This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Protesters are asking that we say her name, “Breonna Taylor,” as well we should in reminding ourselves and others as to how unfairly laws can be applied. Breonna was a young Black woman in her mid-20’s who worked as an emergency room technician before she was tragically killed by police in a raid on her apartment for reasons that did not involve her. Louisville, Kentucky police got a “no-knock search warrant” to enter her apartment for they suspected that her boyfriend who was in the apartment with her was dealing in drugs. The no-knock warrant was justified by the police as necessary to keep the suspected dealer from having time to destroy evidence. That’s the police view of events.
From inside the apartment in the dark after midnight on March 13 this year there was the sound of the front door being knocked down, and three plain-clothed men entered the apartment. The boyfriend responded by firing a shot that he maintains was in self-defense and that hit one of the policemen in the leg. Under the legal concept of “castle doctrine” in common law and many state statutes a person can use deadly force to protect oneself from an intruder in their home who could cause bodily injury or death.
The boyfriend said he fired that single shot in self-defense. The police responded to his self-defense by firing 32 times into the apartment in self-defense against his self-defense. The boyfriend was not hit, but Breonna Taylor who was an innocent unarmed bystander was killed by the six shots that hit her. No one has been charged with her murder! Any wonder why criminal justice reform advocates have taken to the streets once again?
Clearly the job of maintaining safe communities is a challenging one, but since when is intercepting an alleged drug dealer more important than the life of such an innocent and promising young woman? Since when do we prioritize the arrest of a possible drug dealer over the sanctity of someone’s home with an unannounced, middle of the night raid when the home that is raided is not even that of the person who is the subject of that raid?
I am pleased that the Special Session of the General Assembly now convened is taking on the difficult issues related to public safety and criminal justice reform and the racism that too often has driven policy in the past. While many of these tough issues are still being debated between the House and Senate, I am confident that we will get rid of no-knock warrants in the state, that we will expand police training and civilian oversight of police activity, and that we will reduce the classroom to corrections situations that have caught too many young people of color. We will maintain law and order in our communities without locking up persons of color for minor offenses for unjustified lengths of time.
We need to say the name of Breonna Taylor to remember her murder, but hopefully in the future her death will represent the beginning of real criminal justice reform.
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Fairfax County firefighter Andrew Cruikshank has been charged with one count of misdemeanor assault after he slapped a patient who spat on him in the back of an ambulance.
Body camera footage from Sept. 14 shows that Cruikshank was span on while he was treating a man who was strapped down in an ambulance. The incident happened in Reston.
The man was in the custody of the Fairfax County Police Department. The police department authorized the release of the video, which was captured by a police officer’s device.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Fire Chief John Butler said the action “goes against the values” of. The department.
“We respect our role in the community and strive to build and maintain public trust. We remain dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of our community and will continue to ensure that our members are held to the highest standards of the profession.”
Cruikshank has been placed on administrative leave as the department’s internal investigation continues. He has been with the department for two years.
Video footage is embedded below. View discretion is advised.
Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
A woman was shot and killed in Reston earlier today, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police believe the woman was shot in the area of Colts Neck Road and Glade Drive. She died at the scene. Detectives continue to conduct interviews and process evidence.
Colts Neck Road is closed between Glade Drive and Paddock Lane. FCPD encourages residents to avoid the area and use an alternate route.
No other information about the incident was immediately released.
Drug take-back boxes have been placed at all eight police stations in Fairfax County, including its Reston station.
The eight stations include Reston District Station, Sully District Station, Mount Vernon District Station, McLean District Station, Mason District Station, Franconia District Station, West Springfield District Station and Fair Oaks District Station.
According to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department, the boxes placed at each local station are geared to be a safe place to responsibly and conveniently drop off unused or unneeded medications.
The stations are accepting schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled prescription medication, prescription ointments, over-the-counter medications and medications for pets.
The stations are prohibiting needles, liquids of any kind, illegal drugs, non-prescription ointments and lotions, aerosol cans and inhalers, according to the statement.
The district stations are open to the public 24 hours each day, seven days each week. Those with questions can contact the Property and Evidence Section Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at 703-246-2786.
Photo via the Fairfax County Government website
The 2020 Fairfax County Deer Management Archery Program officially kicks off this Saturday, Sept. 12. The program will run through Saturday, Feb. 20.
The initiative is in collaboration with the Fairfax County Park Authority and NOVA Parks under the oversight of the Fairfax County Police Department to enforce that the program is only conducted in parks and other approved locations.
The program was created in 2010 to reduce and stabilize the population of white-tailed deer in the county, according to the statement. An overabundance of deer can lead to a series of safety and health hazards including deer-vehicle collisions, the potential spread of disease and environmental damage.
