police | ALXnow

Amid transparency concerns, School Board forms school law enforcement partnership advisory group

Published April 22, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated April 22, 2022 at 3:55PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria School Board gave its blessing to Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. on Thursday night (April 21) to form an advisory group to make recommendations on the controversial school resource officer program within Alexandria City Public Schools.

The 16-person school law enforcement partnership (SLEP) advisory group will be made up of students, ACPS administrators, Alexandria Police and members of the community. The group will evaluate the partnership between ACPS and police for the school resource officer program, and also on school safety initiatives, and deliver a report in December.

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APD: Woman used pepper spray in road rage incident in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published April 22, 2022 at 10:45AM | Updated April 22, 2022 at 12:29PM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Police are investigating a road rage incident where a female driver pepper allegedly assaulted two people in the 2800 block of Park Center Drive with pepper spray.

The incident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 14. The 28-year-old male victim and 49-year-old female victim were sprayed in the face and declined to go to the hospital.

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City Council considering additional employee raise, hiring cops and adding speed cameras to budget

By James Cullum

Published April 21, 2022 at 3:35PM | Updated May 5, 2022 at 10:03AM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

More police officers, body worn cameras for cops and an additional raise for city employees are among the additions the Alexandria City Council hopes to adopt in their upcoming budget.

On Saturday (April 23), Council will hold a public hearing on their proposed additions and deletions to City Manger Jim Parajon’s fiscal year 2023 budget. The items under discussion will also be hammered out in a Council work session on (Tuesday) April 26 at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

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Man faces multiple charges after woman strangled in North Ridge

By James Cullum

Published April 21, 2022 at 1:00PM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 34-year-old Alexandria man was arrested for a domestic dispute with a woman on the evening of April 11 (Monday) in the city’s North Ridge neighborhood, and was charged with strangulation, assault and battery and public intoxication.

The incident occurred outside in the 1400 block of Dogwood Drive, and the 26-year-old female victim was injured and did not immediately seek medical attention after the incident, according to police.

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Alexandria City High School goes to ‘secure the building’ status after threat

By Vernon Miles

Published April 19, 2022 at 10:15AM

The Alexandria City High School marquee (staff photo by James Cullum)

All Alexandria City High School (ACHS) campuses have gone into a “secure the building” status while the Alexandria Police Department (APD) investigates a threat to the school.

According to a release from ACPS:

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Don Hayes appointed Alexandria Police Chief

By Vernon Miles

Published April 19, 2022 at 9:45AM

Police Chief Don Hayes, image via City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria announced yesterday afternoon that acting Chief of Police Don Hayes has gotten the job on a permanent basis.

Hayes has been Acting Chief since Chief Michael Brown retired in June 2021. Unlike Brown, Hayes is an internal hire, having joined the Alexandria Police Department in 1981.

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Woman robbed on Lynhaven Drive near Potomac Yard

By James Cullum

Published April 14, 2022 at 10:45AM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 22-year-old woman was robbed of cash and personal items by multiple people in the early morning hours of April 8 (Friday) in the 200 block of Lynhaven Drive, according to Alexandria Police.

The woman was not injured and there have been no arrests. There have been no arrests and police would not say whether the suspects had weapons.

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JUST IN: Man indicted for murder of neighbor in West End apartment

By James Cullum

Published April 13, 2022 at 1:00PM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

David Jasante Cunningham was formally indicted on Monday (April 11) for the murder of Melia Jones in her West End apartment last December, and has also been charged with two counts of object sexual penetration.

The 40-year-old has been held without bond in the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center since his Jan. 11 arrest. Jones, who was described as a having a “gentle and sweet spirit” in her obituary, was killed by asphyxiation, according to the office of Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter.

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Driver charged with hit-and-run, drugs charges after allegedly crashing into pole on Janneys Lane

By James Cullum

Published April 13, 2022 at 9:45AM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 35-year-old Richmond man faces serious charges after allegedly crashing a car into a pole in the 1000 block of Janneys Lane.

The incident occurred at around 10:45 p.m. on April 2 (Saturday), and the driver was found hiding from police two blocks away. The man told police that he was hiding because he was scared, according to a search warrant affidavit.

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ACPS Superintendent Hutchings defends critical race theory, says schools should abolish policing

By James Cullum

Published April 8, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated April 8, 2022 at 4:56PM

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings is making a case for critical race theory (CRT) and abolishing policing practices, although not within the school system he manages.

In an opinion piece published by EducationWeek on April 6 (Wednesday), Hutchings said that school systems need to employ six steps if they want to “embrace” building an anti-racist school or school system. In “The Anti-Racist Counternarrative Public Education Needs Now: Six steps for escaping the trap of attacks on ‘critical race theory’“, Hutchings wrote that most public school educators never heard of the term before it became politicized during the 2020 election cycle.

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D.C. man charged with assault and battery after brawl at William Ramsay Recreation Center

By James Cullum

Published April 5, 2022 at 10:45AM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 25-year-old Washington, D.C. man was arrested on March 26 (Saturday) after an assault by mob at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue).

At around 9:15 p.m., the city’s Department of Emergency Communications got a call of multiple males fighting in the gym of the West End recreation center. When police arrived, a white Chrysler Sebring with Virginia tags attempted to drive away from the scene at “a high rate of speed,” according to a search warrant affidavit. Responding officers blocked the Sebring’s exit and its occupants were detained and questioned.