Disturbing police body camera video shows a Virginia woman charging a Fairfax County police officer with a knife moments before he shot and killed her.
Just after 10 a.m. Sept. 16, a 14-year veteran knocked on 33-year-old Sydney Wilson’s apartment door to perform a welfare check in Reston.
As the officer identified himself, Wilson slammed the door shut, video shows. The officer knocked again, and two minutes later, Wilson opened the door and attacked him with a knife.
Wilson allegedly slashed the officer on the face a few times before the officer pulled his weapon and retreated down the hallway. The officer fired three times before radioing shots were fired and he needed help.
Within minutes, a plainclothes officer was on the scene and began CPR.
Chief Kevin Davis said the unnamed officer did what he could to deescalate the situation but could not retreat any further down the hallway when he fired.
“It could have been much, much, much worse,” he said. “The slash, gash and slash wound he received was at the top of his forehead.”
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In welfare checks like these, officers usually respond with a mental health co-responder, Davis said, but the one nearby was on another call.
Davis said he is thankful for that, since the co-responder could have been badly hurt as well.
“Clinicians absolutely expose themselves to an element of danger any time they get out of a police car and go up to a door or a scene of a crash or an outdoor scenario with a police officer, and there’s an element of risk associated with it.”
Davis said he is not sure a co-responder could have made a difference in this case.
The officer remains on administrative duties as the investigation continues.
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