FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT - fcrpa. · PDF fileOur uniforms were our standard ......

FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY Fairfax County Police 75th Anniversary

(Or is it?)

2nd Lt. Dan Courtney (Ret.)

The Fairfax County Police Department will shortly be cele-brating its’ 75th Anniversary on July 1, 2015. With this date pending, one of the questions I am asked often is about our earliest days ranging from 1923 up to 1940, and how that adds up to “75” years of service. Many who are history buffs are aware that the FCPD was established as a “stand-alone” Agency on July 1, 1940. The term “stand-alone” is the “operative” phrase here.

The FCPD existed before July 1, 1940, however it was under the oversight of the Traffic Engineer of Fairfax County (Fairfax had its’ own County Highway Department to build roadways during the 1920s and early 1930s). It was then moved to control of the Sheriff, after an on-going dispute with the Board over consolidation of control of all law en-forcement functions in 1932.

For whatever reason, those before us running the FCPD chose to use the July 1, 1940 date as the official “starting” date for the Fairfax County Police Department. This date is representative of our current Agency, under the direction of the Chief of Police, being separate and apart from direct control of the Board or Sheriff of Fairfax County. It is fitting this date was chosen, as we continue to mark the age of our Department from the time we became a stand-alone Agen-cy.

To demonstrate the ties between the early and post July 1, 1940 FCPD, we need to look back to our very beginnings in the 1920s. Traffic was beginning to be an issue with the improvement of the roadways in Fairfax County, and com-plaints were coming in from some of the population of 20,000 residents about it. On August 17, 1923, the Fairfax County Constable F. J. Wease was appointed as a “Traffic Officer.” This was a new position, and was the first use of the term “Officer” here in Fairfax County in a law enforce-ment position. He remained in this job a brief time before returning to the Fairfax County Constable position in 1924. Our current Day Gang Unit Detective Harry Foxwell is the Great Grandson of Constable Wease.

Also in 1923, Haywood Durrer joined the Fairfax County law enforcement ranks. He had run against Fairfax County Sher-iff James Allison in the 1923 Democratic primary for Sheriff, however lost that election, and returned to be appointed as a Fairfax County Traffic Officer that year. He would remain a brief two weeks as Alexandria offered him the position of “Chief” of their Department, where he had originally come

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

In this issue:

“Legacy and Pride”

“Earliest Special Operations Command Unit (S.O.C.)”

“The Fairfax County Police K-9 Unit and an Early Experience”

“The Very First Time”

FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

Selected Histories

A Quarterly Anniversary Newsletter

Issue 3, September 2015

FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY 2

E very police officer learns over time that being an officer is extremely challenging. I was lucky

enough to come from a line of policemen and my most valuable resource has been my dad, Wayne Poole. My dad retired from the Fairfax County Police Department in 1985 (when I was 12 years old) and my grandfather, B. Alton Poole, was not only a Fairfax County officer but among the first batch to call themselves “Fairfax County Police” in 1940 when the department came into existence. As a gift and legacy, Dad presented me with a shadow box frame containing both his and my grandfather’s badges. It hangs proudly in my office today and looking at those badges brings back a lot of memories for me.

In the summer of 1992, I clearly remember going to a baseball game with my dad. I announced to him I wanted to be a police officer after graduating college. We talked for a long time, during the game and the whole ride home. He did not encourage my decision, nor did he discourage it. He simply, and objectively as possible, explained all that the profession entails and demands. He reflected on his own experiences and how his choice impacted him, both professionally and personally. Now, in my 20th year with the department, I realize just how accurate his words were that night.

My dad explained that being a police officer isn’t for everyone, but for a special few who understand that doing what is right does not always mean doing what is easy. It requires standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves. He told me about the pay and how I would never be rich. He explained the toughest part would be missing out on family dinners and special holidays, missing my kids’ sporting events, recitals and birthdays. He emphasized the most im-portant thing was to find balance between career and home life, and that family should always be your prior-ity. That is something I work on every single day. Dad

Legacy and Pride A Tradition of Excellence Spanning the Generations

by

Detective Jason S. Poole

said it takes a strong person to be married to a police officer, and I am so thankful for my amazing wife Jodi for being so strong. It has not always been easy.

