A shopping center in Virginia Beach, Virginia became the scene of a police standoff Monday afternoon when a person refused to leave their vehicle at the Strawbridge Marketplace. The situation drew a significant law enforcement response and resulted in the evacuation of the entire shopping complex for several hours. By all accounts, nobody was seriously hurt, which is the best possible outcome for this kind of incident.
The vehicle at the center of it all was a red SUV, and it wasn’t exactly subtle. Someone had painted “VBPD = Terrorists” along the side in bright yellow letters, along with what appears to be a heart. Nothing says “I want to be left alone” quite like a hand-painted protest message on your daily driver parked in front of a Regal theater.
Police confirmed the subject inside the vehicle was experiencing a mental health crisis and was in possession of a firearm. Officers responded by deploying tear gas into the vehicle, which prompted the individual to exit and submit to custody. The Strawbridge Marketplace, located in Virginia Beach’s Red Mill area, houses a mix of restaurants, a movie theater, an animal care center, and other businesses, all of which were cleared during the standoff…