Update 1:30 p.m. — CSX, the corporation that owns the railroad, just provided us with a statement. The incident involved no hazardous materials or injuries, with first responders swiftly addressing the situation while the cause is under investigation.
At approximately 9:00 p.m. yesterday , a CSX train derailed several rail cars near Cobblestone Dr. in Fredricksburg, VA. A garage structure adjacent to the rail line was impacted by the incident. No hazardous materials were involved and there were no reports of injuries. CSX appreciates the swift response of the Fredricksburg City first responders. The safety of response personnel and the surrounding community is our top priority as we work to recover the derailed cars and work to completely restore the area. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Updated 8 a.m. Sunday: A freight train derailed and collided with buildings at the Cobblestone Square apartment complex near the city’s train station. No one was injured.
More from Fredericksburg police:
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department’s E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at Cobblestone Square, at 8:54 p.m. They found that a CSX Freight Train had derailed and collided with the garage buildings on the property.
The property is separated from the train tracks by a large wall located behind the garage buildings. Five cars of the CSX Freight Train had derailed and crashed into the large wall, causing it to collapse into four garages. Thankfully, there were no injuries since the train had no passengers on board.
The Fire Department conducted a preliminary search of the area and found no injuries, only property damage. Although hazardous materials were found on the train car, they were secure and were not part of the derailed cars.
At the time of this release, the Fire Department, Police Department, and building officials were still at the scene. CSX will be taking over the investigation.
Amtrak, which also uses the line, tells us there is no disruption in service.
News Release: CSX Freight Train Derails into Cobblestone Square
On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department’s E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at⌠pic.twitter.com/UaIKSNZ9nH
â FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024
? Active Event ?
There has been a train derailment in the area of 400 block Cobblestone Drive. Seven cars derailed and struck a structure behind Cobblestone. No hazardous materials were on board and so far, there are no known injuries. There is no threat to the general public.⌠pic.twitter.com/hv6XNfjQ02
â FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024
On July 10, 2024, several law enforcement agencies, including the Fredericksburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, Spotsylvania Narcotics Unit, Spotsylvania Street Crimes, and the FBI Fredericksburg Regional Narcotics Task Force, arrested Taiâeric Lewis on several drug-related crimes.
The Fredericksburg Police Department conducted a long term investigation involving cocaine distribution. As a result of this investigation, search warrants were executed at three locations, one in the City of Fredericksburg and two in Spotsylvania County.
Search warrants at the three different residences led to the discovery of approximately half a kilo of cocaine, along with about $17,000 in cash and three pounds of marijuana. At another address, a stolen firearm from the City of Fredericksburg was found, along with distribution paraphernalia. Lewisâ vehicle was seized by the Fredericksburg Police Department pending forfeiture.
This article is FREE to read. Please Sign In or create a FREE account today. Make the smart choice for staying informed about your community. Thank you!
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, at around 5:45 p.m., Quincy Lamar Alexander, 42, of Stafford County, accidentally shot himself in the 300 block of Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg. Witnesses heard the gunshot and saw Alexander exit his vehicle and collapse. They called 911, provided first aid until EMS arrived, and transported Alexander to a nearby hospital, police report.
Fredericksburg Police found a firearm and suspected narcotics in the vehicle. The incident was determined to be an accidental discharge, injuring Alexanderâs lower body. Warrants were issued for Alexander on multiple charges, including possession of a firearm and narcotics, reckless handling of a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a public place.
âWhat we found was really disturbing,â said Acting Director Kevin D. Walsh in a December 2023 news conference releasing the final report. The investigation found the training sessions, organized by the New Jersey-based company Street Cop, not only promoted unconstitutional policing tactics, like extending police stops to develop probable cause but also fostered an environment where police officers glorified violence against civilians, discriminated against women and minorities, and a disregarded citizensâ civil liberties like searching vehicles without probable cause. The findings of the investigation exposed the lack of centralized oversight of police training across law enforcement agencies nationwide, including in Virginia.
According to the New Jersey governmentâs report, the six-day training conference held by Street Cop in Atlantic City in October 2021 drew nearly 1,000 police officers. The investigation highlighted several deficiencies in the training, including discriminatory and harassing comments, advocacy for unconstitutional policing tactics such as stopping motorists without reason or prolonging police stops illegally, and the promotion of a "warrior" approach to policing that dehumanized civilians. Such practices directly contradicted nearly a decade of police reforms aimed at curbing bias and excessive force in policing, undermining community trust.
This article is for our Locals Only members. Please Sign In or upgrade and Become a Locals Only Member today! Make the smart choice for staying informed about your community. Thank you!
Henrico County police modified its response to specific service calls and how they are dispatched.
