Updated 3/27/2024 — The Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards are not, in fact, coming to Potomac Yard
It’s official: the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards are moving to Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood.
The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) confirmed the news this morning ahead of a 9 a.m. announcement from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the team’s owner, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis.
Washington Post first reported the development on Monday. The Post said that Virginia’s Major Economic Investment Project Approval Commission unanimously voted to approve a complex that was tantamount to a mini-city, with a music venue and hotel in addition to the sports center.
The project will be adjacent to the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in the Alexandria portion of National Landing — the collective term for Potomac Yard, Crystal City and Pentagon City.
“After many years of dreaming, many years of discussion, I’m pleased to announce that right here, in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard, we have a plan to unleash a brighter, more extraordinary future,” said Youngkin. “We will build a spectacular $2 billion dollar sports and entertainment district.”
Leonsis said the move to Virginia is a “transformative step forward.”
“I have always believed there is a higher calling in sports — to unify our community, build a lasting legacy over multiple generations, and lift all our neighbors towards a shared sense of prosperity,” Leonsis said. “Today, we deepen that commitment as we enter a phase of rapid expansion in service to our fans, employees, and partners.”
Leonsis said starting a new stadium with a sense of tabula rasa was a big part of Potomac Yard’s appeal.
“When I saw 70 acres and the ability to start with a clean slate… to build a digital first experience, it really is a very romantic but also pragmatic vision that we can’t do anywhere else,” Leonsis said. “I got goosebumps again when I came here a week ago and looked at all of the expansion capabilities.”
As part of the deal, the construction and ownership of the arena would be overseen by a new Virginia stadium authority, and the arena would be leased to Monumental.
“Subject to legislative approval by the Virginia General Assembly, the Entertainment District will break ground in 2025 and open in late 2028,” said a press release from the governor’s office.
This morning’s announcement is being made in a large makeshift tent next door to the Potomac Yard Metro station and near the under-construction Virginia Tech campus.
“Pending completion of agreements and General Assembly and City Council approval, the new Entertainment District will feature an industry-leading arena for both the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, the global business headquarters for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, an expanded esports facility, and a performing arts venue — in addition to new retail, restaurants, and conference and community gathering spaces,” AEDP said.
A map of the planned Monumental development, directly adjacent to the Metro station, also includes a fan plaza, a practice facility for the Capitals and Wizards, and a TV studio for the Monumental Sports Network — formerly NBC Sports Washington. The map also notes the future development of the current Potomac Yard shopping center.
AEDP said the development will still need to go through a community engagement process, with community meetings and workshops, which it said will kick off in early 2024.
In the release, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson called the move a direct result of the work on the Potomac Yard Metro station.
“Alexandria’s ability to attract this ambitious project is a direct result of the success of previous investments made in Potomac Yard and across our City,” said Wilson. “A project this special will help the City realize our collective strategy and the vibrant vision for this neighborhood and for our City as a whole.”
The move comes with a $2 billion investment into the new entertainment district. AEDP said the new arena is estimated to generate 30,000 jobs and a total economic impact of $12 billion over the next few decades.
“This includes millions of dollars over the project term to create affordable housing, offer rental and homeownership assistance, and to invest in transportation improvements and education,” AEDP said.
“This exciting new project is the result of decades of thoughtful long-term strategic planning and a clear vision for growth across Alexandria,” said AEDP President and CEO Stephanie Landrum. “From the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus to the new Potomac Yard-VT Metro Station, Alexandria has created the ideal environment and location for this exciting project.”
Battles ahead in the arena
With large-scale development in Alexandria, though, comes arguments around density and traffic impacts. Some Alexandria residents already aren’t happy with the move, which comes 30 years after Alexandria leaders rebuffed a proposed football stadium for the Washington Redskins (now the Commanders).
“Imagine typical rush hour traffic on the George Washington Parkway and Route 1 and then throw in a playoff hockey game at 7 p.m.,” said Mark Haney, a local resident. “Madness.”
