HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico Police and Fire officials, Virginia State Police and the FBI have a neighborhood blocked off in the West End Friday while they continue to investigate a situation inside a home involving "potentially hazardous materials."
Police said about 30 families who live in the neighborhood have been evacuated since Thursday, and roads behind the Village Shopping Center in Tuckahoe are blocked off.
Those roads include Ridge Top Road at Patterson Avenue, Horsepen Road at Patterson Avenue, Durwood Crescent at Horsepen Road and Ridge Top Road at Devon Road.
Police escorted those families back to their homes Friday morning for a brief period of time to gather essentials items.
This situation all began Thursday around 12:30 p.m. when police said they went to serve a warrant at a home in the 7200 block of Durwood Crescent — which is where they are continuing their investigation on Friday.
Police said the home is tied to two people who were arrested Wednesday after an alleged domestic incident in the 9600 block of Southmill Drive, which is a little over a mile away from the home on Durwood.
Police got a call Wednesday about a woman being held against her will in the home on Southmill Drive. They said they were able to help her safely leave the home.
A 21-year-old Henrico woman was arrested and charged with contempt and possession of drugs, and 52-year-old Michael Hardy of Henrico was arrested and charged with strangulation resulting in simple assault against a family member, according to police.
Both the 21-year-old woman and Hardy are being held without bond and both have ties to the home on Durwood Crescent, according to police.
When police tried to enter the Durwood Crescent home on Thursday afternoon, they said they became immediately concerned for their safety and the safety of others in the area. That's when they called in more law enforcement and explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) officials.
For overnight, and the morning commute, see map and associated road closures through tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/vFvt3dh3YH
— Henrico Police (@HenricoPolice) March 18, 2022
Officials then went door-to-door on Thursday to evacuate the nearby homes. The neighborhood has been blocked off by police and fire officials ever since.
Just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, police warned Henrico residents who live near the neighborhood that they may hear a loud noise from EOD officials working on something from outside of the home. Operations at the scene ended shortly after and resumed Friday morning.
As of Friday morning, police said they still have not been able to enter the home safely.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
