The incident happened on Thursday, June 10. ARLnow.com reported exclusively that the employee was pepper sprayed and taken into custody by Metro Transit Police after allegedly struggling with officers. At one point, an empty glass bottle was pulled out of the man’s pocket.
Officers first confronted the man after he “appeared to be unsteady on his feet around 5:15 p.m.,” Metro said in a statement after the incident. He had been an employee with Metro since 2006.
The Roosevelt Bridge was blocked in both directions last night as D.C. police and Arlington firefighters investigated a suspicious package on the Virginia side of the span.
Authorities shut down the heavily-traveled thoroughfare around 7:30. The all-clear was given around 8:15.
It’s not clear what’s going on, but the eastbound lanes of I-66 are completely blocked at Lynn Street, just before the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Traffic is backing up at the Rosslyn tunnel.
A quick public service announcement: If you’re going to file a false police report, you might want to first make sure you left the pot at home.
FALSE POLICE REPORT-ARREST 06/16/10, 1800 block of Wilson Boulevard. On June 16 at 10:45 am, a woman called police to report that she was robbed of currency. Investigation revealed that the woman actually gave the money to an acquaintance. Regena Sayles, 42, of Suitland, MD, was charged with Filing a False Police Report and Possession of Marijuana. She was held on a $3,000 bond.
About 25 police officers and SWAT team members invaded a quiet North Arlington neighborhood Thursday night for what was thought to be a barricade situation.
It started when a man who recently split with his girlfriend posted something to Facebook that made her think he might be suicidal, police said.
Arlington’s new red light cameras went live this morning.
The cameras, perched at four busy intersections, will issue warnings for the next 30 days as part of an “awareness period.” Then, starting in mid-to-late July, violators will start receiving $50 fines.
The program provides police departments with LoJack-like tracking equipment and training courses that allow them to find wander-prone people who have been outfitted with specialized wrist or ankle transmitters.
The program is especially geared toward those with Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia, and similar cognitive conditions.
Flickr pool photo by mennyj. See more photos from Saturday’s Columbia Pike Blues Festival here.
Aftermath of Fight Outside Clarendon Grill Caught on Video — A late night fight outside Clarendon Grill left a man battered and unconscious in the middle of North Highland Street early Sunday morning. The aftermath of the fight was captured on video. Metro Transit Police, who were the first on scene, could be seen handcuffing two men as a crowd gathered around the victim. The victim eventually regained consciousness and was loaded into an ambulance.
Arlington Real Estate Prices Rise — Real estate prices continue to rise in Arlington, reports local Realtor Laura Rubinchuk. In May, prices of townhouses and detached single-family homes rose 4 percent and 5 percent respectively compared to 2009. The condo market was up 1 percent.
ACPD Investigating Thefts from Government Buildings — A group of thieves is targeting secured government buildings in Northern Virginia. According to The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder, the thieves wait for people to swipe their security badges at entrances, nonchalantly follow them in, and then proceed to steal valuables from unoccupied offices. The Arlington County Police Department is conducting a joint investigation of the break-ins with the U.S. Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service.
“MTPD officers on patrol at the station observed a man who appeared to be unsteady on his feet around 5:15 p.m,” Metro spokesperson Ron Holzer said in an statement. “The man began to run as the officers approached. He then struggled with the officers when they apprehended him… He was charged with being drunk in public and impeding an officer with force (assault).”
The employee was off-duty at the time of his arrest, according to Holzer. He was in his uniform but “his shift had ended many hours before his arrest.”
In this week’s Arlington County Crime Report, we find two cases of young women assaulting police officers.
ASSAULT ON POLICE-ARREST 06/02/10, 1000 block of S. Hayes Street. On June 2 at 8:30 pm, a woman was caught shoplifting at a mall. She then spit on a security guard and assaulted a police officer. Shanta Watson, 18, of Washington D.C., was charged with Assault on Law Enforcement, Assault and Battery, Identity Theft and Petit Larceny. She was held on a $7,500 bond.
The man rolled face down into the creek after officers arrived around 8:00 a.m. As onlookers gathered on the bike path above, officers pulled the man from the water and began performing CPR.
The man was alive when he was taken to the hospital, although his condition is unknown at this time.
