Glen Allen man ticketed during Virginia War Memorial ceremony

A Glen Allen man was ticketed by Virginia Capitol Police for parking in a tow-away zone during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial Thursday.

Ronald Hedlund, 60, drove his pick-up truck over a sidewalk and parked in a banned area on Second Street near the base of the memorial’s amphitheater to display a large banner from the back of his truck that said “F*** Biden” (the word was spelled out).

A Chesterfield veteran, 58-year-old Carl Grunow, came down from the crowded amphitheater during the ceremony, climbed in the bed of the truck and removed his suit jacket in an attempt to cover the sign. Capitol Police issued him a summons for disorderly conduct and escorted him to his car. He then left the area.

"Capitol Police officers made every attempt to de-escalate the matter and allow the ceremony to conclude first without interruption," said Col. Anthony S. Pike, the agency's chief. "We are very sensitive to a person's right to freely speak their mind, but when they will not work with our attempts to de-escalate matters, we are left with little choice."

Pike said Capitol Police would continue to look into the actions of Hedlund and speak with the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office about whether additional charges would be filed.