Falls Church Man Arrested after Shooting, Police Confrontation

Fairfax County police have arrested a man who allegedly shot a teenager and engaged in an armed confrontation with law enforcement in Falls Church yesterday (Thursday).

According to the latest update on the situation from the Fairfax County Police Department, police officers responded to an apartment in the 2000 block of Peach Orchard Drive at 10:49 a.m. after a teenager called 9-1-1, saying he had been shot in the face by a man who lives in the apartment.

The caller told the dispatcher that he had taken shelter in a bedroom, but the man was attempting to break in.

Upon arriving at the scene, police officers and a deputy from the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office tried to negotiate with the armed man, but the talks “yielded no progress toward deescalating the situation, and it was evident the victim’s life was in imminent danger,” the FCPD says.

Police then entered the apartment and reportedly exchanged gunfire with the armed man, who is now identified as a 61-year-old Falls Church resident. Two officers shot the man in the upper body, and another officer was grazed by a bullet, resulting in a minor injury that was treated at the scene.

The victim and armed man were both transported to a local hospital by Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department medics.

The victim’s injuries were not considered life-threatening. Roessler told reporters Thursday afternoon that the man underwent surgery, and he has now been taken into police custody.

The FCPD has identified the two officers who discharged their weapons as a 20-year and an 18-year veteran of the department assigned to the special operations division. They have both been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of criminal and administrative investigations.

The criminal investigation is being led by the FCPD’s major crimes bureau, while the administrative investigation is being conducted by the internal affairs bureau. Fairfax County’s independent police auditor will also conduct an independent review.

Police say Roessler will release the names of the officers within 10 days. The suspect’s identity and the charges he will face will be made public once arrest warrants are served.

“All information provided in this release is based on preliminary investigative findings and may be subject to revision as the investigation progresses,” the FCPD says.

Photo via FCPD