Virginia home explodes as police approach trigger-happy resident with search warrant

Police attempted to execute a search warrant Monday at a duplex in a Washington, D.C., suburb wherein a man was said to be barricaded and firing off a flare gun into the surrounding neighborhood. However, before officers could make entry, an explosion blew the structure sky-high.

According the Arlington County Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of N. Burlington Street in Bluemont around 4:45 p.m. on Monday in response to a report of possible shots fired.

On the scene, officers learned that the suspect had allegedly fired a flare gun into the surrounding neighborhood an estimated 30-40 times. Fortunately, no one was injured and no property was damaged as a result of the discharge of the flare gun.

Police soon obtained a search warrant for the suspect's home. Before approaching, officers attempted to communicate with the suspect by phone and over loudspeakers. However, police indicated the suspect failed to respond and "remained barricaded inside the residence."

After failing to get through to the suspect, police prepared to execute the search warrant and make entry. However, when they initially attempted to do so, the suspect allegedly opened fire, this time with what was suspected to be a gun.

Alex Wilson, a neighbor who filmed the incident from his rooftop, told WTTG-TV the barricaded resident shot at police with what appeared to be a high-caliber weapon.

"Three hours later, at least, we saw the SWAT truck arrive, and when the SWAT trucks arrive, you know, you're like, 'Oh, things are getting escalated at that point,'" said Wilson.

Police reportedly continued to urge the suspect inside to come outside, but their implorations proved fruitless.

"The guy inside wasn't responding, and they drove a SWAT truck through the front door and then shots were being fired," said Watson.

The initial attempts to breach the front were ineffective, so the tactical team reoriented the vehicle and attempted to burst through the window.

"As the SWAT team were driving forward to the window, that's when the whole place went up," added Wilson.

At 8:25 p.m., the house exploded, injuring three officers. None of the officers required treatment at a hospital.

Footage of the incident shows fire belch from the side of the two-story brick duplex, a cloud of debris punch out the front of the structure, then the roof and much of the interior thrown hundreds of feet into the air. Car alarms ring out while flaming debris rains down into a plume of smoke.

Carla Rodriguez of South Arlington indicated she could hear the blast over two miles away, reported the Associated Press.

"I actually thought a plane exploded," said Rodriguez.

Blake Thompson, another nearby resident, told WTTG, "I thought it was a sonic boom at first, but I looked out of my window and I saw burning stuff in the sky, in a sense. It looked like ash, but of course, it was much farther away so it was probably debris."

The house next door was reportedly all but demolished in the explosion. Power was also knocked out to multiple homes in the neighborhood.

The Arlington County Fire Department responded to the scene to put out the inferno and were able to tame it around 10:30 p.m.

Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesman for the ACFD, noted that it is not yet clear what caused the explosion. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other federal agents have joined the investigation.

While the suspect has not yet been identified by police, WTTG and local news website ARLnow.com both indicated that public records suggest a man named James W. Yoo is linked to the residence. Yoo's LinkedIn page, which was deleted overnight, indicates he was previously a landlord who also worked in telecommunications and security.

It's not clear whether Woo was in the house at the time of the explosion or involved in the incident.

Yoo's YouTube channel details various legal complaints he has apparently filed in recent years. Documents shared in a number of the videos indicated his address was 844 N. Burlington Street.

In a Nov. 3 video, Woo shared images of his correspondence with various attorneys and federal officials regarding his complaint alleging Rochester General Hospital illegally held him for five days against his will. The letter indicates those who allegedly detained him did so citing a state law enabling a temporary hold of a mentally compromised individual who is at risk of doing harm to himself or others.

Apparently convinced LinkedIn was suppressing his content — including Woo's suggestion that his supposed poor treatment by the police and government was "how White people operate" — Woo shared videos of various now-deleted posts, including criticism of former President Donald Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The "About" section on his YouTube page states, "I gave THEM / Y'ALL every opportunity to 'do the right thing' and all I see is America's hypocrisy, corruption, fraud, conspiracy, CHICKENSHAT. ... #NoneOfTheAbovePARTY #MontyBrewsterish 'U.S. is the world's biggest TERRORIST' (N.Chomsky, ~2015)."

"This guy has been cooped up for years," Wilson said. "He's closed off his windows, no one has really seen him for years."

Ashley Savage, spokeswoman for the ACPD, told the New York Times, "We have not been able to access the home at this point, so I don't have the status of the suspect."

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) wrote on X, "This is very, very scary, and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe."

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