FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — Police said a woman died at the hospital after she cut an officer’s face with a knife, forcing the officer to shoot her Monday morning in Reston.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said the officer’s body-worn camera was activated during the encounter in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive, at the Reston Heights apartments. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) first posted about the incident on the on the X platform at 11:06 a.m.
Davis said at a news conference that the woman’s health care provider asked for a wellness check.
The chief said he reviewed the entire footage recorded by the offficer’s camera. He said the officer identified himself and that the woman slammed the door in the officer’s face. Davis said the officer kept knocking on the door, offering to get help for the woman who, minutes later, opened the door. Davis explained when the woman opened the door, she had a knife and began attacking the officer, cutting his face at least once.
Davis said the footage shows the officer repositioning himself, backing away several feet. The woman moved towards the officer, cutting him. The officer told her at least eight times to drop the knife and stop. The 33-year-old woman, whom Davis described as standing 6’5″ tall and around 330 lbs., kept moving towards the officer, at which point the officer opened fire.
The woman fell to the ground. Medics took her to the hospital with critical injuries. She died there.
Davis expected the officer to recover from his injuries. He noted that the woman had family and friends and that the loss of life is something felt by him and his officers.
This is the second deadly shooting that happened at this apartment complex in about a month.
“Seeing police here again is of course uncomfortable,” said Marvin Somoza. “You want to feel safe where you live right, and so I think a lot of tenants right now might be feeling unsafe.”
Davis said officers have had multiple encounters with the woman this year. o