FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (WUSA) - While the Brits are reveling in their high medal count at the Olympics in London, one of their own is bringing some embarrassment to the Royal British Navy
He's in jail tonight, after being arrested Saturday and charged with burglary, assault on an officer and destruction of property at a Fredericksburg church.
Fredericksburg police say Edmund Whitehead, 22, spat on an officer during his arrest, which came after he broke stained glass windows at the historic Fredericksburg Baptist Church, one of the oldest and largest churches in the Fredericksburg area.
Whitehead, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was temporarily stationed at Quantico for training exercises.
The incident began when police responded to a report of a man kicking a door in at a local hair salon. Police saw the door but no suspect was in sight, and they began searching the area after the witness gave a description of the man.
When two of the officers involved in the search heard glass breaking at the church, they saw a large item, later found to be a door, crashed through a stained-glass window from inside the church. Police heard more loud sounds from inside and surrounded the building.
When the suspect left the church, he saw the police and surrendered, but began spitting on an officer and continued doing so even after he was placed inside a police cruiser.
Whitehead apparently forced a lock to get inside the church, and threw an interior door out through the stained-glass windows.
The church's administrator Dennis Sacrey said Whitehead's commander has come by personally to apologize for the young officer. Sacrey said the commander said Whitehead plans on paying for the damage, estimated to be at least $10, 000. The commander also told Sacrey that the Royal Navy would pick up anything Whitehead could not pay.