Fresh off a fight over single-family-only zoning, Roy Byrd, Chair of the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, told WJLA there was real concern about gridlock and traffic along Route 1 that would be exacerbated with the new arena.
I do NOT want this increase in traffic if they decide to build the arena here, omg. This is my literal back yard 😩😩😩 https://t.co/Se7FDcsinu
— An (@annleeee) December 13, 2023
At the meeting, Youngkin’s speech was accompanied by a chorus of boos and jeers from outside of the tent.
“We want you here,” said Wilson.
“We don’t want you here,” someone outside of the tent shouted.
Some protestors gathered outside of the tent.
“There’s been no plans presented to the public,” said one Potomac Yard resident protesting the move. “What about the environmental impact? There are wetlands here. We found out about this plan this week. Where’s the transparency?”
One of the only acknowledgements of the battles ahead came from Senator Mark Warner.
“Our job is to make sure neighborhoods adjacent, here in Potomac Yard and in Del Ray, feel engaged and know their quality of life will be protected and, at the end of the day, their quality of life will be improved,” said Warner. “We’re going to need to be missionaries out in to the community to hear concerns, legitimate and otherwise.”
City Council members said after the announcement that transportation planning would be a major focus of the public planning process following the announcement.
“This is not a done deal yet,” said City Council member Kirk McPike. “There is a lot of negotiation and a lot of discussion, both between the people on the stage but also between Alexandria and our residents. Traffic conditions are going to be a major concern.”
McPike said the city will try to incentivize Metro use over driving, but there will also be improvements to the nearby roads to accommodate drivers.
“We will address transportation issues, a lot of our investments locally will be about improving the roadways and improving the flow of traffic, which we’ll have to do anyway as this area develops out.”
City Council member Sarah Bagley said the project will still need to have a public development special use permit process.
“[This project] is going to go through a similar public process, though the Planning Commission and public hearings,” said Bagley. “The public will have ample opportunities to weigh in with questions about transportation, about housing, about environmental impacts: all the normal SUP and DSUP processes.”
“Nothing here is finalized,” said City Council member Alyia Gaskins. “What we’ve presented is a framework and a concept, now begins the work to engage with our community to figure out what we need to protect against, what are the benefits people want to see, and what is the vision that the community wants integrated into this process.”
City Manager James Parajon said the city will continue to work on transportation planning.
“We have a pretty good game plan for how to manage the traffic and the amazing visitors and residents who will take part,” Parajon said. “It involves several hundred million dollars in improvements we’ll be working with the state on.”
Parajon said Potomac Yard was ideal because it featured multiple routes to get to the station: via driving, bus rapid transit, Metro and bicycle. At the end of the day, though, Parajon said the area was always going to see an uptick in traffic with new development.
“This has always been planned to be a fairly intensive and significant area for activity, which means there is going to be vehicular traffic in this area,” Parajon said. “But this site has been designed to offer maximum choice for people to get to and from the area.”
Parajon also said, like McPike, that the new arena was far from a done deal — though with the presence of every City Council member at the announcement, a future rejection of the arena development seems unlikely.
“What’s occurred is the development of a proposed framework that still requires multiple improvements, multiple approvals, by the legislature and by the city,” Parajon said. “It will be a robust and very involved public engagement process.”
Local residents outside the building had little faith in the city’s promises to address their concerns.
“We will tie this up in litigation,” said Adrien Lopez. “If this is being shoved down our throat without public consultation, we’re going to have to lawyer up and tie this up in litigation if they’re talking about bringing it here by 2028. That’s crazy.”
“Leonsis is worth billions of dollars and could finance his own stadium if he wanted to,” said Patrick Hedger. “If it’s such a great deal, taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to pay for it.”
Upon being told the new sports arena was going to be build next-door, a barista at a nearby Starbucks shook her head and muttered, “oh god.”
The broader impact
The topic came up at a meeting of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, on which ALXnow editor Vernon Miles serves. In the meeting, committee members said the arena could serve as both a hub and hurdle for emergency planning.