Dad went on and shared old war stories that I had never heard before. Some were exciting, some were hard to hear but he wanted me to know exactly what was in store for me; the good, the bad, the risks and the impact the job can have on an officer and people he encounters every day. By the time we got home from the game that night, I was resolute in my decision to make a life as a police officer and I have never looked back. That talk with my dad was the most important talk of my life. And in all the years of my youth that he donned the gun and badge, he never brought his work home with him. When he was home, he was just dad and he was there for us. If my son or daughter ever comes to me with the news they want to be a police officer, I will have the same honest and straight-forward talk with them.

I am a third generation Fairfax County police officer and people have often asked me about it. I take great pride in what my grandfather and my dad did during their time on the department. I try to live up to them every day, which is without a doubt the most difficult part of my job. Because of my family’s history, dating back to the earliest days of our department, I have been lucky enough to have perspective from both current officers as well as retired ones. It has always struck me how proud everyone is to be associated with the Fairfax County Police Department in some way. Our agency faces a lot of challenges—as it always has—but there are good people here, making a differ-ence every day and I am honored to be a part of it.

I am proud to be a 3rd generation police officer, and I am proud to be a member of the Fairfax County Police Department family.

1st Generation B. Alton Poole

2nd Generation Wayne Poole

3rd Generation Jason Poole

4th Generation? Colton & Khloe Poole


Earliest Special Operations Command Unit (S.O.C.) by

2LT Doug Graves (Ret.) (A-Squad) and MPO Ernie Jones (Ret.) (B-Squad) Both assigned to Groveton District Station in the 1970’s

A round 1975, officials within the Fairfax County Police Department created a SWAT team. A

memorandum was sent to all police patrol personnel requesting volunteers for this unit. Once a list of volunteers was obtained, a select group of Admin-istrative Staff then chose the initial members of this new unit. And if I remember correctly, we then had to go before a board which then made the final unit selection.

The original name of our unit was Special Operations Command (SOC) and it was commanded by then Lieuten-ant Don Harper. At that time, it was not a separate stand-ing unit. That means we were still active patrol officers assigned to our same patrol squads and stations, etc. fulfilling our normal patrol responsibilities working shift work with our fellow patrol squad officers. The depart-ment had five patrol squads (A, B, C, D, E), and so we had five SOC teams such that whenever an incident occurred, the on-duty patrol squad throughout the County would have its SOC members respond to the location of the incident. If an incident developed requiring SOC, dispatch would notify the on-duty patrol officers who were SOC members and instruct them to respond immediately to the incident. When SOC was called upon, those responsibilities superseded our duties as patrol officers.

Our uniforms were our standard department issued jumpsuits (overalls) along with boots, which we individually purchased. We usually blacked out the white “POLICE” lettering on our jumpsuits so that we would not be so visible during darkness. This gear, along with any other special articles of clothing (knit hats, ball hats, gloves, jackets, etc.) we wished to have

with us, we carried in a duffle bag in the trunks of our cruisers. We had to carry this gear with us, so that we could respond immediately to the scene of a SOC callout.

The SOC commander, LT Harper, carried in his county cruiser all the special weapons and other gear that the SOC teams required. These items consisted of sniper rifles, gas masks, AR15’s/16’s, gas guns and

assorted gas canisters, along with bullet proof vests. LT Harper would meet the team at the designated rally point and give them instructions regarding the critical incident that was in progress. The team members would then have access to all of the tools in Harper’s cruiser. There were usually six or seven members on each team with each officer having a specific responsibility: entry men, gas men, and two snipers per team. Team members had to coordinate their requests for leave, not only from their respective patrol supervisors, but they also had to consult with the SOC commander so that a shortage of staffing would not occur on the respective SOC team.

