Fairfax Man Flashes Police In 5-Hour Standoff On Fire Truck

A Fairfax man is facing charges after a chaotic five-hour standoff on top of a fire truck overnight into Wednesday.

Fairfax County Police were called to the 10000 block of Wavell Road around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night when a man armed with an axe and chainsaw tried to cut down a tree and light it on fire. Neighbors called 911 when he began screaming and cursing at them.

When officers arrived, he climbed onto a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue ladder truck that had responded to the scene. Through five hours of negotiations with police and mental health professionals, he refused to come down. Police say he flashed and tried to assault officers, and at one point he threw a ladder from the truck at them.

Around 2 a.m., officers used an Electronic Control Weapon and pepper spray on the man, who attempted to flee. A K9 unit helped get the man into custody.

After being medically cleared at a local hospital, Wesam Hashish, 43, was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. He was charged with felony attempted assault on a law enforcement officer, indecent exposure, unlawfully climbing onto a fire truck, interfering or tampering with firefighting equipment and threats to bomb. He is being held without bond.

During the standoff, police asked residents in the immediate area to shelter in place due to safety concerns.

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