“In theory, it does offer a facility for such things as large mass care and large reception centers,” said Red Cross representative Paul Carden said. “At the last inauguration, the convention center in downtown D.C. brought together a medical team to set up 20,000 cots. It was a place to send large numbers of people that might need care.”
Others noted that the facility must be factored into the city’s emergency planning.
“It does add a [chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear] element to the city,” said Jerome Cordis from the city’s Public Health Advisory Commission.”How they staff up and what types of threats are things to be considered.”
While the discussion of the merits and costs of a new arena in Potomac Yard are just starting to be discussed among the Alexandria public, D.C. residents have already begun lamenting the loss of the teams — though Washington Wizards fans at least should be used to that.
Goodbye Caps & Wizards. Deal with Virginia being announced tomorrow morning at Potomac Yards (where celebratory announcement tents are being prepared now). A significant blow to DC and its ailing downtown. Sad part is, it could have been avoided if city had acted.
— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) December 12, 2023
I have to see it to believe it. Capital One Arena being an empty spot in Chinatown/Penn Quarter would be devastating to Washington, DC. The #Wizards and #Caps moving to Virginia would be a disaster. #NHL #NBA https://t.co/WkToq27bdB
— Faisal Hassan (@Faazzla) December 11, 2023
What this means for Potomac Yard
Terry Clower, professor of public policy in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said the proposed development is a game changer for the city’s Potomac Yard plans.
“Certainly, it is potentially a real changer for the visioning for what they were going to do in Potomac Yard,” Clower told ALXnow. “It is a spectacular amenity for the city of Alexandria and for folks that live nearby who happen to be basketball or hockey fans, or fans of concerts in the venue”
Clower said it remains to be seen whether the new development will bring new economic investment to the region or just cannibalize development from the Gallery Place area.
The impact to watch, Clower said, will also be on how the Monumental Arena affects the plans for Potomac Yard to be a technology hub.
“The interesting piece is — this might change, in some ways not necessarily good or bad — what was originally envisioned for development there,” Clower said. “Now you’re talking about a distinct shift into more entertainment, as opposed to technology businesses and residences.”
Clower also said protests from nearby residents aren’t particularly surprising, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t raising legitimate issues.
“One thing we have in this region whether we’re talking about data centers and arenas, you will definitely have folks who will bet in that ‘not in my backyard’ category,” Clower said. “But there are legitimate concerns. Traffic is not easy even today.”
Lastly, Clower said there’s little hope for a change to the Alexandria Wizards and the Alexandria Capitals.
“I don’t think there will be a name change,” Clower said. “This is not like moving them to some outer ring suburb, this is very much the team identity. It still remains a regional asset, in large part because they’re doing it at what amounts to an inner ring suburb Metro.”
The press release from the governor’s office is below.
(Updated on 8/27/23) Alexandria police are on scene of multiple shootings in the city.
First, a man was shot in the Arlandria neighborhood around 7:45 p.m. Saturday. The shooting happened on the 3800 block of Florence Drive, in the parking lot of an apartment building, and was phoned in to 911 by a child caller, according to scanner traffic.
A witness told ALXnow that he heard two shots and ran over to the scene and found the victim bleeding from gunshot wounds to the leg and the upper body.
Police cordoned off the area and started a search of nearby neighborhoods for a Hispanic suspect wearing a black and white striped shirt and white pants. Arlington police also assisted by setting up a perimeter along Four Mile Run.
The victim’s injuries are life-threatening, according to police.
Around 8:15 p.m., two additional shootings were reported along S. Patrick Street south of Old Town. A large group of motorcycle and dirt bike riders that previously rolled through Arlington was gathered at the Speedway and Liberty stations at Franklin Street when shootings reportedly happened at both, according to scanner traffic.
At least two people were initially said to be shot and brought by fellow bikers over to Maryland. In a subsequent press release about the series of shootings, Alexandria police said that one person had been hospitalized as a result of the gas station shooting.
