Woman shot dead by police after allegedly cutting officer’s face, police said
A Reston, Virginia, woman was shot and killed by a police officer after she stabbed him in the face, according to Fairfax County police.
A Reston, Virginia, woman was shot and killed by a police officer after she stabbed him in the face, according to Fairfax County police.
It happened Monday morning when police were asked to check on a woman at her apartment in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, according to Fairfax County police.
The woman’s health care provider contacted Prince William County police and asked that officers check on her, Davis said. That department contacted Fairfax County police, who inquired about her well-being.
When police first knocked on the door of the 33-year-old woman’s third-floor apartment around 10 a.m., she quickly opened the door, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
“He immediately identified himself as a police officer and she slammed the door in his face,” Davis said. “He kept knocking on her door to ask for help.”
According to Fairfax County police, a police shooting occurred on September 16, 2024, in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive in Reston, resulting in the death of a 33-year-old woman. (Frank Becker/7News)
Frank Becker/7News
A knife was found at the scene of a shooting in Reston, which police said a suspect was brandishing. (Courtesy of Fairfax County Police)
Courtesy of Fairfax County Police
Fairfax County police plan to release footage of the shooting at a Reston apartment building. (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)
WTOP/Nick Iannelli
A few minutes later she came back to the door with a knife.
“She started stabbing our police officer and he suffered knife wounds to his face,” Davis said at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
After being interrupted, the officer stepped away from the woman and told her to “step back” at least eight times, Davis said after viewing body camera footage of the incident.
“She is 6’5″ and weighs 330 pounds,” Davis said. “She came at him with a knife after already cutting him at least once.”
The officer fired his weapon several times, shooting the woman. She was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she later died. The woman’s name was not released publicly by police.
The injured police officer was taken to hospital for treatment of his knife wounds. His injuries are not life-threatening.
A knife was seized at the crime scene, police said.
The officer who shot the woman is under investigation. Davis said it was the first shooting involving a Fairfax County police officer in more than a year and a half.
“We know this woman has family and friends, and the loss of her life is something we all regret,” Davis said. “Our officer acted bravely. He certainly demonstrated a certain grace under pressure.”
Fairfax County police release bodycam footage of officer-involved shootings within 30 days, but Davis said he plans to release footage of Monday’s incident “much more quickly.”
David said the officer in charge of welfare control had received crisis intervention training, which is designed to prepare officers to help people in mental health crisis.
“He’s one of our officers who is trained to deal with people who are in that state of mind,” Davis said. “But the bottom line is we don’t have an answer for someone who attacks a police officer by slashing him in the face with a knife. So this officer was protecting himself, and you could argue he was protecting other residents as well.”
It happened on the same block as the fatal shooting last month at a Golds Gym. There is no evidence that the shootings are related.
WTOP’s Nick Iannelli reported from the scene. This story is becoming more and more current. Stay with WTOP for the latest updates.
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