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Newspaper: Latson Did Nothing Wrong

Reginald “Neli” Latson, 18, faces charges of assaulting a police officer.
Stafford, Va. –– There is a renewed call to free a 19-year-old Reginald Neli Latson, in March was sentenced to serve two years in prison after he assaulted a police officer in 2010.

Latson, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, injured Stafford Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Calvary so badly he was forced to resign from the force, after Calvary had been called to North Stafford High School to investigate Latson as a suspicious person.

Calvary tried to get Latson to identify himself, but Latson beat the officer causing severe ankle injuries. 

For the beating, Latson was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison with all but two suspended.

The San Francisco Bay View, a black newspaper, is asking readers to sign a petition to free Laston saying he belongs in a treatment center and not in prison.

“This case has raised concerns about how law enforcement deals with the developmentally or mentally disabled. Latson had done nothing wrong and was completely within his rights to sit on the grass until the library opened, but was accosted by an officer who then proceeded to question, detain and arrest him, even after confirming he did not have a gun. Once it was established that he did not have a gun, Neli Latson should have been left alone,” the paper stated.

In addition to the sentencing for the assault on the law enforcement officer, Latson was also sentenced in March to serve seven months in prison on an unrelated assault.

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Looking for art opportunities in the DMV? ArtsFairfax.org is your online destination to find and promote artist calls in and around Fairfax. Our Artist Calls directory is always free to use and highlights opportunities to audition, exhibit artwork, or secure commissions. Be sure to check out ArtsFairfax Artist Calls on an ongoing basis – new opportunities are added every week.

In addition to a dozen or so Artist Calls from throughout the region, ArtsFairfax is proud to host the following:

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For illustrators, visual artists, and graphic designers, we are working with the Fairfax250 Commission to wrap a 37’-long RV that will travel to hundreds of events across Fairfax County. A signage company will handle the installation – all we need is the design. See your art on this rolling billboard all year long!

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On June 20th, 2025, Woodbridge Rotary Club will be holding our 21st annual charity golf tournament. This tournament is in memory of two of our past Presidents and valued members of the community. Joe Devaney passed away March 22, 2005 and a few years ago, Bill O’Hop passed away barely a week after playing in this tournament in 2015. Both Joe and Bill were each other’s best friends and they both loved golf! Please help us pay tribute to our dear friends by participating in this tournament and helping us to support our local and international charities. If you are interested in golfing, sponsoring, donating a door prize and/or know someone who is, please contact us (Mark Worrilow [email protected] or 703-244-8702). Signing up is also possible using the QR code.

Submit your own Community Post here.

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