Oh the drama: Police apprehend stray llama in Fairfax Co. (video)

By Jack Pointer
December 20, 2022 | 7:57 PM

Authorities caught a stray llama after a frenetic foot chase Sunday in Fairfax County, Virginia. It took a few officers, including animal protection police, to catch the much-larger, much-stronger and much-faster llama. The county’s Police Department posted the video on social media.

To view this content from @FairfaxCountyPD on X, click here.

Authorities say it all happened Sunday night, when someone saw the llama near the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road. Police were then alerted. “After eluding our officers, the llama was found in a backyard and safely taken,” Fairfax County police wrote on Facebook. The llama is now in custody at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. The llama has not been charged with any crime, but the shelter would like to hear from you if you’re her legal guardian.

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Breaking the silence around suicide: A Virginia mother shares thoughts on prevention

By Kate Ryan
September 1, 2026 | 4:22 AM

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Betsy Stephenson, an Alexandria, Virginia, resident and a mother who lost her son to suicide, wants people to talk about it. "By not talking about suicide, we are not going to make it go away. In fact, I think that we could inadvertently give it a little more power than it deserves," she told WTOP. One of the things that Stephenson wants families to know is that people who are struggling can appear to be doing well. "You can be very high-functioning as a depressed person or an anxious person," she said. "You can be connected socially. You can be doing well at school or work. You can be making plans, smiling, laughing, engaged, but still be struggling deeply, you know, cosmically, inside."

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