Alexandria Police are investigating two separate shootings that occurred within 15 minutes of each other Saturday night.
At approximately 7:52 p.m. officers responded to the 3800 block of Florence Drive. A 26-year-old male victim was found suffering from a gunshot wound and transferred to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers are still investigating and ask anyone with information to call Detective T. Griffin at (703) 859-3271. All callers can remain anonymous.
At 8:05 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 700 block of S Patrick St. Upon arriving to the scene, officers learned dozens of individuals riding dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and other recreational vehicles were gathered at two neighboring gas stations when individuals began shooting. Through regional collaboration, detectives learned of a victim being taken to an area hospital in stable condition.
As of 1 a.m. Sunday, officers are still working to clear the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective B. Smith at (703) 851-3545.
Streets were closed in the area of S. Patrick Street and Franklin Street due to the large emergency response and police investigation.
Notification:: There is a significant police presence on Rt. 1 in the 700 block of S. Patrick St. Drivers should expect delays while officers investigate a shooting incident.
Police are asking anyone with information to call (703) 746-4444. Callers can remain anonymous. pic.twitter.com/SWCc72C9PC
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) August 27, 2023
New: People running & bikes pulling out of the Speedway gas station suddenly just after 8 pm. This was the scene of the shooting @AlexandriaNow reporting tonight. The fuzzy video also shows the large group of bikes arriving about 12 minutes earlier. The flashes appear to be red… pic.twitter.com/hlaW0sq8O2
— Dave Statter (@STATter911) August 27, 2023
James Cullum contributed to this report
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. resigned abruptly on Friday morning (June 10).
Hutchings’ resignation comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the school division, following a closed-door session asking the School Board to not talk with the media and about the fatal stabbing death of a student.
The resignation goes into effect August 31.
The following note was sent to ACPS families:
Message from the ACPS superintendent
It is with a heavy heart that I want to share with you before the end of the school year one of the most difficult decisions of my career. I will be resigning from my position as superintendent of schools at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) effective August 31, 2022. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, staff, families and the Alexandria community since July 2018. I have thoroughly enjoyed my years leading our school division, in which I was raised and educated as a proud member of the Alexandria community. This decision did not come lightly and was prompted by my life’s work to advocate for antiracism in education. I have been proud of what we have accomplished together in bringing forth the very first ACPS strategic plan, Equity For All, that places racial equity at the heart of all our work.
This courageous and bold roadmap compelled me to consider how I can help expand and establish similar initiatives in school systems across the country. It has become my personal imperative and has only been exacerbated by the recent attack on our equity work right here in Virginia. As superintendent, I am limited in my ability to speak freely and openly about this work and assist other school systems to carry out this critical advocacy. It is clear to me that this is the next phase of my career as an educator and the time has come for me to take this leap of faith, expand my reach, and move the needle on racial equity in education. In my four years at ACPS, we have worked collaboratively with our School Board and our ACPS team to realize many significant accomplishments. While I will no longer stand at the helm of ACPS to lead our team, I will continue to support the work and care deeply for our students, staff and families.
In my heart, I know that I will always remain close to ACPS and in the coming months, I will work closely with the School Board to ensure that there is a smooth transition to begin the 2022-23 school year. I have faith in the team that will soon be charged with keeping ACPS moving forward. Thank you for the opportunity to lead this amazing community of educators and to serve as an example to our students, so that they, too, can have their dream job. My hope is that ACPS will continue to develop lifelong learners who will continue to pay it forward; to ACPS and beyond! Sincerely, Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. Superintendent of Schools
A news release from Alexandria City Public Schools said School Board chair Meagan Alderton will appoint an interim superintendent while ACPS conducts a search for a new permanent one.
“Chair Alderton stated that the School Board will appoint an interim superintendent to lead the division while a search for a permanent superintendent is underway,” the release said. “Dr. Hutchings has pledged to work closely with the School Board over the summer to ensure there is a smooth transition in leadership to begin the 2022-23 school year.”
