Police and fire briefs
By Staff
The following incidents happened in Loudoun's public safety fields throughout the week.
Eight arrested for buying alcohol for minor
Eight people were arrested in Sterling June 28 for buying alcohol for a minor, while another seven people were charged with other crimes, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell said.
In what is referred to as a “shoulder tap” operation, a 19-year-old volunteer for the Sheriff's Office Community Policing unit asked people entering a convenience store on Glenn Drive in Sterling Park to buy her alcohol over a six-hour period. Eight were arrested for following through on her request, Troxell said.
“People are far too willing to knowingly break the law and purchase underage adults alcohol,” said Deputy Specialist Aaron Taylor, who organized the operation. “One can only imagine how often this is happening in the area.”
The Loudoun County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving helped with the operation.
“The partnership between MADD Loudoun and law enforcement is critical,” MADD President Susan Cleveland said. “The fact that teens are able to get unknown adults to purchase alcohol for them underscores the need for every adult to uphold the laws and for all of us to work together to prevent underage drinking.”
In addition to the eight arrested for buying a minor alcohol, two were charged with narcotics violations, one for littering, one for open container, one for driving under the influence, one for driving on a suspended license and one for driving without a license, Troxell said.
More “shoulder tap” operations are planned for the future.
Fireworks accident
A child was badly burned in a fireworks accident June 30, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Mary Maguire said.
An 8-year-old boy in Cascades was reportedly holding fireworks that lit his shirt on fire, Maguire said. He suffered second-degree burns on 45 percent of his upper body and arms, Maguire said.
He was taken to the burn unit at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., about 8:30 p.m.
An investigation by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office is ongoing, Maguire said. No more details were available.
Suicide threat
A Lovettsville man is being held on a temporary detention order after threatening to commit suicide and shoot law-enforcement officers, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman Kraig Troxell said.
Deputies were called to a home on South Loudoun Street around 3:15 p.m. June 25 after a 59-year-old man called the police and made suicidal statements, Troxell said.
The man said he had a gun and did not want law enforcement showing up at his house, Troxell said.
Members of the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team and Hostage Negotiations Unit went to the man's house.
After nearly three hours of on-and-off negotiations, the man was persuaded to come out of his house and was taken into custody, Troxell said.
The man is being held on a temporary detention order at a local hospital. If he is charged in the incident, his name will be released at that time.
Man injured in garage fire
A fire at a small engine-repair garage on U.S. 50 June 26 was ruled accidental by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal.
Just before 3 p.m., fire and rescue personnel were called to the garage near South Riding for a structure fire, Loudoun County Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Mary Maguire said.
A man who was working on equipment in the garage when the fire started was flown by helicopter to Washington Hospital Center for treatment of burn injuries, Maguire said.
The fire resulted in $25,000 damage to the small garage, which was connected to an unoccupied house, Maguire said.
-- Compiled by Jana Wagoner