Thieves broke down the door at 7 Corners Pharmacy in Falls Church then went to the back to take Adderall, OxyContin and several other controlled substances, police said.

The break-in triggered a phone alert to the owners.   

“I told my wife we better get up there quick, soon as possible,” the owner said. “So, we get here, the police was here already.”

The owners said the thieves were in and out within five minutes.

The owners added extra lights and security cameras outside but said they still live in constant fear.

“Every night I worry that will they come back or not?” the owner said. “And so I will check every time I go home, I check around any car or any people that walk around.”

Fairfax County police said four pharmacies within a few miles of each other have been robbed since March. They believe it’s likely the same thieves.

“There’s a concern that those drugs will find their way into the community, so that’s why we feel a sense of urgency to try to catch these criminals and hold them accountable and also take those substances off the street that could be potentially harmful,” Fairfax County police Sgt. Jacob Pearce said.

Last month, six CVS stores were robbed in D.C. in less than two weeks. Fairfax County police said they’re considering the possibility it could be connected. 

The child was walking near Island Creek Elementary School to go to a playground in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County at 4:15 p.m., when a man grabbed the child by the arm, police say. Investigators said the child was able to pull away and quickly run back to the school.

Police described the suspect as a black man who is 40-years-old, 6’1”, thin and bald. The suspect was wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans and had a black backpack.

Officers searched the area with a K9 and a helicopter, but couldn’t find the man.

Police are asking people who live in the area to look at their home surveillance videos.

Anyone with tips can call 703-246-7800 or 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477).

Samantha Jennings-Jones was born 37 years ago today in South Korea. Two months later, she was adopted by a Maryland couple.

“As a child, she was precocious,” said her husband, Jon Libbersmeier. “She was very opinionated but she always had her eyes on her own personal prize and was always working toward those goals and she just kind of charted her own path.”

That path took her to the University of Maryland and eventually to the Coast Guard as an employee specializing in cybersecurity. That led her to a position with what’s known as the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. Her task was creating and implementing a new cybersecurity plan.

As a child, her favorite show was “The West Wing.” Going to work at the White House every day was her dream job. 

“She was beaming with pride, and I was so proud of her, too,” Libbersmeier said. “She was so energized and invigorated to be working on that level of stuff. She really enjoyed being close to the flagpole, as we say in the government.”

Every day, he puts flowers at the site along Richmond Highway where she was struck while walking from a store March 30. 

“It’s devastating to go from this perfect life with your partner and my person to this life-sized void where your future and your optimism is just gone,” Libbersmeier said tearfully. 

Jennings-Jones’ coworkers and the couple’s friends provide him with support. 

He also found solace in a personal call from President Joe Biden, who lost his wife and baby daughter in a crash decades ago.

“His words, that was the first time since the accident that something kind of resonated with me and made me feel a little bit like somebody understood,” Libbersmeier said. 

When her boss asked Libbersmeier what they could do to help, he asked if a scholarship would be possible. It was immediately created in her name to help women start or advance a career in cybersecurity. 

“Sam was all about girl power and about professional women,” Libbersmeier said. “And for me, personally, it’s nice to see something that will carry on.”

The goal for the scholarship is to raise $50,000. Already, $27,000 has been donated. 

On the day Jennings-Jones would have turned 37, her husband said he would gather with friends and colleagues to raise a toast and remember these words he put in her obituary: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

The 23-year-old with Down syndrome was living on her own for the first time and working. Her teachers at the Pulley Career Center in Fairfax County looked to her as an example of what was possible.

“Melia was just a ray of sunshine always, and she just brought hope and laughter and lightness and just pure joy every day,” Melissa Bindocci of Pulley Center said.

Many of her teachers were in tears Thursday as Jones’ killer was sentenced to three consecutive life prison terms. Her father watched, too.

David Cunningham was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing Jones, his neighbor.

