Evening Update: Falls Church Man Still Barricaded in Home
Police have been in negotiations with the man since 1 a.m. More than 24 hours have passed since police were first called to the Hillwood Avenue home.
By Andre L. Taylor
7:30 pm
http://fallschurch.patch.com/articles/falls-church-man-remains-barricaded-in-his-home#photo-10451912
Update - 7:30 p.m. - A Fairfax County Explosive Ordnance Unit vehicle has arrived to the scene, and more SWAT members have arrived. However, neither Falls Church nor Fairfax County police officials are releasing any information at this time. One Twitter user (@kristen_smith) reported Flagmaker Drive also is now closed off.
A standoff between police and a man in a Falls Church home started yesterday afternoon and is now entering its 27th hour. Police were called to the home Monday around 4:30 p.m. for a domestic distrubance. The man is now alone in the home and is armed.
Update - 2:05 p.m. - Police are no longer allowing residents of Hillwood Avenue between Cherry and Roosevelt streets into the area at all. Residents are advised to make back-up accomodation plans for tonight in case the situation is not resolved by nightfall.
Update - 12:59 p.m. - Police say it is still possible to resolve the standoff situation in Falls Church in a peaceful manner, even as the clock creeps closer to the 24-hour mark since police were first called to the 600 block of Hillwood Avenue. Every negotiation is different.
See Peaceful Resolution Still Possible in Falls Church Standoff for more on what's happening at the scene now.
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Update - 10:08 a.m. - Local residents say the police standoff is surprising in their normally quiet community. See 'Quiet Falls Church Community Surprised by Standoff' for more about the neighborhood.
Also see: 5 Things Residents Need to Know about the Standoff.
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An armed man remains barricaded in a home in the City of Falls Church this morning, more than 16 hours after police were called to the home.
The man has locked himself inside a home in the 600 block of Hillwood Avenue, according to Susan Finarelli, spokeswoman for the City of Falls Church. The situation has been ongoing since 4:30 p.m. Monday. Negotiators have been in contact with the man since 1 a.m., she said.
Alexandria, Fairfax County and Arlington County police are assisting City of Falls Church police with the standoff.
Police said the man has fired shots inside his home but not at them.
Gemma Seidita, who lives on Hillwood Avenue, said she couldn’t get to her home and was behind the barricade around 5:30 p.m. when she heard six to seven shots fired.
“I’m hoping this is more of an exception and not something more,” Seidita said.
Residents have not been allowed back into their homes near the standoff for precautionary reasons.
Last last night, police used a substance on the home to make it uncomfortable for the man but he has remained inside.
The man’s identity has not been released.
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