Quiet Falls Church Community Surprised by Standoff

As the sun rose over Falls Church Tuesday morning, exhausted SWAT officers emerged through shady trees, flashing lights and a group of onlookers. Chirping birds could be heard through the sound of running vehicle engines and occasional scanner chatter.

Paula Radloff stood close to the barricade separating the public from the area where an armed man has barricaded himself inside a home in a standoff that has now lasted almost 18 hours.  

Radloff, a 12-year resident of the neighborhood, said the community is usually wonderful.

“I had no idea what was going on,” Radloff said. “This is surprising.”

Mary Kahn has called the City of Falls Church her home for more than three decades. Residing in a townhouse just off the Hillwood Avenue strip, blaring police lights and heavily armed SWAT officers drew her from her home to the usually quiet adjacent street.

“Nothing like this has happened in my 30 years of living here,” Kahn said. “It’s extremely quiet here.”

An armed man inside a home in the 600 block of Hillwood Avenue  Monday. Susan Finarelli, spokeswoman for the City of Falls Church, said the man didn’t fire shots at police and was inside alone.

Finarelli said a call to police came in around 4:30 p.m. Monday about a domestic dispute at the address. Police from Arlington and Fairfax counties as well as Alexandria police are assisting City of Falls Church police with the standoff.

Joey Warsowick said he’s worked in the neighborhood for about 10 years and the most police activity he has seen on Hillwood Avenue was the occasional police traffic stop. The heavy police presence in the community is shocking, he said.

“It’s always quiet,” he said. “Never anything like this.”

More on this story: 

Earlier stories:

 (posted Monday night)

 (Tuesday Morning)

(Tuesday morning)

(Tuesday mid-day)

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