Archery is a preferred method of deer management because of its compatible use in residential areas and community parks, according to the statement. Additionally, no bystanders have been injured by an archer hunting deer since Virginia began tracking hunting injuries.
The program requires all hunters to meet state hunter licensing, education and safety requirements and must pass qualifications to demonstrate skill and marksmanship. They also must have program identification and completion of training through the International Bow Hunter Education Program to participate. Hunters must also pass a background check.
Parks will remain open to the public during hunting season, with orange signs to designate where hunting is authorized. Hunting is permitted at assigned sites Monday through Saturday, from 30 minutes prior to sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
Photo via the Fairfax County Police Department
Local six-year-old twins were recognized this week by the Fairfax County Police Department for their heroism last summer.
The twins, Ethan and Ella, rescued a child who sank to the bottom of a pool at a house party in Reston.
FCPD said the siblings swam to the bottom and brought the child to the surface “without hesitation.” Parents began CPR on the child, who was blue and unresponsive.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department took over and the child was resuscitated.
The police department presented the twins with a certificate of appreciation for their heroic actions.
“The twins began swimming at three years old. Their talent and determination faced the ultimate test and they succeeded,” FCPD said.
Photo via FCPD
Several local faith-based groups are partnering to take part in a car rally for racial justice.
Congregants from area churches will gather on Wednesday, Aug. 26 for the rally, which is intended to raise awareness about “persistent and pervasive racial inequities that have led to violence and discrimination against people of color,” according to event organizers.
Amanda Andere, an event organizer, said all community members are invited to attend the event, which builds on the momentum of national, state and local protests following the death of George Floyd.
“As a church we have been in reflection to our response to the continued racial justice awakening since May and have been asked by local faith leaders to do something as one of the original Black churches in Reston. We feel the call for racial justice needs continued attention,” Andere said.
So far, the following congregations are set to take part in the rally:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church
- St. Thomas a’ Becket Catholic Church
- Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation
- Reston Unitarian Universalists Congregation
- Washington Plaza Baptist Church
- Rev. Jerome
The event takes place from 6-7 p.m. in the parking lot of the St. Thomas à Becket Church (1421 Wiehle Avenue).
“As a church we have been in reflection to our response to the continued racial justice awakening since May and have been asked by local faith leaders to do something as one of the original Black churches in Reston. We feel the call for racial justice needs continued attention.”
Photo via of Herndon Car Rally via Deborah Smith Reilly/Facebook
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Communications experts advise that a message needs to short and punchy to convey its intended meaning in a short period of time. Short and sweet can lead however to confusion, mixed meaning and unintended consequences.
Virginians have realized the fallout from simple, bumper-strip-sized messages in the past. “End parole” as a campaign slogan helped former Governor George Allen overcome a 20-point polling difference to be elected governor. For some people the slogan meant less crime and safer streets, but it also filled Virginia’s prisons to over-flowing shifting huge sums of money from other programs to the Department of Corrections. More people were incarcerated and for longer lengths of time, but the crime rate stayed essentially the same. The campaign slogan “End the Car Tax” got Jim Gilmore elected governor, but the resulting policy costs Virginia schools nearly a billion dollars every year even until today.
I am not particularly good at campaign slogans, but I am fearful that the current “Defund the Police” slogan in response to the real problems in policing throughout the country may inhibit progress towards reform. The number of people who want to literally take all funding from the police is small, but the use of a simplistic phrase to describe the reform movement may turn off many moderates and completely scare away conservatives. There has to be a better way to describe the desired outcomes that reflects the complexities of the problem.
Policing desperately needs reform at all levels of government. The misuse of police power and tactics by the federal government in Portland is frightening, and the Congress must take steps to reign in the administration politicizing the use of police powers. At the state level Virginia needs to increase–not defund–its funding of state police to ensure that its pay structure will attract the best trained and most professional persons to its ranks. It needs to be able to fill its open slots to reduce overtime and stress on its current force.
At the same time the Virginia General Assembly needs in its special session this month to enact the reforms proposed by the Legislative Black Caucus including eliminating the use of choke holds, using body cameras, and enhancing training.
The same reforms need to be applied to police at the county, city and town levels including sheriff departments in Virginia. The responsibilities that have befallen the police in the area of mental health need to be assumed more by personnel in the departments responsible for and skilled in this area of concern.
The public demands and legislators will ensure that the public is safe. At the same time we must demand and put into existence a system free of discrimination and inappropriate use of force. That means we need to redefine our expectations of policing and reimagine the role of public safety officers in our society. We must be willing to spend dollars appropriately to accomplish those objectives. It is over-simplifying a complex issue to suggest that we can “defund the police.”
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Local police are investigating a possible reckless discharge or destruction of property incident in Reston.