Our training was held at various locations. Classroom training, with range instruc-tion and general techniques, was conducted at the police range and classroom located on Revercomb Court in

Fairfax. Sandy Garrett, our FCPD range instructor, was instrumental in our training. He provided all team members with outstanding firearms training, in addition to instruction on breaking down and clean-ing our specialized weapons. Sandy also had a good relationship with the armorers at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. As a result, our .308 caliber Remington Model 700 sniper rifles were re-worked

During the mid to late 1970s, each patrol shift had it’s own non-standing “SOC” (Special

Operations Command) or, now, SWAT Team. This photo shows the standard equipment and members of the “C” Squad SOC from 1975 - 76.

Standing: Officer Jackie Watts with the gas gun, Ron Stout with an M-1 Garand, Sergeant Larry Biddle with

an M-16, Bill Black with a sniper rifle.

Kneeling: Officers Dave Carter, gas grenades; Ralph Hook

M-16; Bill Haire; and Don Flynn, shotgun. Note the early military vests and helmets.

(Courtesy of Det. Dave Carter – Ret.)


and fine-tuned by the armorers there. New stocks were installed and the barrels were glass bedded as well. We must say, we had exceptional sniper rifles.

We also had training at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy located off West Ox Road. There, we practiced rapelling off the fire train-ing tower. The highlight of our training was when we used the facilities at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. There at Riot City, we practiced build-ing entry and building search tactics, along with climbing and rapelling off of the various buildings. We also practiced “shoot vs. don’t shoot” situa-tions, along with travers-ing various types of obstacle courses.

The snipers used the rifle ranges at Quantico because the police range off Revercomb Court was very limited as to the maximum distance a shot could be safely taken. How-ever, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, we routinely practiced 300 yard shots.

While on the firing line at the rifle range at Quantico, sometime in 1979, a marine began walking the line. He watched us intently as we fired down range. Even-

tually, he began to provide us individually with tips and various techniques to improve our shooting. The guy sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

As the day progressed, all of us began talking with this stranger, and we eventually found out who he was. He was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock II who had been a Marine Corps sniper during the Vietnam War. During that war, he had the highest number of confirmed kills and was known for his long-distance shooting. Needless to say, he was a legend within the Marine Corps and instrumental in developing the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. That was the reason for his being there at Quantico, and how he ended up being on the firing line with us. Look-ing back, we realize how fortunate we were on that day to have met such a

remarkable man and to have him provide us with his exceptional and truly tested sniper skills.

The SOC multiple team concept continued until 1980 when the composition and structure of the multiple team concept changed over to a full-time, single team concept.

1977 Sniper Training at Quantico

Kneeling (l to r): Ron Stout, Ernie Jones, Doug Graves,

Ron Petracca.

Standing: Sergeant Don Harper, Jim Race,

Sammy Rogers, Tom Soltow, Sandy Garrett – FCPD Range Instructor, and

Captain Fisher USMC.

(Courtesy 2nd Lt. Doug Graves – Ret.)

During SOC/SWAT Sniper Training at Quantico, our staff occasionally encountered a Marine Corp Legend;

Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II. He helped establish the USMC Scout Sniper School at the

Quantico Marine Corps Base. 2nd Lt. (Ret.) Doug Graves, shown in the 1977 Sniper Training photo,

recalled meeting him. This business card was given to 2nd Lt. Jimmy Kellam of the FCPD SWAT Team in the

1980s by the Gunny during training.

(Courtesy of 2nd Lt. Jimmy Kellam – Ret.)


The Fairfax County Police K-9 Unit and an Early Experience by

Tom Daines, FCPD K-9 Officer (retired)

T he 1970’s had its fair share of terrorist threats, both domestic and foreign. Aircraft were being hi

-jacked and/or blown up in other parts of the world. In January of 1972, a grant was offered by the federal government to the Fairfax County Police Department for the establishment of a K-9 Section where the dogs would be cross trained in explosive detection as well as for police operations. The Metropolitan Police Department (District of Columbia) provided the train-ing for the Fairfax County teams. The dogs were the first in the nation to be cross-trained for Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) detection purposes.

