokesperson Crystal Nosal. Court records show she plead guilty to felony embezzlement — a more serious charge since it was her third offense — and was sentenced to three years probation.
As today’s Arlington County crime report notes, a vandal caused some major damage last week when he or she spray painted “numerous” vehicles parked along North Ivy, Lincoln, and 6th Streets in Ashton Heights.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY (SERIES) 07/15/10, 3200 block of N. 6th Street and the 500 blocks of N. Ivy and Lincoln Streets. Between late evening on July 14, and 6:30 am on July 15, numerous vehicles on several streets were spray painted with white paint. There are no known suspects.
Amshey is being held without bond at the Arlington County Detention Center. He has been charged with assault, brandishing a firearm and obstruction of justice.
Amshey surrendered to police at 11:20 this morning, following a 16-hour standoff that involved dozens of police officers and culminated with SWAT team members launching tear grenade cannisters into Amshey’s home.
Update at 2:35 a.m. — Command has been transferred from the Arlington to Alexandria Police Department for the night (the two departments have a mutual assistance agreement). Police say the man has stopped communicating with them.
Update at 8:55 a.m. — The standoff has entered its 14th hour.
All in all it was a relatively quiet week for the Arlington Police Department. As if to illustrate the point, here’s one particularly small town-ish item that made it onto the weekly crime report.
BURGLARY 07/13/10, 1800 block of N. Culpeper Street. Between midnight on July 1, and 8 am on July 13, an unknown person entered a closed porch and moved items. There are no known suspects.
Photo of a Gold’s Gym step aerobics class being held outside during the power outage courtesy Matthew Henneman.
More than 3,600 Dominion customers are without power in the Clarendon area this evening. Police are reporting that numerous traffic lights are dark on Wilson, Clarendon and Washington Boulevards, causing traffic tie-ups in the area.
Attorney Denman Rucker said he was contacted by investigators but had no further information about how the DNA test was performed or whether the test was “legitimate.”
The crime that Torrez is being linked to occurred in 2005.
It’s not easy being a police officer in Arlington. The truly interesting or exciting calls are few and far between. More often than not, you’re stuck responding to petty neighborhood disputes and false burglar alarms. And, once in a while, some a-hole suspected of firing off illegal fireworks from his apartment slams a door on your hand on the Fourth of July.
The Arlington County Crime Report lists five cases of assault on police that occurred during the past two weeks. We’re told the officer who had the door slammed on his hand did not suffer any permanent injuries.
Limited public seating will be available at the funeral, which is also expected to draw a large media contingent to the church at 3455 North Glebe Road.
After the service, a private internment ceremony will be held at the Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Ashton Heights.
