On December 4, 2023, at 8:24 p.m., a house at 844 N. Burlington St. in Arlington County, Virginia, exploded, causing significant destruction to the adjoining property at 846 N. Burlington St. The incident began at 4:44 p.m. when an Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) officer, stationed nearby at Fire Station 2, heard gunshots and traced them to 844 N. Burlington St.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officer learned from neighbors that the resident, James Yoo, was reclusive and possibly armed. Neighbors also mentioned recent deliveries of large amounts of charcoal, lighter fluid, and bleach to the residence. Additional ACPD officers observed someone firing flares from a second-story window, with some flares landing in traffic on N. George Mason Drive.
ACPD attempted to communicate with Mr. Yoo, knocking on the door, using a PA system, and contacting family members, but received no response. They evacuated nearby houses and obtained a search warrant, subsequently cutting off the house’s natural gas supply. Despite repeated commands, Mr. Yoo did not comply, and ACPD breached the front door with a BearCat vehicle. Mr. Yoo responded by firing gunshots from inside the house.
In an effort to subdue Mr. Yoo, ACPD fired chemical agent rounds into the residence. At 8:24 p.m., an explosion originating in the basement demolished both 844 and 846 N. Burlington St. Mr. Yoo was later found deceased in the rubble, with an autopsy citing thermal injuries and blunt force trauma as the cause of death.
An investigation by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed Mr. Yoo had significant weaponry and flammable materials. They concluded that the explosion was likely caused by gasoline vapors igniting after the house was breached by police.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence and concluded that ACPD officers acted reasonably given the circumstances and no criminal charges are warranted.