The first FCPD K-9 units were established in the early 1960s. However, at the end of the service life of the K-9s, those two teams were disbanded. The second K-9 group was formed in February 1972. Four members composed the department’s second K-9 unit, and consisted of Officers Tom Daines, John Granfield, Shelby Bailey and Don Summers. The first 16 weeks of train-ing were dedicated to K-9 patrol operations and the second 16 weeks were committed to explosive detec-tion. The FCPD K-9 Unit received two Plymouth cruisers outfitted for K-9 use as well as two retired Animal Control vehicles.

One event which stands out occurred when an L-1011 passenger jet was diverted to Dulles Airport from a flight originating in Denver. I was on duty when I received the call to respond. K-9 Officer John Granfield (later Chief Granfield) was called at home to respond as well. We were told that the aircraft was diverted and flying low-level to Dulles because of a threat of an altimeter type detonated device.

When I arrived at Dulles, I found that the plane had been moved to a remote section of the airfield. The passengers had been removed by a “mobile lounge” and the luggage had been lined up on the tarmac for inspection by the

FCPD K-9 teams. I was aware K-9 Officer Granfield was in route, so I went ahead and searched the luggage placed on the runway. My K9 partner made a clear indication or “hit” on a black rip-stop nylon bag in the second row.

I finished my luggage check on the runway and started on the L-1011 when K-9 Officer Granfield arrived. I met him at the door and told him about the “hit” on the luggage, however, purposefully did not specify the specific piece of luggage. There was a total of about 300 pieces. Granfield took his dog to screen the baggage again. I finished clearing the aircraft at which time he ran a second check on the plane and he told me his K-9 had identified a piece of luggage as well. It turned out to be the same one. I remember

that when the bag was being checked we cleared the immediate area in case there was an explosive device inside it.

We informed the Dulles Airport Police Lieutenant about the positive indication by both dogs, at which point he checked the bag only to find a gun. The owner of the bag was identified and told us he had fired the weapon prior to his flight, wrapped it in cosmoline paper, placed it back into a box and put it in his bag. He left this bag with the flight crew as he was federal law enforcement.

Times were different then and EOD was not a common unit for police departments to have. Officers would often have to check suspicious pack-ages found on a scene. It must have been a sight for the passengers who were watching us from the mobile lounge, to see us making tracks down the runway while that bag was being checked by the airport authorities.

I cannot recall that we ever got another “hit” on any aircraft. However, we did numerous “live” searches when requested at both Reagan National and Dulles Airports.

I can also say that the explosive detection training

BANDIT Three FCPD K-9 dogs have been wounded in the line of duty. Tom Daines partner,

Bandit, was the only one of the three to have died on duty. He was shot while tracking auto

thieves.


The Very First Time by

MPO Jeff Miller (Ret.) Fairfax County Police Identification Section

I joined the Fairfax County Police Department right out of college. I graduated from Virginia Tech in

June of 1979 and started the police academy that August. I had visions of being an FBI agent but I needed a few years of law enforcement experience first, so my plan was to work for the county police for a few years and then move on to the big-time and become an FBI agent - clearly an example of the ignorance of youth.

After graduating from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy I was assigned to the Chantilly District Station. The Chantilly Station was in the far western part of the county and much of the area was still farm land. We even had a few calls about cows running loose which gave us a reputation in the department as a slow “country club” sort-of police district. However, new housing developments were being built and the population was increasing.

One day while I was driving around in my patrol area I heard the dispatcher give an assignment to my squad partner in the adjoining patrol area. The call was for a possible suicide. The dispatcher advised that the caller had returned home and found a male relative dead from an appar-ent gunshot wound. My partner advised over the ra-dio that he was in route and I heard the lieutenant and the sergeant also mark in route. I was jealous because I was still a rookie and had not yet seen my first dead body. I had been told by the veterans on my squad that if you could handle death scenes then you could probably handle just about anything in police work. Death scenes appeared to be a rite-of-passage.

It was not long before I heard everyone mark on the scene. Soon after, the lieutenant advised the dispatch-er to have rescue disregard and have homicide and ID respond. That was the sign that it was in fact a con-firmed suicide. Rescue was called off because my

squad mates had determined the victim was definitely dead. Homicide and ID would take over the investiga-tion. The patrol units would secure the scene and collect preliminary information for the homicide detectives who would take over the investigation. The ID or Identification Detective was responsible for the photos, diagrams, and evidence collection and processing.

