A 27-year-old Alexandria man was arrested and charged with brandishing or pointing a firearm during what police are describing as a road rage incident in the West End.
Around 11:40 p.m. on Friday, April 24, the Alexandria Police Department responded to the Wendy’s restaurant at 229 S. Van Dorn Street to investigate a report of a brandished firearm, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. In the parking lot, the victim told police that the suspect — who was in a silver Toyota in the Wendy’s drive-thru when police arrived — had pointed a handgun at him while they were across the street in the parking lot of the Van Dorn Plaza.
The victim told police the suspect had tailgated him on Interstate 495 and followed him to both parking lots. The victim said that when he gestured to the suspect with his hand — as if to say “What’s your problem?” — the suspect allegedly brandished a handgun, inserted a magazine and racked the slide, according to the affidavit.
“[The victim] advised officers that this action made his heart start pumping, and made him feel anxious and concerned for the safety of his wife, who was also in the vehicle,” according to the affidavit.
The suspect, Mikhail Wemmell, told police he owns a handgun but said he did not have it with him and did not consent to a search of his vehicle, according to the affidavit.
Wemmell was arrested four days later, April 28, and charged with pointing and brandishing a firearm, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. He was released on his own recognizance and is due in court Aug. 3.
