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Virginia officer fatally shoots woman after knife attack during welfare check: Watch
A welfare check in Reston ended tragically when a police officer shot Sydney Wilson, 33, after she attacked him with a knife.
A tragic incident unfolded in Reston, Virginia, when a Fairfax County police officer shot and killed 33-year-old Sydney Wilson after she attacked him with a knife during a welfare check on September 16.
Disturbing body camera footage released by authorities shows the exact moment Wilson charged the officer. The incident began around 10 a.m. when the officer, a 14-year veteran of the force, arrived at Wilson's apartment for a routine welfare check.
After knocking on her door and identifying himself, the video shows Wilson abruptly slamming the door shut. The officer knocked again, and after a brief pause of about two minutes, Wilson reopened the door and immediately lunged at the officer with a knife.
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Wilson allegedly slashed the officer's face multiple times. The officer retreated down the hallway while drawing his weapon. Despite his attempts to distance himself, the officer fired three shots, ultimately stopping the attack. He then radioed for assistance, reporting that shots had been fired and that he had been injured.
Within minutes, another officer in plainclothes arrived at the scene and began performing CPR on Wilson. Sadly, her injuries proved fatal.
Fairfax County Police say the situation could have been ‘much, much worse’
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis later explained that the officer had limited options and “It could have been much, much, much worse.”
“The slash, gash and slash wound he received was at the top of his forehead.”
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Fairfax County officers typically respond with a mental health co-responder, but Chief Davis revealed that the nearest co-responder was on another call at the time. “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,” he stated.
