Local police are investigating reports of multiple gunshots in the Town of Herndon shortly after midnight today (Friday).

Officers found several cabins in the area of Grace Street and Fortnightly Boulevard. There were no reports of injuries or damage to property, according to the Herndon Police Department.

“The case is under investigation and appears to be an isolated incident,” HPD wrote in a statement.

Anyone with information should call the department’s non-emergency line at 703-435-6846.

Photo via HPD

Fairfax NAACP Asks Governor to Stop Funding School Police —  “Fairfax County NAACP and State Del. Kaye Kory (D) sent a letter to Gov. Ralph Northam Tuesday asking him to reallocate state funding away from supporting police officers in schools and putting it toward more school counselors. Kory, who represents the 38th District in Fairfax County, and Sean Perryman, president of Fairfax County NAACP, signed a letter along with over a dozen other organizations asking Northam to defund the School Resource Officer program in the upcoming special session.” [Reston Patch]

Woman Shot Multiple Times with BB Gun — Town of Herndon police say that a female victim was shot multiple times on July 5 with what appeared to be a BB gun. The suspect is known to the victim, who was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. [Herndon Police Department]

Reston Hospital Receive Patient Safety Award — “Reston Hospital Center is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award™. This distinction places Reston Hospital Center among the top 5 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.” [The Connection]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

The Herndon Police Department has released body camera footage and a police report to refute allegations that a local police officer was hostile during an investigation of bus fight between two Herndon Middle School students late last year.

The footage and redacted police report were released yesterday (Tuesday) to challenge allegations by the NAACP of Fairfax County that HPD Officer Michael Murn was “openly hostile and angry” during an interview with Sandra Barksdale, her 13-year-old son, Khaleaf Ali, and Sujatha Hampton, the NAACP’s education chair, following the incident. Hampton also stated Murn pointed her finger angrily at her during the interview.

Barksdale alleges the school system and the police department criminalized her son, who she says was the victim in the fight, not the perpetrator. She also contends the officer falsified the police report.

During the follow-up meeting in October of last year, Murn explained that interviews with eight students — who were interviewed with parent permission on school property — indicated that Barksdale’s son started the fight against the student.

Murn said students indicated her son used inappropriate language — including the f-word and the n-word — and assumed a “doubling down posture” against the other student, who was at the back of the bus at the time of the incident.

The officer also added that his interviews indicated bullying began right away and that the other child was defending himself.

“If these children were talking about my child, I would want to know,” Murn said.

The incident occurred on Town of Herndon property.

Barksdale and Hampton expressed confusion about the interviews and requested a police report of the incident during the interview.

Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard defended the police officer’s professionalism and handling of the case.

The NAACP of Fairfax County maintains Barksdale’s son was the victim of the assault. Video of the bus incident corroborates their claim, according to remarks delivered yesterday.

Photo via YouTube

Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard is disputing allegations that an officer incorrectly filed a report stating that a student from Herndon Middle School instigated a fight on a school bus last year.

Fairfax County’s NAACP alleges that the 12-year-old student was a victim during the fight between another 13-year-old-student. At a press conference earlier today, Sandra Barksdale, the mother of the student, said video from the school bus corroborated her allegations.

Barksdale said the school administration and officer, who also works with School Resource Officers, failed to handle the incident over the last several months. Her son is Black and the other student was white.

But DeBoard vehemently defended the SRO in a press conference at 2 p.m. today.

Although she had not seen the video referenced by the Fairfax County NAACP, DeBoard said the officer’s police report, eight witness statements from middle school students, and other evidence indicated the student started the fight.

“Quite frankly, I could not be more disappointed and more outraged to further a false narrative that does not exist,” DeBoard said.

Fairfax County NAACP President Sean Perryman said it was “extremely telling” that DeBoard admitted to not watching the video, which forms the basis of the allegations.

“This is because the report bears no resemblance to the video of that incident,” he wrote in a statement.

Barksdale also alleged the SRO was combative and unprofessional during later interactions following the Sept. 20 incident.

DeBoard maintained her defense of the SRO, adding that the police department did not criminalize the child.

“It is false allegations that hinder our ability to make progress,” she said.

Neither student was prosecuted in the case.

