Police in Virginia continued negotiations on Wednesday with an armed, barricaded woman more than 24 hours after the standoff began along a busy highway.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the standoff began about 11 a.m. Tuesday when the woman barricaded herself inside a car in Alexandria, a northern Virginia city just outside of Washington, D.C.
“We are still on scene of the barricade in the 7400 (block) of Richmond Hwy. A woman remains in a vehicle armed with a handgun,” the department tweeted about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. “Richmond Hwy remains closed between Lockheed (Boulevard) and Boswell (Avenue).”
Crisis negotiators and special operations division members continue to work to peacefully resolve this barricade, the agency reported.
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Police said the closure was expected to impact rush hour traffic and were asking drivers to avoid the area.
Police spokesperson Lt. James Curry told local outlet ABC7 a team of negotiators are in communication with the woman, who barricaded herself after a brief police chase Tuesday morning.
It was not immediately known why police were pursing the woman.
“The goal here is to have her come out peacefully and resolve this,” Curry told the outlet.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