Jones’ father found her body in her apartment Dec. 7, 2021, wrapped in her Hannah Montana blanket with her T-shirt tied around her neck and a plastic bag over her head. She had been strangled and brutally sexually assaulted. Furniture was toppled to make the crime look like some sort of robbery.

Prosecutors said security camera video revealed the premeditation of the crime.

A day before the murder, it showed Jones happily dancing as she awaited a food delivery. Cunningham lurked behind a truck, eventually speaking to her.

He followed her inside her apartment just down the hall from his.

DNA and fingerprint evidence gathered through painstaking police work was key. They found Cunningham’s fingerprints on an aerosol spray can in MJ’s bedrooms. Her blood was on the bottom of the sandals security camera video showed he was wearing the day of the murder.

In multiple interviews with police, Cunningham never confessed to murder but kept changing his story, including on the day of the arrest when he started by saying he only kissed MJ, later admit more when police confronted him about the DNA.

When the judge asked Cunningham if he had anything to say, he declined, offering no apology, no remorse.

Virginia Feb 8

Verdict Nears for Man Accused of Killing Woman With Down Syndrome

Alexandria Jan 31

Trial Begins in Killing of Alexandria Woman With Down Syndrome

Prosecutors asked for and received the stiffest sentence possible in this extremely disturbing case.

MJ’s teachers said the crime has hit them hard, deeply impacting their work to help their students gain skills and independence.

“Because a lot of our students have difficulty understanding what a predator looks like, because it can look like your neighbor, and so that’s been really challenging for us as a group,” Bindocci said.

But they will continue to fondly remember MJ.

“When you see a butterfly fly by or a bird in the sky, just to take a moment and take it in, because that’s what Melia was,” Bindocci said. “She was a free spirit and a happy spirit.”

Cunningham’s defense plans to file an appeal.

Braden Deahl, of Arlington County, died after he was stabbed, police said in an update Tuesday. He was 18.

Jonas Skinner, of Ashburn, died after he was shot. He was 20.

Vladimir Garcia Montes, 18, of Falls Church, was charged with robbery resulting in death, police said Wednesday. A 17-year-old faces the same charge. Police said to expect updates as the investigation continues.

“Detectives believe a drug-related robbery led to the fatal shooting of one man and the fatal stabbing of another,” a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department said.

K9s found a “significant amount of marijuana nearby believed to be connected to the homicide,” police said.

Officers were called to an apartment building in the 2200 block of Pimmit Run Lane at about 3:35 p.m. Monday. They found Deahl, Skinner and two other people who had been stabbed.

Skinner was found in a laundry room with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Medics declared him dead on the scene. Deahl and two other people were found in the parking lot with stab wounds to the upper body. Deahl was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The other two people who were stabbed were taken to a hospital for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. One of those victims, who is younger than 18, was still hospitalized as of Tuesday evening.

Police believe all four people knew each other.

Deahl was a senior at Washington-Liberty High School in Arlington, the principal said in a letter to families.

“Braden was a beloved member of the Washington-Liberty family, and impacted the lives of many of our students and staff members. He brought much joy to all who knew him, especially his soccer teammates and fellow 12th graders. We all deeply feel his loss,” the letter said.

School counselors will be available.

Police previously said that both men who died had been shot.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The shooting and stabbing occurred in the 2200 block of Pimmit Run Lane, south of Leesburg Pike (Route 7). Fairfax County police say 911 calls for a shooting began to come in just after 3:30 p.m.

Two men were declared dead. Two juveniles were stabbed and had injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Their ages were not immediately released.

Witnesses said those involved all looked like they were in their teens or early 20s.

One man was found in a laundry room and pronounced dead on the scene. The second man was found in a parking lot. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The juveniles were both taken to hospitals as well.

Police said all of the people involved met up “for a specific reason.”

“We believe that everyone involved came together for a purpose, that they were all coordinated to come together. For what reason, we’re not sure,” Deputy Chief Eli Cory said.

A backpack filled with what was believed to be narcotics was found nearby.

Police said they do not believe there is any ongoing threat to public safety.

People were asked to avoid the area.

