An Arlington man was fatally shot by a police officer who had responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment Tuesday morning, in an incident that also injured the first two officers on the scene.
One Arlington County Police officer underwent surgery for a severe facial laceration he received when the subject attacked him, authorities said. A second officer suffered a stun gun injury when they entered the man's apartment near the Ballston area of Arlington County Tuesday morning.
The man who died has been identified as 54-year-old Alfredo Rials-Torres.
The incident began just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, when officers were called to The Gates of Ballston apartment complex in the 4200 block of 2nd Road N. for the report of a domestic incident. When the officers arrived, they heard screaming coming from inside the second-story apartment.
A neighbor said that a loud argument between the man and his mother had caused them to call 911.
"We just heard screaming, and I heard them fighting, and my mom was concerned about that something was going to happen," said a boy who lives below Rials-Torres. "She didn't want anybody to get hurt so she called police but she didn't expect this to happen."
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The boy said the man seemed to become angry when his mother told him he needed to get a job.
Authorities said there was a confrontation when the officers entered the apartment. At some point, the officers fired their weapons, striking Rials-Torres in the chest, Arlington County police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.
Residents report hearing two to three gunshots, then watched as police and medics gave first aid to Rials-Torres. He was taken to Virginia Hospital Center, where he died.
It's not clear whether he was armed.
One of the officers suffered a significant, but not life-threatening facial injury. He was transported to an area hospital and underwent surgery.
A second officer was injured by a stun gun. He will be released from the hospital soon.
A woman inside the apartment also suffered minor injuries.
Several hours after the shooting, a large police presence remained in the neighborhood. Sternbeck said the investigation is continuing and that the sequence in which the officers and Rials-Torres sustained their injuries is not yet clear.
Children in the neighborhood describe Rials-Torres as someone they feared and avoided.
A boy told News4 his mother called 911 about four months ago when Rials Torres kicked at their apartment door. He said he once saw the man attack a child.
"He actually pushed a little girl over ... I just knew he was a dangerous man ... because we come to play out here and sometimes he tries to hit us," said the boy.
Michael McLaughlin, a next-door neighbor, said Rials-Torres had lived in the complex for several years, helping take care of his mother. He said that while the man acted strangely, he never felt threatened by him or perceived him as dangerous.
The apartment complex is located in the Buckingham neighborhood, a working-class area of Arlington south of Ballston.
Stay with News4 on-air and online for more on this developing story.
