An Alexandria, Virginia, man faces multiple firearm and assault-related charges after a road rage incident ended in a more than 24-hour standoff with police in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
The Alexandria police on Wednesday charged John Thomas Bey, 52, with unlawful discharge of a firearm in a school zone, attempted felonious assault and malicious shooting into an occupied police vehicle.
Police said Bey barricaded himself inside his home in the 1000 block of Woods Place around noon on Nov. 23, following a road rage incident in which they believe shots were fired.
According to a police account of the incident, a standoff ensued and Bey fired several rounds out of his home at responding officers. Police did not return fire, and the situation eventually ended peacefully with Bey’s surrender. No one was injured.
“This started off as a road rage incident and could have turned really bad, we are glad that this was a peaceful outcome and glad no one was hurt during this process,” Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes said in a news release.
“But this really is a testament to the patience and professionalism of the members of the Alexandria Police Department and the agencies that supported us through this incident.”
The events unfolded in a neighborhood off busy North Quaker Lane, not far from Alexandria City High School, which was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Residents in the neighborhood were asked to shelter in place overnight. Road closures on Quaker Lane disrupted travel to Interstate 395 for much of the day before the holiday.
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