Comstock Secures New Loan for BLVD — “Comstock Holding Companies’ capital markets group secured a $73 million loan with Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) for the BLVD I luxury apartment tower, which is located at 1908 Reston Metro Plaza. The new 10-year loan replaces a maturing construction loan provided by Citizens Bank.” [Reston Patch]

Herndon Police Department Closed Today — The department’s office will be closed tomorrow in observance of Juneteenth. Officers and dispatchers will remain on duty to serve the community. [Herndon Police Department]

School Board Considers New Religious Holidays for Calendar — “The Fairfax County School Board is considering a 2021-22 Standard School Year Calendar that was developed with a focus on instruction and learning for students and includes four religious observance holidays.  Two options for the 2021-22 school year were presented to the Board at its business meeting on June 18.” [Fairfax County School Board]

Photo by Ray Copson

Herndon Police Department Releases ‘Where We Stand’ Guide — The police department offers a look at its use of force policy. “Trust and respect come through a solid foundation build on professionalism, strong policies, and continuous community engagement,”  HPD wrote. [Herndon Police Department]

Facial Recognition Tech Pitched at Microsoft Office — Microsoft tried to sell its facial recognition technology to the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to newly released emails. The company privately hosted DEA agents at its Reston office. [Tech Crunch]

Chicago Company Acquires Reston-based PagnatoKarp — “Reston-based wealth management firm PagnatoKarp has been acquired by Chicago-based Cresset Asset Management, the companies announced Wednesday.  A transaction amount was not disclosed. [Virginia Business]

State Not Ready for Phase Three — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday that statewide Covid-19 numbers ‘continue to look favorable,’ but that he will not move the commonwealth into phase 3 of reopening this week. ‘I want to have more time to see how the numbers look before we make changes, especially as we see surges in other parts of our country,’ Northam said.” [Washington Business Journal]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Herndon Police Department on Policing — In a statement, Chief Maggie DeBoard reaffirmed her commitment to remain accountable to the community. “We reaffirm to each other and the community our duty to intervene when our actions are contrary to the safe and equitable treatment of all individuals,” she wrote. [Herndon Police Department]

Capital One Supports FCPS Distance Learning — The company donated $90,000 to the Fairfax County Public Schools system to support the purchase of MiFi units for students without internet connection at home. [FCPS]

Local News Now Operating Remotely — Since the first confirmed local coronavirus case in March, Local News Now’s employees have been working from home. We plan to continue working remotely until 2021, and may continue to have most employees work remotely most of the time after that. [Washingtonian]

FCPS to Host Town Hall Tonight — A town hall to discuss return to school plans, family surveys, health resources, and other issues is set for 6:30 p.m. today (Tuesday). People can email questions via [email protected] or by calling 1-800-231-6359. [FCPS]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Return to School Public Hearing — The Fairfax County School Board is holding a public hearing on plans to return to school for the next academic year. The virtual meeting is set for Thursday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Herndon Police Department is Hiring — The local police department is seeking certified police officers to join the department as a lieutenant. [Herndon Police Department]

Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations Dip — “Fewer than 1,000 Virginians are now hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19, and the number of cases continued to slow both statewide and in Northern Virginia, according to reports Saturday morning. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported only 959 coronavirus patients in state hospitals, the lowest number since the organization began providing data in early April… Only 342 of those patients were in Northern Virginia, down from a high of 818 on April 30.” [InsideNova]

Reston Association Updates Pool Information — A release posted by the association mistakenly included information that children under eight would not be allowed admission to four pools opening later this month. The press release has been updated. [Reston Association]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Local police are searching for a Herndon resident who went missing in late May.

According to the Herndon Police Department, Joshua Bowman, 27, of Herndon, was last seen several days before a missing persons report was filed on May 27.

Bowman is African American, is 5’10”, and weighs around 170 pounds, according to HPD.  He was last seen on the 700 block of Barbaralynn Place.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call 703-435-6486.

The Herndon Police Department’s cruisers are getting a new look.

All of HPD’s vehicles will have a more updated and modern design as part of the project, which is currently in its initial stages. The department’s logo remains unchanged in order to remain consistent with the town’s logo.

“We increased the size of the writing on the side of the vehicle and used a highly-reflective material that will make our cruisers more visible, both during the day and at night,” said Lisa Herndon, a public information specialist for HPD said.

The initiative was funded through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Service’s forfeited asset sharing program.

The final cost of the project will not be known until the project is complete, Herndon said. 

Photo via Herndon Police Department

As the sixth day of protests following George Floyd’s death at hands of a Minneapolis police officer continue, local law enforcement officials say they have faith the justice system will produce a just outcome for Floyd and his family.

Peaceful protests were marred by violence over the weekend — including looting and fires in the District last night. Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and fired after a viral video shows the officer holding his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes on Memorial Day. Three other officers involved in the incident were also fired.

The incident prompted Fairfax County Police Department Police Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. to reflect on ongoing challenges that erode the public’s trust in law enforcement.

“We shall have faith the local and federal justice systems will navigate toward justice for the Floyd family, the communities impacted, and our entire nation. However, we must be mindful there is a healing process where righteous anger needs to be constructively exercised through the right to free speech,” Roessler Jr. wrote.

Roessler noted that FCPD’s community policing efforts and collaborations with the community have helped the department operate in a transparent and accountable manner.

