Arlington off-duty police officer arrested & charged after early morning dispute

ARLINGTON, VA - An off-duty Arlington County police officer has been arrested and charged with "malicious wounding and destruction of property" after a verbal and physical altercation with a woman early in the morning of August 5th near the 2300 block of Columbia Pike. 

Arlington County Police were dispatched just after 5 AM to a residential building and upon arrival, police found an injured female victim outside. She was then transported to an area hospital for treatment (and later was released). The suspect, William Hahn, 34, of Arlington, was found inside the building and taken into custody. 

The investigation discovered that the two individuals left a nightlife establishment and drove to the 800 block of S. Scott Street where a verbal dispute took place in a car. During the dispute, both the suspect and the victim exited the car and the suspect broke the victim's phone. The suspect then threw the victim to the ground and physically assaulted them. Both individuals got back in the car, and drove to the 2300 block of Columbia Pike, entered a parking garage at which time another verbal dispute occurred followed by the suspect striking the victim in the face. Another person in the building contacted the Emergency Communications Center after observing the victim's injuries while the two parties waited for the elevator. 

Hahn was hired by the Arlington County Police Department in June 2020 and was placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the investigation and was held without bond when arrested. 

Arlington County Police Chief Andy Penn stated "I want to assure the community these serious criminal allegations reflect behavior that is unacceptable by any member of our agency and these actions are in direct contradiction to our role as professional law enforcement officers. We are committed to holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards while remaining transparent to ensure the public’s trust and will complete a comprehensive criminal and internal administrative investigation into this incident."

Arlington County Police Department is asking anyone with more information to assist in the investigation to contact their Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or ACPDTipline@arlingtonva.us. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).