“In the past, our patrol officers have routinely been put in positions or responded to calls for service where they have no legal authority. At times, this has prevented our officers from responding to other priority calls in a timely and efficient manner while also leading to a lack of units available to respond to any given call,” said Henrico Police Chief Eric English in a YouTube video.
Call types where you will see changes include:
- Animal calls (all animal calls placed overnight will be handled the next morning)
- Loud parties or noise complaints (only calls that appear to be violating the county’s noise ordinance will be dispatched)
- Medical emergencies (only if police are needed)
- Service calls (calls about people standing in a street median or homeless people who “appear to be OK”).
- Shoplifting (past-occurred crimes or reports with no evidence to support the allegation)
- Abandoned vehicles
- Marijuana use (calls for marijuana use inside someone’s home)
- Juvenile problems (not crime-related, such as calling a police officer to scold a child)
- Panhandling
The changes have come as police departments across the U.S. have struggled to fill vacant police officer positions since 2020. We asked police agencies in our area if they anticipate making similar changes.
“We offer residents an online or telephone option to file a report, which we can refer people to if needed,” said Prince William police 1st Sgt. Jonathan Perok. The agency patrols Virginia’s second-largest county. He declined to comment on Henrico County’s new policy.
“Rest assured, we do not anticipate changing how we respond to calls anytime soon,” added Fredericksburg Police spokeswoman Sarah Morris. The agency services the independent city of nearly 28,000 people between Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.
The primary suspect, identified as Jaquan Mincy, 24, a resident of Fredericksburg, was apprehended at the scene. Mincy faces charges including possession, manufacture, or distribution of a weapon of terrorism containing fentanyl, and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. He is currently being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
This successful raid was the culmination of an extensive investigation conducted by the Fredericksburg Police Departmentâs Vice and Narcotics Unit. Police Brian Chief Layton emphasized the department’s commitment to combatting the distribution and usage of illegal drugs within the community. “The Fredericksburg Police Department is committed to actively investigating the distribution and use of illicit drugs and arresting those offenders,” stated Chief Layton in a press release. “Iâm very proud of our detectives and officers for removing these dangerous drugs from our community.”
The operation was conducted in collaboration with the Virginia State Police and the FBI Fredericksburg Regional Narcotics Task Force, highlighting the inter-agency cooperation in tackling drug-related crimes in the region.
In the U.S., drug overdose deaths have seen a significant increase, rising by 30% year-over-year with over 96,700 fatalities reported in a recent span. Opioids are the most lethal, involved in approximately 72% of these overdose deaths. Since 1999, nearly a million Americans have lost their lives to drug overdoses. The national overdose death rate stands at 21.6 per 100,000 residents, highlighting the severe impact of this crisis across the country?6â source?.
Fredericksburg police found the body of the 22-year-old Darius Appiah, who had been reported missing by the Stafford County Sheriffâs Office on January 25.
Police found the body in Hazel Run, at the intersection of Blue and Grey Parkway and Lafayette Boulevard, at approximately 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. As part of the investigative process, Appiah’s body has been transported to the Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
City patrol officers, the Fredericksburg fire and rescue crews, and members of the Stafford County Sheriffâs Office helped recover the body.
At 1:50 p.m., the recovery efforts concluded with the identification th. Mr. Appiah’s next of kin were notified this afternoon.
Authorities are urging anyone with information related to Appiah or the events leading up to his disappearance to contact the police at 540-373-3122. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, text messages can be sent to “847-411” with the keyword “FPDtip” followed by the tip.
Additionally, the FPD Tip app, available for Android and iPhones, offers another avenue for providing information. The app can be found by searching “FPD Tip” in the Google or iTunes App Store.
Fredericksburg police: “MISSING PERSON: Amber Leigh Holbrook was last seen on 11/26/2023 at approximately 12:15pm at 419 Bunker Hill Street in the City of Fredericksburg. Amber was last seen getting into a red four door sedan, unknown make/model/tag. Amber was last seen pictured wearing a black jacket with a fur hood, black pants, and black new balance sweatshirt.”
“If you have any information on her whereabouts, contact the police at 540-373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to â847-411â and text âFDtipâ followed by your tip. Or, download the free FPD Tip app available for Android and iPhones. To download the app, search âFPS Tipâ in the Google or iTunes App store.”
Fredericksburg police: “After experiencing two firearms-related homicides within a three-month timespan, the Fredericksburg Police Department increased its enforcement efforts against people in possession of illegal firearms and/or illicit drugs.”
“If you own a firearm, store it safely and do not leave it in an unlocked vehicle. There have been several police reports this summer where guns were stolen from unlocked cars. If you want to surrender an unwanted firearm voluntarily, bring it to Fredericksburg Police Headquarters anytime, day or night.”