“Fairfax County is blessed to have a highly engaged community which helps our Police Department transparently use a co-production of policing philosophy to ensure our hiring processes, training, policies, and internal and external accountability systems are meeting the expectations of the highest levels of standards by our community served and the law enforcement profession,” he said.

Here’s more from the chief on FCPD’s community engagement efforts:

During the last few trying days and today, I’ve personally networked with our community advocates to ensure they have access to their Chief and the senior law enforcement leaders of the Department to create robust dialogue to understand the awful events that have unfolded recently throughout our country as we need to increase our conversations about the erosion of the public’s trust for law enforcement as we continue to observe the disproportionately of the deaths of our African American community members.  As a reminder, we have updated our use of force policies over the years using the co-production of policing model, vetted our policies and training through the Public Safety Committee, and we continue to leverage the partnerships created with community members who were part of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission. Additionally, we are grateful for the external accountability measures from the Police Civilian Review Panel, the Independent Police Auditor, the voluntary submission to both state and national accreditation agencies, and the periodic independent reviews of our lines of business by academic institutions.

“We continue to pray for Mr. Floyd’s family as individuals, a Police Department, and as a community who all collectively value the sanctity of all human life,” he added.

Herndon Police Department’s Police Chief Maggie DeBoard also said she hopes the community will continue to trust HPD.

“It is only through honest and open dialogue, clear minds, and peaceful protest can we continue to make positive steps forward to ensure an incident of this nature never happens again,” DeBoard wrote in a statement yesterday (Sunday).

DeBoard said the actions that took the life of Floyd “showed a complete lack of humanity, one not previously witnessed in my 34-year career.” The incident has left police officers “deeply struggling about our profession,” she said.

Here’s more from DeBoard’s note to the community:

These communities need hope, not destruction, more loss of life, and loss of their livelihoods. This is not the path towards healing or problem solving. It only creates additional barriers and fear at a time when peace and clear minds are so needed.

Please know that all of us at HPD care deeply about our entire community, as well as the effect this incident has had on your relationship with us. We pray that the trust you have instilled in us over the past 8 years that I have been blessed to serve as your Chief, remains strong. It is only through honest and open dialogue, clear minds, and peaceful protest can we continue to make positive steps forward to ensure an incident of this nature never happens again.

Our hearts and prayers go out to George Floyd’s family and to all of those first responders working the front lines trying desperately to protect their communities and its citizens from further harm.

Photo via FCPD

Herndon Man Arrested no Charge of Sexual Battery — Police arrested Javier Enrique on, 56, for misdemeanor sexual battery. According to the Herndon Police Department, Palma groped a woman who was walking on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail overpass in the 300 block of Herndon Parkway. Police are asking residents with information about other incidents to call 703-435-6846. [Herndon Police Department]

School Board Approves FY2021 Budget — “The Fairfax County School Board has approved the revised Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 21) budget.  The budget, revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the previously recommended transfer increase from Fairfax County from $85.5 million to $7.3 million and includes a reduction of $4.8 million from the state. Along with other budget cuts, the total amount of the FY 21 budget was reduced by $67.0 million.”  [Fairfax County Public Schools]

New Crime Show Features Reston-based Company — “A Northern Virginia tech company that combines advanced DNA analysis with old fashioned genealogy to help police departments solve crimes is seeing its work go to the small screen. ‘The Genetic Detective’ debuts on Tuesday night on ABC. It stars CeCe Moore, a genealogist who works with Reston, Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to help police departments solve cold cases.” [WTOP]

Silver Line Service Officially Suspended — “Metro has suspended Silver Line service and closed nine stations in Northern Virginia from Memorial Day to fall, hoping to accelerate construction plans during the agency’s summer shutdown. WMATA already planned to close Vienna, Dunn Loring and East Falls Church stations this summer to reconstruct platforms.” [NBC4]

Photo by Beth Allgaier

Herndon Man Arrested for Abduction, Sexual Assault — Joseph Dean-Alan Minnig, 34, of Herndon, was arrested for the abduction and sexual assault of a victim he knows, according to the Herndon Police Department. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. The incident happened on May 17 on the 400 block of Elden Street. [Herndon Police Department]

Herndon Violinist Plays So Others May Eat – “Susan McIntosh, a violinist with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, entertains her neighbors and collects food for an area nonprofit.” [Reston Patch]

First Case of Syndrome Linked to COVID-19 Confirmed — “The Fairfax Health District has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. This is the first case of MIS-C reported in Virginia. The child was hospitalized on May 5 and has since been discharged and is recovering at home. To protect privacy, no other patient information will be disclosed.” [Inside NOVA]

Donations for Cloth Face Coverings Needed — The county’s health department is asking for donations of sewn cloth face coverings. Donations will support nonprofit providers and low-income client households they serve. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr