Police Handling Of 2-Day Richmond Highway Barricade Earns Praise From County Supervisors

HYBLA VALLEY, VA — Resolving the Richmond Highway standoff that lasted over 34 hours was no easy feat for Fairfax County Police, and the county's board acknowledged the department's efforts Tuesday.

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck introduced a board matter Tuesday with Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and Chairman Jeff McKay to praise police for resolving the barricade peacefully.

The barricade began Tuesday, March 28 and shut down Richmond Highway until early Thursday, March 30. The person involved in the standoff — Brittany Copelin, 29, of Charles County, Maryland — experienced a mental health crisis while armed with a gun, authorities said.

Police say Copelin was also tied to an alleged abduction of a woman from Laurel, Maryland, and faces multiple charges there and in Fairfax County.

The barricade ultimately ended after a major breakthrough in negotiations. As reported by Police Chief Kevin Davis after the stalemate ended, Copelin threw out the gun's magazine in exchange for doughnuts.

"This incident and its outcome is one that our community can be proud of. One where our commitment to the sanctity of all lives, first responder training and professionalism of our police served and protected the perpetrator, victim, police in the greater Mount Vernon community," Storck said at Tuesday's board meeting.

The response involved many units from the Fairfax County Police Department and other agencies. According to Storck, Mount Vernon District police officers were the first on the scene and stayed involved throughout the barricade. Other units on the scene included the Mount Vernon District station patrol, Major Crimes Bureau detectives, operations support, SWAT team, the crisis negotiations unit, the bomb squad, traffic division, motor squad, safety officers, the helicopter division and unmanned aircraft unit.

Other assistance was provided by the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, the Alexandria Police Department's SWAT hostage negotiations unit, Virginia State Police SWAT crisis negotiations unit and George Mason University's unmanned aircraft unit.

The supervisors' board matter requested the involved Fairfax County Police units and others who responded to appear at an upcoming board meeting to be recognized.

McKay said he went down to Richmond Highway during the barricade and was impressed with how police were handling it.

"This was an unbelievable situation that lasted far longer than anyone could have thought of," McKay said. "And to think you can take a road like Richmond Highway and close it down with the lack of chaos that we had because of the way in which it was done and the way that the officers and all the other departments that were involved in here, executed that was just amazing."

McKay, who met with the responding negotiators earlier this week, along with Storck, said he looked forward to celebrating all those involved in the outcome.