Herndon, Virginia, police announced Friday night that residents of the evacuated homes in the Herndon Station Square neighborhood would be allowed to return to their homes after finding the “alarming” chemical substances found in the home of a wanted man were, in fact, legal to possess.
Around 11:30 a.m. Friday morning, police were called to the 200 block of Herndon Station Square to execute a search warrant on behalf of a Pennsylvania county police department in the home of a man. The man, later identified as 44-year-old Steven Timothy Kyle, was wanted on multiple counts of criminal mischief, stalking and harassment by the Central Bucks Regional Police Department.
In collaboration with the Fairfax County Police Department bomb squad and ATF Washington, police evacuated at least 20 nearby homes after they discovered “chemical substances and other evidence that raised alarm,” Herndon police said in a post on X.
“While officers from the Herndon Police Department and investigators were searching the house, they found some chemicals and other substances that caused them some alarm,” said Herndon police Capt. Steve Pihonak during a news conference Friday evening.
Pihonak later recanted this statement, saying that “they’ve determined none of those chemicals are illegal to posses.” He added that multiple firearms were taken from Kyle’s home.
“It wasn’t like in the typical homeowner’s garage where they would have … paint over here and this and that. It was definitely suspicious in nature, to how he had these in the home,” he said.
The W&OD Trail is closed between Grace and Center streets. Grace Street will be closed until further notice between Haley Place and Park Avenue. The Herndon Fortnightly Library and Boulevard, as well as the Herndon Harbor Adult Day Health Care Center, are also closed until further notice.
“We’re still combing through details. It is going to be a long process. It’s going to be a meticulous, slow process,” he added.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman reported live from the scene where residents of the 20 homes have been displaced. He said police are working with the county’s emergency management department to find accommodations as they assume residents will not be able to stay the night in their homes Friday.
Ready Fairfax, the county’s department of emergency management and security, announced residents will be staying at a makeshift shelter at the Sully Community Center and transportation will be provided for those who need it.
“We anticipate that we will be there overnight, so anyone who needs sheltering can come anytime throughout the night,” said Courtney Arroyo, community engagement manager of Ready Fairfax.
Below is a map of where the incident took place:
This story is ongoing. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
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