Police found several bullet holes on the outside of a home on the 1700 block of Torrey Pines Court. The incident happened on August 3, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Information about the incident was released late Friday.
No injuries were reported. An investigation is underway.
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The Fairfax County Police Department has launched a new webpage to help investigate cold cases in Fairfax County.
The platform houses case information spanning six decades in the hope that anyone with information will come forward to help resolve cases. Cold case detectives are asking the public to provide any information about the cases — no matter how small. The website currently provides a limited list of cases. More cases will be added as detectives comb through existing incidents.
“We are committing countless hours and all available resources to close these cases and provide long-awaited answers to victims’ families, and bring those who committed these awful crimes to justice,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, bureau commander of major crimes.
FCPD is seeking information on several local cold cases, which are included on the webpage. Cases are disaggregated by decade and include a description of the incident, a photo, and the date of the incident.
On January 1, 1996, Constance Hiner was found dead in her home on Woodstock Lane in Herndon. The 48-year-old woman was found with injuries to her upper body.
In Great Falls, Richard Brackeen, 53, was found shot to death in his home on River Park Drive. The incident happened on February 5, 1992.
In 1972, the body of 17-year-old Gwen Ann Ames was found on a walking path in the area of 11400 block of Waterview Cluster near Lake Anne. She had decided to walk home alone after attending a party with her friends and boyfriend.
See below on how to provide information about the cases:
Anyone with information regarding any of our cold cases is asked to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 8. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
The cold case squad was founded in 1995 and is housed under FCPD’s major crimes bureau. It investigates unresolved homicides and sex crimes in Fairfax County.
Photo via Bill Oxford/Unsplash
Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk has released a new website that serves as a one-stop-shop for all previous and future law enforcement data public by Fairfax County.
Lusk, who is also the chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisor’s Public Safety Committee, said the project was launched in response to residents’ requests for clear and detailed data from the Fairfax County Police Department.
The website aggregates all public safety data into one location, including FCPD’s annual report, reports by the police auditor, arrest and traffic citation dates for 2019, and other resources.
“This is about accountability and transparency,” Lusk said in a video announcing the website.
The platform also includes a police reform matrix that tracks the progress of suggested reforms. This year, the board’s Public Safety Committee began pooling together a matrix of reforms. The status of each reform will be updated on the online document as information is available.
Lusk noted that the website will change in response to input and feedback from the community.
Photo via YouTube
A Falls Church man was arrested earlier this month in connection with a peeping incident in Reston.
Officers from the Reston District Station arrested Amaya Alvarado, 34, in connection with multiple peeping incidents, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The incidents happened around 9:30 p.m. on the 2200 block of Lovedale Lane on July 21.
Alvarado was charged with four counts of peeping.
Photo via FCPD
Weather-related Road Closures — Although no roads are closed in Reston, a number of areas throughout the county remain impacted by yesterday’s storm. [Fairfax County Police Department]
Reston Association Board Meets Tonight — The Board of Directors will meet virtually today at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place via Zoom. [Reston Association]
Founding Farmers, Comstock to Deliver Food to Shelter — “Comstock Companies and Founding Farmers are partnering to provide breakfast and boxed lunches to the the Embry Rucker Shelter over the next month. Embry Rucker, which is located at 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, is a 70-bed residential shelter that provides housing for individuals and families in Reston.” [Reston Patch]
Photo via Marjorie Copson
Local police are turning to the public for help after two men were stabbed in Reston late last week.
The men — one of whom had serious injuries — were stabbed on Friday around 3:41 a.m. in the 12200 block of Laurel Glade Court.
Detectives released the images above depicting “persons of interest,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
“No arrests have been made but detectives are continuing to process evidence and interview witnesses.”
Anyone with information should follow the instructions below:
Anyone who recognizes the persons of interest or who has any information about the incident is asked to contact our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 2. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone – 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477), by text – Type “FCCS” plus tip to 847411, and by web – Click HERE. Download our Mobile tip411 App “Fairfax Co Crime Solvers”. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
Photos via Fairfax County Police Department
Fairfax County police say a 64-year-old man died in a crash involving two vehicles in Great Falls yesterday.
The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. in the 700 block of Walker Road — near the Great Falls Elementary School and Arnon Cemetery.
“A preliminary investigation determined the Ford F350 was traveling eastbound on Walker Road when it crossed over the double yellow, left the roadway and struck the Dodge Ram that tried to avoid the crash,” police said. “Subsequently, the Ford F350 struck a utility pole and overturned back onto the roadway.”
Police said today that Billy White, the driver of the Ford, died at the scene. The driver of the Dodge Ram was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Detectives are investigating the crash. They do not believe alcohol was a factor, but are looking into whether speed or a medical emergency contributed to the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash can contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.
Image via Google Maps