I continued my patrol duties as I heard the homicide and ID detectives mark on the scene about thirty minutes later. Since the scene was just a few blocks outside my patrol, area I went by to see if the lieuten-ant needed me to help out. I have to admit, I wanted to see my first dead body. I saw the lieutenant,

sergeant and homicide detectives standing in the driveway talking. I parked my cruiser and walked up to the sergeant and asked if they need-ed any help. He said they had it covered so I screwed up my courage and asked if it was okay to take a look around inside. The sergeant and lieutenant looked at each other and kind of smiled.

“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t seen your first dead guy yet. Have you?” My lieutenant, Jay Merchant, was a

great patrol supervisor and I knew if it didn’t jeopard-ize the case he could make it happen. I also knew he would appreciate my curiosity and enthusiasm as I had remarked to him in the past how much I was interested in forensic science and wanted to get into the ID Section someday. The lieutenant told me to stand by while he checked with the homicide detectives and their supervisor. They said it was okay and the lieutenant led me up the stairs to the front door. Just before we went in Jay said, “OK, the guy is just inside the front door sitting in the chair. Keep your hands in your pockets and don’t touch anything. Homicide and ID are in there so try and keep out of their way. They’ll answer any questions you might have.”

proved to be extremely helpful in the recovery of fire-arms that were tossed away or hidden by a suspect.

The history of the EOD detection K9s goes back to the 1970s. The use of these faithful public servants, with

ID Section 1987 - Jeff Miller, Mack Halley, Bob Otten, Andy Johnson,

Jimmy Gogan, Rod Gohn

their unique ability to sniff out bombs, guns, drugs, and hidden suspects or lost children, will continue to enhance the mission of the Fairfax County Police Department.


I stepped through the front door and sure enough, not two feet inside the door was a big wing backed chair facing a television in the small living room. In the chair was a middle-aged man wearing jeans and a plaid shirt. He was shoeless with a sock on one foot. His legs were straight out from his body pointing at the TV. Between his legs was a rifle. The muzzle was resting on his chest with both of his hands holding the barrel about a foot from his face. A large bloodstain was on his chest under the muzzle of the rifle. Some of the blood was dried and crusty but some was still wet. I walked around to stand in front of the TV and look at the victim. I noticed the blood on his chest had come from his mouth. Above his head on the wall was a remarkable pattern made of bone, blood, brain and tissue.

I walked over to the chair to take a closer look at the victim. He was just below me and I looked down at the top of his head. His hair was combed and you could see his part and cowlick. But in the very top of his head was a gaping hole about the size of a golf ball. It was like someone had taken an ice-cream scoop and scooped out the top of his head. I could look down inside his skull and see what was left of his brain. Little bits of blood, tissue and bone were scattered on top of his hair.

The oddest thing occurred to me as I stood there looking at this horrific sight. I was standing inches from another human being but he did not even register to me. He was like an inanimate object, like the chair he was sitting in or the TV across the room. You know the feeling you get when you’re in a dark room and you know someone else is in there with you? You can feel them there. Or when you can feel that someone is standing behind you. Well, I didn’t get any of that feeling stand-ing there looking at this dead man inches away. He wasn’t a person any more. He was a thing. A thing to be examined, studied, deciphered and dissected. He was filled with information and I wanted to know it all. I was fascinated.

“Hey, look at this.” The ID detective

was standing next to me with his camera gear in his hands.

“You know how he did it?” It was then I started to take it all in and try and recreate the scene in my head. I was looking at the scene analytically instead of in hor-

ror. I was trying to figure it out. Both of the victim’s hands were holding the barrel of the rifle. Clearly he was using his hands to hold the barrel in his mouth. So how did he pull the trigger if his hands were occupied? I then looked down at his feet. One sock was on but the other was off and on the floor next to his bare foot. I could see it in my imagination. I could actually see what had happened as if I was there when it occurred.

“He used his toe.” I said.

“Yah, that’s right. Take a look at this.” The ID detective and I knelt down to examine the man’s bare foot. And there on his big toe was a reddish abrasion where the trigger guard on the rifle had struck his toe during the recoil.

