Several people have been identified and charged in connection to a “street takeover” in Springfield on Sunday (March 31).
The Fairfax County Police Department announced today (Wednesday) that detectives arrested and charged an 18-year-old man from Woodbridge and a 17-year-old Arlington man who allegedly took part in a rowdy “mob” in a parking lot in the 6600 block of Electronic Drive around 3 a.m.
When officers pulled into the parking lot on Sunday, they found a “large group of individuals driving recklessly in circle,” police said in a news release.
According to the release, when a police cruiser drove up to confront the group, they encircled the vehicle, preventing it from moving. At least one individual attempted to remove the cruiser’s license plate, while others “acted disorderly.”
Authorities described a chaotic scene where a group blocked an officer’s vehicle, climbed on it, and aggressively banged on the windows. The situation escalated when an individual was seen brandishing what appears to be a rifle from a car.
As dozens of officers from across the county responded, the crowd involved in what police are calling a “street takeover” began to disperse. At least one video of the incident was posted on Instagram.
Video posted by the page “dmvmoviemaker,” w/ 800 followers on Instagram, shows more of the chaos that transpired during Easter Sunday’s 3am car ‘takeover’ in Springfield, VA. An officer was struck by one of the cars as well. Several arrest warrants have already been issued. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/2VKAWen5Zq
— DMV News Live (@DCNewsLive) April 2, 2024
According to police, one person at the scene drove off “at a high rate of speed,” hitting an officer who suffered “minor injuries.” A pursuit of the fleeing vehicle was initiated but later aborted.
That same morning, Prince William County Police responded to a similar incident around 12:36 a.m. at the Market at Opitz Crossing shopping center in Woodbridge, where there was reportedly a “car meet-up,” according to WJLA.
Following an investigation, the FCPD says the 18-year-old from Woodbridge has been charged with reckless driving after a crash involving a cruiser. The 17-year-old Arlington man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and abduction for jumping on the police cruiser and preventing the officer from leaving.
The driver who allegedly hit and injured the police officer has been identified as an 18-year-old from Catonsville, Maryland. Detectives obtained warrants for felony hit and run, speed to elude, and driving without a license, but the warrants haven’t been served, per the release.
Police also have a warrant for a 20-year-old from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, charging him with abduction, assault on a law enforcement officer, obstruction of justice, and wearing a mask in public.
“Detectives from our Criminal Investigation Division and Special Investigation Division are actively investigating the assault on our officer as well as the reckless driving,” the FCPD said. “Additional arrests are anticipated as detectives continue to investigate.”