police | ALXnow

Details released on suspect who threatened to bomb Metro station, police headquarters and government buildings

Published May 11, 2021 at 10:45AM

Alexandria Police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

Details have been released on the 27-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly making bomb threats against Metro, unspecified government buildings and the Alexandria Police Department.

Henock Seyoum Pastoor was arrested by Metro Transit Police last month and charged with threats to bomb or damage buildings or means of transportation. Pastoor allegedly told police that he was “upset with the government of the United States of America and planned to blow up” the Spring Hill Metro station in Fairfax County. He also allegedly told police that he was planning a “terrorist attack on unspecified government buildings and the local Alexandria Police Department Headquarters,” according to a search warrant affidavit.

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Photos: Alexandria Police Department and city leaders salute fallen officers

By James Cullum

Published May 10, 2021 at 4:30PM | Updated May 10, 2021 at 6:20PM

Police Chief Michael Brown salutes at the annual APD wreath laying ceremony for fallen officers, May 10, 2021. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Police Department honored its fallen officers in an annual wreath laying ceremony on Monday, May 10.

“These individuals who we just recognized did make the ultimate sacrifice,” Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown said at the city’s Fallen Officers Memorial outside APD headquarters. “In tough times they were there.”

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published May 7, 2021 at 3:30PM

What a week in Alexandria. Here are some of the highlights.

The Alexandria City Council on Wednesday approved its Fiscal Year 2022 $770.7 million budget on Wednesday, and it includes a 2 cent real estate tax reduction. It’s the first time that’s happened in 15 years, and the budget also fully funds Alexandria City Public Schools’ request and includes a 1% raise for city and state employees.

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published May 7, 2021 at 5:00AM

Elo’s Italian pop-up opens in Live Oak space — “The owners of Live Oak in Del Ray have opened a pop-up Italian restaurant in the Live Oak space in Del Ray. Chef Justus Frank is offering family Italian fare Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Brunch is ‘coming soon’ according to the owners. The menu includes a variety of appetizers, flatbreads, paninis, seasonal pasta dishes, fish, chicken and more. A kid’s menu is available.” [Alexandria Living]

Police asking for help finding robbery suspects — “APD is following active leads and working with neighboring jurisdictions on the investigation into 2 armed robberies that occurred on May 5. One happened at 12:15pm on E. Oxford Ave. The second happened at 12:40pm in the 3900 blk of Courtland Cir… Witnesses and anyone with security video should contact Det. Stephen Riley at [email protected] or 703.746.6225. Even the smallest details can be significant.” [Twitter]

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Alexandria Police aim on curbing pandemic crime with community walk-throughs, crime surveys

By James Cullum

Published May 6, 2021 at 4:45PM | Updated May 6, 2021 at 6:11PM

Alexandria Police in Old Town. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Once a week, Alexandria Police are walking through Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties with residents.

The visits are part of an effort that launched in January to build trust between police and the mostly Black community in Old Town, which has suffered under the increase of crime during the pandemic.

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NOW: Police investigate suspicious object, turns out to just be a sewer nozzle

By James Cullum

Published May 6, 2021 at 1:45PM | Updated May 6, 2021 at 4:22PM

Alexandria Police say that a discarded piece of plumbing was behind a street closure at Madison and N. Fairfax Streets in Old Town on Thursday afternoon.

Traffic was shut down for about 10 minutes as police investigated a report of a suspicious object in the area.

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West End man with history of violent behavior taken into custody

By James Cullum

Published May 6, 2021 at 9:30AM

Alexandria Police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Police have executed an emergency custody order (ECO) for a West End man with a history of mental illness and violent behavior.

As of April 21, Cody Patrick Canniff was under evaluation at Inova Alexandria Hospital after throwing a “large tree” at an Alexandria Police officer outside his apartment building in the 300 block of Yoakum Parkway. The incident was the second mental health complaint against Canniff that day.

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Police: Armed robberies occur minutes apart in Del Ray and Arlandria

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2021 at 3:00PM

Police car lights (file photo)

Alexandria Police are investigating two armed robberies that occurred within a half hour of each other in Del Ray and Arlandria on Tuesday (May 4) afternoon.

A male victim was robbed of his cell phone at gunpoint by two male suspects at around 12:15 p.m. in the unit block of E. Oxford Avenue in Del Ray. Then at around 12:40, another male victim was robbed of his cell phone and wallet at gunpoint by two male suspects in the 3900 block of Courtland Circle in Arlandria.

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NEW: Man sentenced 41 months for targeting Alfred Street Baptist Church, journalists and others in ‘swatting’ conspiracy

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2021 at 1:55PM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

A 27-year-old Texas man was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison today for his role in calling in a bomb threat to Alfred Street Baptist Church, as well as other “swatting” incidents against a U.S. Cabinet member, journalists and Old Dominion University.

John Cameron Denton of Montgomery, Texas, a leader with the Atomwaffen Division neo-Nazi group, participated with three others in at least 134 swatting attacks around the country between October 2018 and February 2019. He pleaded guilty last year after being arrested in a sting operation to committing an offense against the United States and interstate threats to injure.

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Alexandria City Council to end School Resource Officer program at Alexandria City Public Schools

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2021 at 10:50AM

Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The Alexandria City Council on Monday night effectively put an end to the School Resource Office program between the police department at Alexandria City Public Schools.

School resources officers (SROs), police officers stationed inside T.C. Williams High School, Francis Hammond Middle School and George Washington Middle School, will no longer have offices in those schools.

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Two injured in hit-and-run in Old Town, driver leaves car and flees on foot

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2021 at 9:15AM | Updated May 4, 2021 at 3:01PM

Alexandria Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of S. Patrick and Franklin Streets in Old Town on Tuesday morning, May 4, 2021. (Image via Alexandria Police/Twitter)

(Updated at 2:50 p.m.) Traffic is reopening as Alexandria Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of S. Patrick (Route 1) and Franklin Streets in Old Town on Tuesday morning (May 4).

Two of the drivers were injured and transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the third driver left his car at the scene and ran away on foot, according to police.