The Alexandria Police Department’s Special Operations Team spent Friday morning cleaning up Charles W. Hill Park in Del Ray to honor its namesake.

Charles W. Hill was killed in a hostage situation in Old Town 24 years ago Friday. The APD’s Special Operations Team adopted the small park, which is located at 300 E. Oxford Avenue, that was named after Hill after his death.

On March 22, 1989, Hill was partnered with Officer Andrew Chelchowski when Alexandria's Special Operations Team was called to the 300 block of Hopkins Court.

Jamie Wise, an escapee from a halfway house in the District, had taken hostages inside a home to collect a debt on a drug deal.

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., Wise emerged from the home holding a sawed-off shotgun to the head of a hostage. A police marksman fired and hit Wise in the heart. High on drugs, Wise fired twice before other officers opened fire. Wise died, but his two shots struck Hill in the head and Chelchowski in the legs.

Hill was taken to Washington Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m.

Chelchowski committed suicide in 1993 after battling the stress from the incident.

Hill, 40, had served with the Alexandria Police Department for 13 years and had previously served with the New York City Police Department. He was survived by his wife, Virginia, their sons Charles and Robert, and his mother.

For more information, check out the “In Memoriam” section of the City of Alexandria’s website and the Alexandria Police Foundation website.

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