Armed carjacking suspect arrested in DC after multi-car crash injures 2

WASHINGTON - An armed carjacking that began in an Arlington neighborhood ended in a multi-car rollover crash in D.C. late Tuesday night. 

The incident has placed the U.S. Park Police under scrutiny, coming just weeks after a delivery driver was killed during a separate pursuit by the same agency.

The incident began around 1 p.m. on 18th Street North in Arlington, Virginia. According to witnesses, a dog walker was targeted in the armed carjacking.

A man, who witnesses said was wearing a reflective vest, drove up to the scene in a pickup truck. He got out of the vehicle with a long gun and ordered the woman out of her car. The suspect then ditched the pickup truck and fled the area in the victim's Toyota RAV4.

Authorities later noted that the suspect had several outstanding warrants.

The situation escalated hours later, after Prince George's County police spotted the vehicle that was believed to be involved in the armed carjacking. Investigators say the driver failed to yield and fled the area.

Following a pursuit by the U.S. Park Police, the stolen Toyota RAV4 crashed into several vehicles before flipping over twice and coming to a stop in the middle of the roadway at Branch Avenue and Lyndale Place in Southeast D.C. 

Two people in another vehicle were injured in the crash and have been hospitalized, officials said.

The suspect was pulled from the overturned wreckage by officers and arrested.  Police confirmed that a shotgun was recovered from the scene.

What they're saying:

Resident Mike Baines, whose parked car was smashed during the wreckage, expressed deep frustration over the recurring violence and police pursuits in the area.

"We gotta do something about this crime in DC, man, you know what I mean? The car chasing is just, it's terrible," Baines said. 

Baines noted that he was carjacked three years ago and had another vehicle stolen just last year.

According to neighbor Anton Reid, the suspect apologized to neighbors after the crash, saying, "I'm sorry for hitting y'all cars."

USPP pursuit policies face criticism

Dig deeper:

This latest crash comes at a time when the U.S. Park Police's pursuit policies are facing heavy criticism.

In June, another pursuit involving the agency ended in the death of a food delivery driver on a moped who was struck and killed on the Taft Bridge on Connecticut Avenue in D.C. The driver of the stolen car in that incident has not yet faced charges in the death of the delivery driver.

RELATED | US Park police chase ends in crash that kills moped driver; 3 arrested

Critics are questioning whether the risks of high-speed chases outweigh the benefits of apprehending suspects. 

Roy Austin, from Howard University’s School of Law, previously represented a man shot and killed by U.S. Park Police during a pursuit in Virginia nine years ago. 

"Car chases, like every other law enforcement action, is something that can be improved by way of training," Austin said. "I'm not convinced that this agency is doing the training that needs to be done, is looking for alternatives to a car chase... it really doesn't help to capture someone who has been violent by then hurting a bunch of other people. That's kind of defeating the purpose."

The U.S. Park Police pursuit policy was previously expanded as part of a crime emergency declared in D.C. under President Trump.

In a statement released following last month's fatal bridge crash, the department defended its active stance on pursuing suspects, stating:

 "Criminals who flee from law enforcement put innocent bystanders in danger. Public safety remains our highest priority, which is why we work to remove criminals from our streets."

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