Alderton praised Hutchings’ work at ACPS in the release:
It has been both an honor and a pleasure to work alongside Dr Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. He has led our school division during extremely tumultuous times and, in doing so, has modeled for all of us what it means to lead with vision, integrity, and passion. Alexandria City Public Schools has benefited tremendously from his leadership. As a board, we are sad to see him go, but we wish him the very best in his future endeavors. I have no doubt that we will see him doing great things that will impact public education beyond the boundaries of Alexandria City Public Schools.
Vernon Miles contributed to this story
Updated at 3:30 p.m. — A 16-year-old Alexandria City High School student has been arrested in connection to last week’s fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Luis Mejia Hernandez, Alexandria Police tweeted.
The juvenile, who was not named, was arrested more than a week after the May 24 incident, and has been charged with murder. He was arrested sometime Wednesday morning (June 1) and is being held at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.
The full statement is below:
The Alexandria Police Department has made an arrest in connection to a stabbing incident, that occurred on May 24, 2022.
A 16-year-old juvenile male, a City of Alexandria resident, was arrested and charged with murder. The juvenile is currently being held in the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.
The decedent Luis Hernandez, 18, was a City of Alexandria resident.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Hernandez was stabbed during a brawl between 30-to-50 students on Tuesday afternoon (May 24). Police have not disclosed what prompted the fight.
Friends of the victim say that police did not do enough to prevent Hernandez’s death, and police are not conducting an investigation to their response of the incident.
Alexandria City Public Schools went to asynchronous learning after the incident, and will continue with hybrid learning for the remainder of the week.
News Release:: Alexandria Police Department Makes Arrest in Connection to Stabbing Incident
The Alexandria Police Department has made an arrest in connection to a stabbing incident, that occurred on May 24, 2022.
Read more: https://t.co/nqLqfRXaci pic.twitter.com/CZp59rMUzd
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) June 1, 2022
After the police released information on the incident, Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. sent out the following message:
Dear ACPS Staff and Families,
We want to share with you an update provided today by the Alexandria Police Department (APD) about the loss of Alexandria City High School (ACHS) student Luis Mejía Hernández. We have been in close contact with the APD and we appreciate your patience and understanding in communicating during an active police investigation, which we understand remains ongoing. Please see the June 1, 2022 APD press release regarding this case.
We want to again assure you that new security measures have been implemented and remain in place at ACHS and we have shared multiple communications with ACHS students and families, including the latest information from Executive Principal Peter Balas on logistics for this week for the Class of 2022 as well as students in grades 9-11.
Just a reminder that the schedule this week has changed with a modified return for ACHS students so we can focus on social, emotional and academic learning to help fulfill critical in-person graduation requirements, provide students with the social-emotional supports needed, and afford students with an opportunity for socialization with their peers. Also, the modified return permits students who prefer classroom time with teachers in person to complete their asynchronous assignments at ACHS.
On behalf of the whole Titan community, I would like to again express our condolences and support for the family of Luis Mejía Hernández. Our team will continue to support our students, staff and families.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent
(Updated 8 p.m.) Alexandria Police are investigating alleged drug possession and distribution at Episcopal High School, one of the most exclusive private boarding schools in the country.
On Dec. 8, police responded to a narcotics complaint at Episcopal and met with the school’s attorney, according to a search warrant affidavit. The officer was told that a week prior, on Dec. 1, two students were found to be allegedly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Both students were then “immediately withdrawn” from the school by their families, according to the affidavit.
The school’s attorney then told police that one of the suspected students, who turned 18 on Dec. 10, received a number of packages with suspected drugs and that the packages were in the school mailroom.
“The parcels were retrieved and one of the parcels appeared to already be damaged and open,” police said in the search warrant. “Upon looking inside, the administrator believed the contents were illegal narcotics. Based upon the open parcel containing suspected illegal narcotics, the administrator and additional witnesses opened the other parcels and discovered additional suspected narcotics.”
