A Northern Virginia police officer fatally shot a 6’5″ 330-pound woman who slashed his face while continually advancing toward the officer despite his repeated warnings for her to stop, police 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 Monday morning, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told WDVM-TV.
The woman fell to the ground after the shooting, the station said, adding that medics took her to a hospital with critical injuries, and she died there.
Davis said at a news conference that the woman’s health care provider asked for a wellness check, the station said, adding that the uniformed officer identified himself and that the woman slammed her door in the officer’s face.
The chief added that the officer kept knocking on the door, offering to get help for the woman, and that the woman opened it minutes later while in possession of a knife, WDVM said.
Davis noted that the woman — who has had multiple encounters with police this year — began attacking the officer with the knife and cut his face at least once, the station reported.
Bodycam video shows the officer repositioning himself, backing away several feet, after which the woman moved toward the officer and cut him, the chief told WDVM.
David described the 33-year-old woman as standing six feet, five inches tall and weighing around 330 pounds, the station said.
The officer told the woman at least eight times to drop the knife and stop, WDVM said, adding that she kept moving toward the officer. Davis said during the news conference that the officer opened fire multiple times.
The woman fell to the ground after the shooting, the station said, adding that medics took her to a hospital with critical injuries, and she died there.
Davis said he expects the officer to recover from his injuries, WDVM noted, adding that the woman had family and friends and that the chief and his officers feel the loss of life.
The station said this was the second deadly shooting at this apartment complex in about a month.
“Seeing police here again is of course uncomfortable,” Marvin Somoza told WDVM. “You want to feel safe where you live, right, and so I think a lot of tenants right now might be feeling unsafe.”
The chief said he reviewed the entire bodycam video and that he will release it to the public well within 30 days, the station said.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
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