Alexandria police unveil first hate crime policy, announce arrest in Christmas Day assault
New directive requires immediate detective response, chain-of-command notification to chief
The Alexandria Police Department on Monday announced its first comprehensive hate crime policy while providing an update on the arrest of a Maryland woman accused of assaulting a man inside a Duke Street grocery store on Christmas Day in what investigators believe was a bias-motivated attack.
Chief Tarrick McGuire said the policy, which took effect Jan. 9, was developed over the past year through collaboration with civil rights organizations and faith leaders. It establishes clear standards for identifying, investigating and documenting crimes motivated by bias based on a victim’s actual or perceived race, religion, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or ethnic or national origin.
“Hate crimes are not only acts, but they are violations of fundamental rights,” McGuire said during a press conference at police headquarters. “They target individuals because of who they are or are perceived to be and they are intended to intimidate entire communities.”
The announcement came as the department detailed the Dec. 25 incident at the Giant grocery store at 3131 Duke St., where a 34-year-old woman allegedly approached and assaulted a 24-year-old man she did not know.
Police identified the suspect as Shibritney Colbert of Landover, Maryland. Video evidence shown during the press conference captured Colbert pushing the victim, throwing groceries at him and making derogatory statements about his sexual orientation for more than a minute.
Officers responded after a 911 call reported a fight inside the store. Colbert fled the scene and eluded officers in a vehicle as they attempted to detain her in the parking lot, police said.
Capt. Mike May, head of the criminal investigation division, said detectives joined patrol officers the day after Christmas to locate the suspect in Prince George’s County.
“We worked with PG County Police and the U.S. Marshal Service to coordinate an apprehension,” May said.
Colbert was taken into custody Thursday and remains in the Prince George’s County Jail awaiting extradition to Alexandria. She faces charges of felony eluding, assault and battery, destruction of property and driving an unregistered vehicle.
The department is working with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office to seek enhanced penalties under Virginia’s bias crime statutes.
“We will continue to advocate that this be prosecuted with enhanced penalties due to the crime being focused on bias,” May said.
What the policy requires
Under Directive 2.10, officers must respond in person to all suspected hate crimes and bias incidents and immediately notify a supervisor. That supervisor must then notify the watch commander, who alerts the chief of police through the chain of command.
The patrol captain must immediately notify the criminal investigations division captain, who will assign a detective to respond to the scene.
The policy also requires the department to report hate crime data to both the Virginia State Police, as mandated by state law, and voluntarily to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System. The criminal investigations division must provide the chief with a bi-annual report analyzing bias motivation, offender information and location types.
A key feature of the directive addresses incidents that don’t rise to the level of criminal charges. Non-criminal incidents motivated by hate or bias must still be investigated and documented as police information reports.
“There are also other times where there are hate incidents within our community that may not rise to the level of a hate crime,” McGuire said. “We want to ensure that that is documented because those behaviors coming from individuals are clear predictors of possible furtherance behavior in the future.”
Community collaboration
The policy development included input from the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP Alexandria Branch, Islamic Relief, Jewish congregations, and leaders from various faith communities.
“The NAACP Alexandria Branch is committed to working in concert with the Alexandria Police Department to strengthen our approach to hate crimes and bias incidents,” said Darrilyn Franklin, president of the NAACP Alexandria Branch, in a press release provided by the Alexandria Police Department. “This collaboration focused on providing input during the development of the policy.”
Liz Bayer, executive director of Beth El Hebrew Congregation, praised the department’s efforts.
“At a time when antisemitism is at unprecedented levels, this Hate Crimes Policy demonstrates Alexandria’s commitment to standing against all hate,” Bayer said. “We appreciate the accountability, tracking, and immediate response protocols that will help all of us — regardless of faith — feel safer and more respected in our community.”
Rising numbers statewide
Federal data shows more than 11,000 hate crime incidents occurred nationwide in 2024, while Virginia State Police data indicates approximately 340 hate crime incidents statewide — a 50% increase from the prior year.
In Alexandria, annual hate crime reports have ranged from one to four incidents over the past five years.
“Our position is unequivocal,” McGuire said. “One bias or hate crime is too many for our community.”
The department also announced it continues to pursue grant funding for community protection, including a $200,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services that provides security enhancements for faith-based communities.
Anyone who witnessed the Dec. 25 incident is asked to contact the non-emergency number at 703-838-4444.