Fairfax police release body-worn camera footage from the officer-involved shooting in Reston

RESTON, Va. (7News) — Fairfax County police released body-worn camera footage Monday from an officer-involved shooting involving a knife-wielding woman on Sept. 16, 2024, in Reston.

The woman was killed in the incident, which began as a welfare check.

7News has chosen to link to the body camera video released due to its nature.

Watch the press conference below:

An officer responded to a home in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive for a welfare check around 10:17 a.m. after the department received a request from a psychologist to check on Sydney Wilson, 33, who was reportedly agitated to officers .

An officer trained in crisis intervention knocked on Wilson’s door. The video shows Wilson opening the door and, after a brief exchange, immediately closing it in the officer’s face.

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The officer continued to try to talk to Wilson through the door for two minutes and 45 seconds before she opened it again, this time armed with a knife.

According to officials, Wilson immediately attacked the officer and slashed his head.

The officer was able to back away and attempted to de-escalate the situation through verbal commands, as seen and heard in the video.

As Wilson continued to advance toward the officer with the knife and corner him, he fired his weapon, hitting Wilson three times, police said.

“He did the things we teach him and expect him to do,” Chief Kevin Davis said in a news conference Monday afternoon.

Responding officers began rendering aid until emergency personnel arrived. Wilson was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, officials said.

The officer involved was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to officials, the officer was identified as a 14-year veteran of the Reston Patrol District.

“Any loss of life is something we all grieve,” said Chief Davis. “The person whose life was lost in this particular case is no different; “She has a family and friends and loved ones who love her very much, who care about her and are undoubtedly grieving and upset, and we recognize that and we pray and think about it.”

Davis said it has been 494 days since an officer-involved shooting occurred in his department.

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“We are committed to education,” Davis said.

According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Virginia requires each law enforcement agency to have at least 20-25% of the agency’s patrol division trained in crisis intervention. Davis reported that 59% of Fairfax County police are trained.

The chief also explained the department’s co-responder program, in which a clinician is routinely dispatched to a situation where there could be a potential mental health or behavioral crisis, which led to the following question from the chief himself: Would this call be best edited by a co-employee? -Responder team?

“I believe that an accessory would have been in a very dangerous position the second time this woman came to the door,” Chief Davis said. “Ultimately, if we cannot protect our physicians, the entire co-responder program may be at risk.”

Per department policy, the officer has been placed on restricted duty status pending the outcome of the shooting investigation.

The question still remains as to why a second officer was not sent in from the start.

7News is awaiting a response from FCPD.