A suspect in the armed robberies of a convenience store and a gas station in the City of Falls Church was apprehended after a brief standoff at the Stratford Motor Lodge involving multiple police units including a SWAT team and helicopters last Friday.
The suspect, 39-year-old Marcus Perry of Washington, D.C., was arrested after police say he fired a gun inside the S. Washington Street 7-Eleven and pistol whipped two employees before fleeing with cash in the early morning hours Friday. Later the same day, police say Perry used a gun to strike an employee at Exxon on W. Broad St. before getting away with cash.
Before the arrest was announced last Friday, a large police presence developed in the heart of Falls Church that morning, surrounding the W. Broad St. motel, and included an Arlington County Police SWAT team, Fairfax County K9 and helicopter units. Police would not release any information on the operation while it was occurring out of caution to avoid an escalation in the situation, a City spokesperson told the News-Press.
A video of the arrest provided to the News-Press shows the operation concluding with Perry arrested peacefully after being ordered out of a ground floor motel room by police.
Police say Perry was involved in the armed robbery of the 7-Eleven at 804 S. Washington St. around 2:45 a.m. Friday and later that morning, the Exxon at 400 W. Broad St. around 8:40. The victims were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and at least two received sutures to the head.
Perry has been charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and three counts of malicious wounding. He is currently being held without bond.
In a statement to the News-Press this week, Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin said of the arrest, “This operation was a success due to a number of factors including outstanding observation skills, documentation and tactics by City Police which eventually lead to spotting the subject. A business involved also played a pivotal role thanks to video surveillance.
“Our mutual aid partners contributed significantly to the operation, including the Falls Church Sheriff’s Office, Arlington Police Department SWAT team, Fairfax County K9 and helicopter units, and the Alexandria Police Department Public Information Office.”
“This was a tense and dangerous approach to a very violent offender. I am proud of the swift and peaceful conclusion,” she said.