Monday, May 06, 2013

Assault Leaves Two Men Injured and Hospitalized; Response Shuts Down Neighborhood.

The Washington Post is reporting that a suspect has been apprehended in relation to the assault that sent two men to the hospital this past Friday night around 6pm on the 500 block of Four Mile Road.

While the Alexandria Police are yet unable to describe the nature of the injuries inflicted, the incident caused severe disruptions throughout the neighborhood. Sirens of emergency vehicles were heard beginning at 5:45 and Four Mile Road remained closed for over an hour later. The residents of several apartment buildings were prevented from entering or leaving their apartments for quite a while, with 519 Four Mile on complete lockdown. Criminal investigation officers were on the scene collecting evidence and taking pictures. The Del Ray Patch was on the scene and has more photos of the response.

While the official report says police officers found the injured individuals inside of a parked van, conflicting stories from eye witnesses to the event report that the men were seen bleeding on the ground when bystanders first called 911. Other reports described the injuries as either gun shot or stab wounds. APD says they are still trying to sort out the exact cause.

Recent reports suggest other similar nearby incidents. On CrimeReports.org, APD reports an altercation between soccer players and "a group of teenagers" the prior week on the 3900 block of Old Dominion Boulevard. And earlier in the week there was a report of a stabbing on the 3800 block of Mt Vernon Avenue. However, crime statistics show a sharp decrease in neighborhood crime where gang graffiti once covered many nearby buildings and aggravated assaults constituted 1/4 of all such incidents city-wide. Murders, once commonplace, occurring multiple times each year, have become a rare occurrence dropping to less than that per decade. Still, criminal activity still lingers with the FBI and Justice Department having unraveled an extensive sex trafficking enterprise that had been active in Arlandria and elsewhere (Pimps hit social networks to recruit underage sex workers, CNN).
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