A massive explosion engulfed a home and rocked a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, as police were investigating a man who fired a flare gun dozens of times from inside Monday night, police said.
No serious injuries were suffered by police, though the fate of the suspect who was inside the home when it exploded was not immediately clear, authorities said.
Video posted to social media showed a huge fireball and what appeared to be the roof and other debris lofted into the air during the blast, which neighbors said could be heard and felt for miles around in the Washington, D.C., suburb.
According to Arlington police, they were trying to execute a search warrant at the home when the explosion occurred.
Here’s the moment of the explosion:
The situation escalated as officers, armed with a search warrant, attempted to approach the suspect’s residence. Efforts to communicate with the barricaded individual, including phone calls and loudspeaker announcements, allegedly they were met with silence.
During the attempt to execute the warrant, the suspect reportedly fired several rounds from what is believed to be a high-caliber firearm inside the house.
Neighbor Alex Wilson, who captured the viral video of the Arlington home explosion, shared his firsthand account with FOX 5.
Wilson recounted standing outside with others, anticipating the arrival of the police. When the police arrived, the suspect remained barricaded, refusing to exit his residence. Despite police efforts to coax him out, the situation remained stagnant, causing Wilson and others to lose interest and return indoors.
Approximately three hours later, Wilson noticed the arrival of a SWAT truck, signaling a significant escalation. He and others climbed to the top of his roof for a clearer view. The SWAT team attempted to communicate with the suspect, urging him to surrender peacefully. When these efforts failed, they used the truck’s pile driving arm to breach the front door.
At this point, according to Wilson, the suspect began firing a weapon – not a flare gun as previously used, but a high-caliber firearm, possibly an “AR.” The police responded with non-lethal force, firing shotgun shells into the house while continuously announcing their non-lethal intent.
Few strange moments were visible during this interview:
1. He handles a shootout and an explosion with extraordinary composure for a regular citizen.
2.”High caliber’ weapon who use that term and whats the point even of mentioning it?
3. SWAT drove through the house? I guess they busted the gas line with their vehicle breach, then the gas built up and was detonated.
(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. This is an opinion article, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)