Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating the theft of multiple cartons of cigarettes after a clerk was pepper sprayed at a gas station near Potomac Yard.
The employee reported that around 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, the suspect walked into the convenience store of the Exxon gas station at 2320 Richmond Highway and asked what time they started serving food. The clerk responded, and the suspect then allegedly pepper-sprayed the clerk, walked behind the counter and stole multiple cartons of Newport cigarettes, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.