close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Fairfax police release body-worn camera footage of Reston officer-involved shooting
news

Fairfax police release body-worn camera footage of Reston officer-involved shooting

Fairfax County police on Monday released body-worn camera footage of an officer-involved shooting involving a knife-wielding woman in Reston on September 16, 2024.

The woman was killed in the incident that started as a welfare check.

7News is choosing to link to the released body camera video due to its nature.

Watch the press conference below:

An officer responded around 10:17 a.m. to a home in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive for a welfare check after the department received a request from a mental health professional to check on 33-year-old Sydney Wilson, who was reportedly agitated with civil servants.

An officer trained in crisis intervention knocked on Wilson’s door. The video shows Wilson opening the door and immediately closing it in the officer’s face after a brief conversation.

RELATED |Knife-wielding woman killed by police during welfare check; limited duty officer

The officer continued to try to talk to Wilson through the door for two minutes and 45 seconds before she opened the door again, this time armed with a knife.

According to officials, Wilson immediately attacked the officer, hitting him in the head.

The officer was able to retreat and attempted to de-escalate the situation with verbal commands, as seen and heard in the video.

When Wilson continued to approach the officer with the knife and cornered him, he fired his weapon, hitting Wilson three times, police said.

“He did the things we trained him to do and expected of him,” Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

Responding officers began rendering aid until paramedics arrived. Wilson was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, officials said.

The officer involved was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The officer was identified as a 14-year veteran assigned to the Reston Patrol District, according to officials.

“Any loss of life is something we all mourn,” Chief Davis said. “The person whose life was lost in this particular case is no different; she has family, friends and loved ones who love her very much, who care about her and are undoubtedly grieving and upset and we recognize that and our prayers and our thoughts are with this particular family.”

Davis stated that it has been 494 days since his department has had an officer-involved shooting.

READ MORE | Va. Governor Youngkin Defends Removing Non-Citizens From Voter Roll After DOJ Lawsuit

“We are committed to training,” Davis said.

According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Virginia requires each law enforcement agency to have at least 20-25% of the agency’s patrol division trained in crisis intervention. Davis reported that 59% of Fairfax County police are trained.

The chief also explained the department’s Co-Responder Program, in which a physician is routinely dispatched to a situation involving a potential mental or behavioral crisis, which led to the following question asked by the chief himself: Would this phone call would be most appropriately handled by a Co-team? -Respondent team?

“I believe a co-responder would have found themselves in a very dangerous position when this woman came to the door a second time,” Chief Davis said. “If we cannot protect our physicians, the entire Co-Responder Program may ultimately be at risk.”

Per department policy, the officer was placed on restricted duty status pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting.

Questions still remain as to why a second officer was not dispatched from the start.

7News is awaiting a response from FCPD.