Police initially said that both men who died had been shot.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Ashley Wang took four AP classes at Oakton High School as a sophomore, she helps lead a tutoring group at school, she’s danced competitively for 11 years, and she was just crowned Miss Virginia Teen USA.

“It still feels weird, even talking to my friends about it, they’ll joke and be like, ‘Hello, Miss Virginia Teen USA,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, stop,’” she said.

Ashley signed up for the pageant just to try something new, never expecting to win.

“When I was talking to most of the girls there, they all had pageant coaches and people to help them, but I really just went with the flow,” she said. “I watched a couple YouTube videos on how to prepare for a pageant interview. I just went along with it and I guess it went well.”

She is the first East Asian to hold the title.

“When I was little, I feel like I didn’t really have that many role models to look up to that looked like me, so I really hope I can be that for other people,” Ashley said.

Ashley says academics will always be one of her top priorities. Her goal is to study biochemistry in college.

“It’s not my parents or anyone else making me take all these hard classes,” she said. “I really want to push myself, so I think that’s how I get this far, because I have the motivation and it’s not someone else making me.”

The bullets went through his abdomen, almost severed off his stomach and hit his brain, destroying 10 to 15% of his brain matter, he said as he showed News4 his catastrophic injuries.

The gunman, Navy veteran Jaeyoung Lee, was convicted this month by a jury in Fairfax County, Virginia.

It’s a crime and story of extreme stalking turned violent that’s stayed under the radar until now. For Tammone and his loved ones, it’s been more than five long years waiting for justice and coping with profound injuries.

“The easiest thing to do is to just not think about it as much, because that will bring you down pretty quick,” Tammone said.

It started when Tammone’s doorbell rang the evening of Oct. 21, 2017. He was in the lower level of his townhome playing darts with a friend. A Marine and Army veteran, Tammone was working as a political policy analyst for a Department of Defense contractor.

As he climbed the stairs to answer the door, he was shot and knocked down the stairs.

“As I walked through the doorway of the finished basement downstairs to head to the stairs to come up,” Tammone said. “The next thing, I’m waking up in the hospital.”

Investigators quickly identified an active duty Navy man, Lee, as the suspect after Tammone’s friend told police that she and Lee had recently broken up.

During the trial, jurors heard a recorded phone call that police asked her to make to Lee the day after the shooting, to see if he might confess. She pressed him on whether he was the person who pulled the trigger.

“Can you please say you were not involved in this?” she asked

“Jenny, I had absolutely nothing to do with this,” he said.

With no confession, Fairfax County detectives began an exhaustive investigation. They initially were able to get Lee behind bars after a search of his apartment revealed hundreds of images of child pornography.

As they scoured electronic devices, they discovered Lee had been stalking the ex-girlfriend. Evidence presented at trial showed he ordered a lock kit so he could get into her apartment. He planted a hidden camera in her home so he could watch her movements. He used special software to gain access to her laptop and social media, tracking her and taking photos whenever she met up with friends.

Investigators say the stalking turned violent when Lee learned his ex was with Tammone. He set up outside a window and opened fire.

“Although he didn’t manage to kill me, he killed the rest of me, what made me me,” Tammone said. “My career, everything else fell to the ground and fell apart.”

Tammone spent weeks in a coma and was in the hospital for months.

“God talked to me in my coma,” Tammone said. “He said, ‘Do you want to live or die?’ and in that moment, in that question, I had all the things I haven’t accomplished in my life flash before my face in the blink of an eye, and I said, ‘Live!’ And then I woke up from the coma.”

Tammone’s head wound left his skull flattened on one side. Sometimes he wears a ball cap and sometimes he doesn’t.

“At a traffic light, you’ll see people looking at you like they’re looking at an alien,” he said. “I mean, who’s ever seen anybody with a brain injury where your skull is actually missing.”

His abdominal wound was so severe that he lost his intestines and can no longer eat. The wound left open for years was finally closed up during several surgeries in March. He spends hours each day receiving infusions with liquid nutrition.

