(Updated 10:35 a.m.) Despite rumors to the contrary, the Alexandria Police Department (APD) said no one was killed at the Patent and Trademark Office yesterday.
Alexandria Police spokesman Marcel Bassett said APD received a call at approximately 10:45 a.m. yesterday (Tuesday) for a person having a mental health crisis.
“APD reported to the scene and with the help of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Protective Services we were able to make contact with the subject and connect them with services,” Bassett said.
Neither APD nor the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office posted additional information on social media so the Patent Examiner subreddit became a hub for people in the building seeking more information on the incident, but APD said reports on the subreddit that someone was murdered in the building are not true.
“For clarity, no one was killed,” Bassett said.
An email from the USPTO after the incident provided no new information about the incident, but said that the affected building would be closed today (Wednesday) as a result and urged “discretion and confidentiality” about the incident.
Notification:: There is a heavy police presence in the 400 block of Dulany Street. This is in response to someone possibly experiencing a mental health crisis. APD is on scene. pic.twitter.com/OwmU6mRvC5
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) September 13, 2022
