Chief: Annandale Suspect Grabbed Officer's Gun Before Shooting

Updated: 1:35 p.m.

ANNANDALE, VA — A man accused of threatening his wife with knives and grabbing a Fairfax County police officer's handgun was shot and wounded Tuesday morning during a domestic violence investigation in Annandale, Police Chief Kevin Davis said.

The non-fatal officer-involved shooting occurred in a wooded area near the 7000 block of Sutter Lane after officers responded shortly before 10 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance.

According to Davis, a woman called 911 to report that her husband was threatening her while stabbing himself with knives inside their home. As officers arrived, they saw the man running from the residence while the woman identified him as her husband.

Officers Conducted Methodical Search

Rather than immediately pursuing the suspect into nearby woods, officers established a perimeter and called in K-9 units because they believed the man was armed with two knives.

About 15 minutes later, two K-9 officers and a patrol officer entered the wooded area to search for him. Davis said the suspect had concealed himself in thick brush before suddenly emerging and grabbing an officer's firearm.

"I've seen this body camera footage at least 50 times," Davis said. "The suspect takes his right hand, he grabs the firearm that the police officer had in his hand."

Davis said the suspect wrapped his hand around the officer's pistol, forcing the officer to use both hands to retain control of the weapon. During the struggle, the lieutenant, a 13-year veteran of the department, fired three rounds. One bullet grazed the suspect's upper right shoulder.

At the same time, another officer deployed a Taser as officers carried out a plan in which one officer provided lethal-force coverage while another was prepared to use less-lethal force if needed. None of the officers were injured.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he received stitches for what Davis described as non-life-threatening injuries.

Body Cameras Captured Encounter

Davis said two officers' body-worn cameras captured the confrontation, including the suspect grabbing the officer's handgun.

"The beauty of body cameras is it informs not only law enforcement leadership about what happened, but it puts me in a position to share that information and those facts with the community," Davis said.

Under Fairfax County Police policy, body camera footage from the incident is expected to be released within 30 days.

Investigators later used footage from approximately 30 privately owned cameras registered through the department's Connect Fairfax County program to determine that the suspect discarded the two knives while fleeing. Police recovered both knives after reviewing the footage. Davis said investigators believe the knives were used both to cause self-inflicted wounds and to threaten the man's wife. Officers did not know the suspect had discarded the knives when they entered the wooded area.

Davis said the suspect has a significant history of domestic violence involving the victim, though he declined to discuss the man's criminal record in detail. The couple shares a child, who was not at the home during the incident.

The suspect is expected to face multiple charges, including felony assault on a law enforcement officer and attempting to disarm a police officer. Additional charges related to the domestic violence incident remain under investigation.

The shooting remains under criminal and administrative investigation, which is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting. Victim Services personnel are assisting the victim, Davis said.