Police found a number of U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail envelopes addressed to the 18-year-old at the school and containing the following:
- 20 grams of suspected Psilocybin mushrooms
- 26 suspected Xanax pills and 1.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine
- 1.3 grams of suspected cocaine
- Five suspected Ecstasy pills
Episcopal’s attorney has not returned ALXnow’s requests for comment, and no arrests have been made.
More than 450 male and female students attend the 182-year-old private boarding school in the fenced 130-acre property at 1200 North Quaker Lane.
Famous alumni include former U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), investor Julian Robertson, Jr., and video game designer Will Wright.
Episcopal went on winter break on Dec. 17, and students will return to classes on Jan. 3.
(Updated at 4:45 on Nov. 3) Alexandria Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker declared victory in her bid for Virginia’s 45th District House seat on Tuesday, defeating Republican opponent Justin “J.D.” Maddox.
“I’m honored to be the Delegate-elect for the 45th District,” Bennett-Parker told ALXnow. “Thank you to every voter who put their faith in me. I got into this race to continue delivering for our community.”
She continued, “I will always strive to ensure that our Commonwealth is an equitable and inclusive place for all.”
Bennett-Parker said that she did not speak with Maddox, who conceded via an email to supporters on Tuesday night. She won a resounding victory, garnering 73% (25,787 votes) of the votes in the District versus Maddox’s 27% (9,489 votes), with 26 of 32 districts reporting.
“While I am let down by the results of this election, I am encouraged by the strong signal of support for the moderate position that I championed throughout the campaign,” Maddox wrote. “It has become clear to me that voters in District 45, and much more widely, are eager for movement toward the center, and are disheartened by the extreme partisanship they’re hearing from both sides.”
According to city records, there were 24,207 absentee votes filed before election day, or around 25% of the 96,302 active registered voters in Alexandria.
Bennett-Parker defeated incumbent Democrat Mark Levine in the June primary. She began her political career three years ago, winning Alexandria’s vice mayorship in her first-ever campaign for office.
She will be sworn into office in January.
James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story.
Update on 10/2/21 — The videos of the fights at the school have been removed from Instagram, and have since been removed from the story.
A number of recent student fights at George Washington Middle School have been posted on Instagram.
The videos have been taken by children at the school and show teachers and other students breaking up incidents. They have been posted by an Instagram user named gwmsfights2022.
The first video was posted on September 4, and the videos were taken this school year, as the school appears to be operating at capacity and students are wearing face masks. The most recent video was posted five days ago.
Alexandria City Public Schools is aware of the posts and reported them to Instagram. The school system said in a statement that, while there are no police on school grounds, the security situation at the school is under control.
“School administrators have addressed any incidents this year in accordance with standard protocols for disciplinary issues,” ACPS said in a statement. “School safety and security is a top priority for our schools. ACPS leadership works with our security team to maintain a safe environment for students and staff in our buildings. Student involvement in incidents is investigated by school administration to include witnesses and handled using a tiered system of support for all students involved.”
ACPS would not say how many students have been suspended at the school this year.
Many believe the fights are the result of no school resource officers within Alexandria City Public Schools. In a move that was decried by the School Board earlier this year, City Council defunded SROs in a 4-3 vote.
There was a protest on SROs earlier this week outside City Hall, as several violent incidents have alarmed parents and political candidates. In a recent interview with ALXnow, School Board Chair Meagan Alderton also said that she wants to salvage the student-police relationship.
“Not sure if it’s the lack of SROs or the fact that we kept the public school kids out of school for two years, but neither one of those decisions seem particularly good to me right now,” an ACPS parent told ALXnow.
This is not the first of fighting videos that has surfaced since school started on August 24. ALXnow recently posted a video of a brawl at Alexandria City High School.
(Updated 3:45 p.m.) Alexandria Police have resolved the barricade situation at an 11th floor apartment in Seminary Towers (4701 Kenmore Avenue) in the West End.
