Man Chases Employees Around Arlington Hotel Lobby: Police

ARLINGTON, VA — A man was arrested after police say he chased and attacked employees in an Arlington hotel and then fought with a police officer.

Police were called to the 2300 block of Richmond Highway at around 2 a.m. on Nov. 29 to a report of an assault, and determined that it all started when a man in the lobby of a hotel there was approached by staff asking if he was a guest, according to a report from the Arlington County Police Department.

"The suspect was determined not to be a guest and, upon an employee confronting him, the suspect allegedly tackled the employee to the ground and assaulted him, before fleeing on foot," the report states. "The suspect then returned to the business and began chasing the employees."

The man tried to flee the hotel on foot and police ordered him to stop, but he kept walking, the report states.

"The officer made contact with the suspect and attempted to place him in handcuffs, however, he actively resisted," the report adds. "A brief struggle ensued, during which the suspect attempted to bite the officer and scratched the officer, causing a laceration. During the course of the investigation, it was determined the suspect had also stolen an employee’s personal belongings."

The man would not identify himself, so police booked him under the name John Doe and charged him with assault and battery on police, grand larceny, and two counts of assault and battery, police say.