Tammone’s parents had just retired and now work as his caregivers full-time.

“There was a time when we had to prepare 18 syringes a day every day,” said his father, Mike Tammone.

The years of recovery were shadowed with anxiety over whether Lee would be found guilty of his crimes. A jury delivered that answer earlier this month and found Lee guilty of all seven charges.

Tammone and his family broke into tears over the verdict.

“The trial alone was an emotional rollercoaster that I don’t wish on anybody,” he said. “Hearing the verdict brought it all out. I think after the second charge was announced I was a bawling mess.”

Then he looked at Lee to see the shooter’s reaction.

“There was nothing there,” he said. “I’m like, this guy’s got no soul.”

Tammone and his family credited the detectives, prosecutors and victim advocates for delivering the justice he sought.

“They were all top notch from the detectives to the prosecution team, everybody,” he said. “They’re the best Virginia has to offer.”

Lee was given an honorable discharge from the Navy after the investigation was under way, which frustrates Tammone.

Prosecutors will seek life in prison for Lee at his sentencing in October.

Tammone hopes he may become eligible for a transplant that would enable him to eat again, and he hopes to be able to return to work someday.

Video released Thursday from three officers’ body cameras plus gas station surveillance footage shows the police killing of Brandon Lemagne on May 11. Police killed the 38-year-old in a McDonald’s parking lot on Richmond Highway after he was suspected of stealing a U-Haul.

Just two-and-a-half minutes pass from the time Lemagne pulls into the gas station to when officers open fire.

Gas station security camera video shows what preceded the deadly shooting. Lemagne pulls a U-Haul up to a gas pump. A license plate reader alerts the officer that the truck was stolen. The officer approaches Lemagne and tells him he needs to detain him.

“Right now you’re just being detained since it’s reported stolen,” the officer says.

“What? Since when?” Lemagne replies.

As the officer reaches for the handcuffs and radios in, Lemagne suddenly grabs the holster, pulling on the officer and slamming him against the car. The officer orders him to let go.

Lemagne then opens the police car door and forces the officer inside. The officer continues to radio for help.

“He’s going for my gun! He’s going for my gun! Get off my gun!” he says.

The suspect then throws the car in reverse and hits the gas as the vehicle rolls into the McDonald’s lot, hitting two vehicles. That’s when the first of two officers arrive.

Christopher Grube, an eight-year veteran, fires multiple shots from a distance.

Seconds later, Kenyatta Momom, a 24-year veteran master police officer, pulls the suspect from the vehicle and fires more shots at close range.

Fearing the officer in the vehicle had been shot, fellow officers tend to him as the suspect lies motionless.

Fairfax County Public Schools May 18

Anonymous Racist Email Targets Black High School Cheerleading Coach

Criminal Justice May 19

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Fairfax County Public Schools May 23

Court Upholds TJ High School Admissions Policy

Chief Kevin Davis called Lemagne’s attack on the officer as a “once in a generation” incident.

“The perpetrator attempted viciously and violently to disarm our uniformed Fairfax County police officer. I think you saw that rather clearly. On top of that, he was literally abducted and taken hostage in his own marked police car,” Davis said.

The chief called the responding officers’ actions appropriate and life-saving.

The type of holster the officer had, a double-retention holster, may have saved his life, Davis said. The first line of retention failed but the second held.

The officers who opened fire are on administrative duty.

Eric Sandow, 32, allegedly approached the Dolley Madison Preschool about 11 a.m. Tuesday and asked to come inside and use the bathroom.

He was not allowed in, then wandered off.

A community member spotted him and called police to report a suspicious person.

When officers found Sandow, he allegedly said he was going to talk to the CIA, Fairfax County police said. The agency’s headquarters is about a mile away from the preschool.

Sandow wasn’t armed when officers found him, and never made any threats, police said.

Officers detained Sandow, searched his vehicle and found two firearms. A photo released by police shows a long gun and a handgun, plus bullets and other firearm accessories.

Sandow was charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property.