Police tweeted that the standoff came to an end at around 3 p.m., and that evacuated residents have been allowed to return to their apartments. Residents in the 10th, 11th and 12th floors were evacuated by police at around noon and were told that tear gas may have to be employed against the suspect.
“APD was serving a warrant from another jurisdiction,” APD senior public information officer Amanda Paga told ALXnow. “The adult male subject refused to comply.”
The identity of the man has not been released, and police said he was alone in the apartment.
FINAL UPDATE: The barricade situation in the 4700 block of Kenmore Avenue is over. The subject was taken into custody without incident around 3:00 p.m. Residents are now allowed to return.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) June 24, 2021
BARRICADE:: APD is working a barricade situation in the 4700 block of Kenmore Ave. Please avoid the area and be aware of Police & fire activity.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) June 24, 2021
Courtesy Google Maps, James Cullum and Vernon Miles contributed to this story
A 23-year-old man is awaiting extradition to Alexandria for the November 7 murder of a man in the West End.
Ahmed Mohammed Shareef, of Cosa Mesta, California, was indicted by a Grand Jury for killing 23-year-old Yousef Tarek Omar in the 4800 block of West Braddock Road. It was the City’s third and final homicide of 2020.
“It is alleged that the murder was committed in furtherance of the drug trafficking organization,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Shareef is one of 17 people indicted and arrested on charges related to a racketeering conspiracy that involved a “complex drug trafficking organization” allegedly responsible for the sale of approximately $500,000 worth of marijuana.
The investigation, which included multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the region and in Washington State and California, resulted in the seizure of at least 23 firearms, including three assault rifles and high capacity magazines. At least $274,795 in U.S. currency was also taken, in addition to cocaine and other controlled substances, digital scales and electronic money counters, fake identification and driver’s license cards, and multiple vehicles.
“I want to thank the Alexandria Police Department’s Vice/Narcotics Section and the multitude of partner law enforcement agencies for their diligent and professional work on this investigation,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter said. “The collaborative effort between the partner law enforcement agencies shows true professionalism and determination to halt the cycle of violence inherent in complex drug trafficking organizations.”
Shareef faces life in prison for the murder charge, three years for the firearms charge and up to 40 years for the racketeering charge.
No trial dates have been set.
Updated at 1:30 p.m. Alexandria first responders saved a woman dangling off the Monroe Avenue bridge for nearly three hours on Tuesday, June 22.
Police were able to distract the woman, while below her on the ground a Fire Department tower ladder rose up, and then the woman was snatched and then safely put into the ladder bucket.
“She’s safe,” AFD Senior Public Information Officer Raytevia Evans told ALXnow.
A city resident standing below the bridge called 911 at around 10;45 a.m reporting that the woman climbed over the chain-link fence and was hanging off side of the bridge, AFD told ALXnow.
The fire department deployed airbags beneath the bridge, and EMS was also on-scene. All traffic was diverted on the roadway, which is Route 1 and bisects Old Town and Potomac Yard. Alexandria Police tweeted that the woman is suffering from a mental health crisis.
Alexandria Fire Department – whenever, wherever, whatever we will answer the call. Thank you heroes for keeping the City safe. A great effort from AFD, APD and the Sheriff’s Office. pic.twitter.com/alafJepEO1
— Corey Smedley (@SmedleyCorey) June 22, 2021
It was a team effort to help a community member in a mental health crisis. Members of #APD, @AlexandriaVAFD @ffxfirerescue @AlexVASheriff worked together to get the person down safely. Thank you @IAFF2068 for the inflatable pad. @IAFFLocal2141 pic.twitter.com/07sCVPi7Ww
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) June 22, 2021
ALERT::⚠️ Police activity has shut down the Route 1 bridge over Mainline Blvd for a subject in a mental health crisis. Please find an alternate route. Updates provided as needed.
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) June 22, 2021
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm, call 911 or the Department of Human Services’ emergency services line at 703-746-3401. CrisisLink also has a 24-hour crisis hotline at 703-527-4077 or 800-SUICIDE, or text 703-940-0888.
