Police: 5-hour incident at radio tower caused by subject believed to be suicidal

If you live in the Hybla Valley area or anywhere in the vicinity of Huntley Meadows Park, you may have heard or saw a sizable police response to an incident on the evening of March 1. Scanner traffic and social media reports that night indicated that a person had climbed the large radio tower adjacent to Mount Vernon Woods Park and Huntley Meadows. But other than an entry on the helicopter section of the Fairfax Police website, little information was released or reported on the incident.

It turns out a 39-year-old man, believed to be suicidal,  climbed the radio tower, leading to an approximately five-hour standoff, according to information provided by the Fairfax Police spokeswoman Megan Hawkins. The incident, which drew the attention of the county’s police helicopter, a canine unit and “numerous patrol units,” ended with the subject coming down voluntarily, according to Hawkins.

The man was taken to a local hospital after the incident, according to the FCPD, but they could not elaborate on his condition or identify him due to HIPAA privacy rules, according to Hawkins.

Charges are pending against the individual, and if the man is charged with any crimes, he will be identified at that time, Hawkins said.