Fairfax PD arrests phone-wielding teen at gunpoint outside Falls Church IHOP
By: Investigators are working to determine the details of an arrest outside an IHOP restaurant that involved police holding guns up to a teen boy who was recording them with his cell phone.
Officers responded to a Falls Church, Va. IHOP around 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, for a report of a weapon brandishing incident. Earlier in the evening around 9:12 p.m., a group of three juveniles entered the restaurant. One of the juveniles threatened the hostess while another lifted his shirt, revealing what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband, Fairfax County police said.
The group departed, but officers were called again after the group returned around 11 p.m. and attempted to get the employee to come outside to the parking lot, Fairfax PD said. When officers arrived, police say the juveniles ran to a nearby parking lot where officers detained two of the juveniles and did not find a weapon.
While detaining them, police said a third juvenile, believed to be involved in the brandishing, approached officers and that "due to the nature of a weapon brandishing call and not yet having located a weapon, officers ordered the third juvenile to the ground at gunpoint."
Officers safely detained the juvenile and determined he was holding a cell phone and filming.
"Why are you pulling a gun on me?" the juvenile can be heard saying to the officer while filming.
"Because, you have a weapon," the officer responded.
"What weapon?" the juvenile replied.
Another officer approached the same suspect and shouted at him to "put down the phone," implying that officers indeed knew it was a phone in his hand.
The three juveniles were detained and later released to their parents. A weapon was not located.
As with all pointing of a firearm events, the incident is under review.
7News spoke with NAACP Fairfax President Karen Campblin and asked if there's been a shift to a more aggressive style of policing. This incident comes at a time when, according to the chief, a county that averages one and a half officer involved shootings a year-- has had four in seven months.
"Is there something that we need to start working on?" Campblin asked. "Do we need to make sure that we have more funding to get the proper resources out on a call with our police officers?"