And there it was as clear as can be. Without speaking to a single person, the facts of this unfortunate

incident were there to be found. All you had to do was know where to look and understand what you saw.

I was hooked. It was a thrill. It was an addiction. I had to do this stuff. And so I did.

After eight years in patrol, I took and passed the selection process and was transferred to the ID Section in 1987. I realized on the first day in my new assignment I never wanted to do anything else. As a crime scene investigator I was allowed to attend the Virginia Forensic Science Academy. The Academy is a ten week school in Richmond administered by the Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences. I went back to school in 1997 and received my master’s degree in forensic science from George Washington University. During my nineteen years in the section I was fortunate to work on some of the biggest cases in the department’s history. In 1993, I was the lead crime scene investiga-

Sniper Prosecution Task Force Back row L - R:

Lt. Richard Canterella (Prince William County PD), Emily Baker (Support, PWC), Det. Sandy Sherwood (PWC),

Det. June Boyle (FCPD), Lt. Jake Jacoby (FCPD), Det. Chris Flanagan (FCPD), Bob Lanciault (FBI-VICAP)

2nd Row: Lt. Bruce Guth (FCPD), SA Melissa

Thomas (FBI), SA April Carroll (ATF), SA Victor Castro (ATF), SSA Chris

Pelletierre (ATF), Ofc. Tom Lancaster (PG Co.), Det. Jeff Miller (FCPD)

Seated: Det. Ralph Daigneau (PWC), SA Mike McCoy (FBI), SA Scott Rhirdon (ATF),

Lt. Roger Thompson (Montgomery County PD)

CIA Scene—MPO Jeff Miller


75th

Anniversary Lecture Series

July 23rd – The Department’s Growth in Relation to the County’s Development, 11 AM at the Criminal Justice Academy

August 10th – Helicopter Division, 1 PM at the CJA

September 16th - The Development of the FCPD Badge, 12 PM at the Massey Building A Level Conference Room

October 2nd – Early days of Diversity, 11 AM at the Massey Building A Level Conference Room

November 4th – Criminal Justice Academy, 11 AM at the CJA

December 14th – Crisis Negotiations Team, 11 AM at the CJA

January 23rd – Guided tour of the FCPD historic Museum, 1 PM at the FCPD Museum

February 20th – The FCPD Crime Scene Section, 1 PM at DPSC Meeting Room followed by Crime Scene Facility tour

March 18th – FCPD Narcotics – Investigations, Trends, and Public Awareness; 1 PM at the Sully District Community Room

April 20th – Public Safety Communications – Call Taking, Dispatching &Technology; 2 PM at MPSTOC Community Room

May 22nd – The Police Canine (K-9) Team, 1 PM at OSB

June 11th – Washington Area Sniper Task Force Investigation, 10 AM at Massey Bldg.

tor on the shooting in front of the Central Intelligence Agency where two people were killed and three were injured. In 2002, I was the lead CSI on the shooting attributed to the DC Snipers, John Muhammad and Lee Malvo. For over a year that was the only case I worked on because I was assigned to the Prosecution Task Force responsible for preparing the case for trial.

A Tradition of Excellence

Published by the Fairfax County Police Department

Captain Chris Edmunds, Managing Editor Major Richard Perez, Contributing Editor

LT Andrew Wehrlen and PFC Tawny Wright, Editors VIPS John Sherburne, Layout

For information contact Captain Edmunds at 703-644-7377

But the best part about my twenty-seven years with the department was the privilege of working with some of the finest men and women in law enforce-ment. To this day I still miss the action, the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of working a “who-done-it”. But I miss the people the most. The smartest, most honorable people I have ever known wear a grey shirt with a Fairfax County Police badge.

Please be aware that while the schedules for the lecture series are accurate as of the publication date, they are subject to change due to changes in circumstances.

75th Anniversary Events Police Family Picnic

Saturday, June 20th

“CB” looks over a new Police Interceptor CPL “CB” Lawrence (Ret) with a 1940s Cruiser Anniversary Cake

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