Sgt. Tara Gerhard, a member of the Fairfax County police’s Public Affairs Bureau said she understands the community’s concerns since Sandow was found so close to the CIA and a preschool.

“This did happen on school grounds which, as a mother, I would be very concerned — especially if my child attended that …preschool. So, we do want to reassure our community that this man did not make any threats,” Gerhard said.

The preschool’s director said that police would increase patrols around the school, and officers were seen near the school on Wednesday.

“Anytime there is an individual, or is on school property that’s unfamiliar, an alert should go up, and that’s what happened here,” Christine Ryu-Naya, a member of Dolley Madison Preschool’s board of directors, said.

“We’re really grateful that the Fairfax County police responded to quickly, and this wasn’t anything more than a stressful situation,” Ryu-Naya said.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Sandow had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

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The 2-1 ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond overturns a ruling last year from a federal judge who found that the Fairfax County School Board engaged in impermissible “racial balancing” when it overhauled the admissions policy at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

The school frequently is cited among the best in the nation, and parents jockey and prepare for years to get their children admitted. But tor decades Black and Hispanic students have been woefully under-represented, while Asian Americans made up more than 70% of the student body.

In 2020, the school board significantly revamped the admissions process, scrapping a standardized test that had been a linchpin in favor of a system that set aside equal numbers of Thomas Jefferson slots at each of the county’s middle schools, among other changes. The process does not take race into account. It does give weight in favor of applicants who are economically disadvantaged or still learning English.

The first freshman class admitted under the new rules saw a significantly different racial makeup. Black students increased from 1% to 7%; Hispanic representation increased from 3% to 11%. Asian American representation decreased from 73% to 54%.

Critics of the new policy say it discriminates against Asian American applicants who would have been granted admission if academic merit were the sole criteria, and that efforts to increase Black and Hispanic representation necessarily come at the expense of Asian Americans.

But Tuesday’s majority opinion from Judge Robert King said the school board had a legitimate interest in increasing diversity at the school, and twisting those efforts to call it discrimination against Asian Americans “simply runs counter to common sense.”

Northern Virginia Jan 4

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Northern Virginia Jan 4

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Northern Virginia Mar 10, 2022

Group Protests Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Rules

A concurring opinion from Judge Toby Heytens went even further. He said the school board’s new policy is race-neutral on its face, just as courts have required.

“Having spent decades telling school officials they must consider race neutral methods for ensuring a diverse student body before turning to race-conscious ones, it would be quite the judicial bait-and-switch to say such race-neutral efforts are also presumptively unconstitutional,” he wrote.

Judge Allison Jones Rushing dissented.

“The Policy reduced offers of enrollment to Asian students at TJ by 26% while increasing enrollment of every other racial group. This was no accident. The Board intended to alter the racial composition of the school in exactly this way,” she wrote.

Rushing said the policy is neutral on its face but the debate that surrounded its implementation reflected a clear desire for racial balancing. She criticized her colleagues for refusing “to look past the Policy’s neutral varnish.”

King and Heytens were appointed by Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively. Rushing was appointed by Republican Donald Trump.

A lawyer for the Fairfax County School Board praised the decision.

“The court reached the correct decision, and we firmly believe this admission plan is fair and gives qualified applicants at every middle school a fair chance of a seat at TJ. We look forward to offering seats to a new group of remarkable and incredibly well-qualified young scholars in the years to come,” John Foster said in a statement.

Tuesday’s ruling comes as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a pivotal case challenging whether Harvard University and the University of North Carolina should be allowed to take race into account in their admissions policies.

NBC Washington’s Drew Wilder contributed to this report.

The speed limit was lowered from 45 mph to 35 mph in Fairfax County between the Capital Beltway and Jeff Todd Way, a span of about seven miles going through the Penn Daw, Groveton, Hybla Valley and Mount Vernon areas.

Here’s what you need to know, whether you drive, walk, bike or use public transit.

When Does the Route 1 Speed Limit Change Go Into Effect?

The Virginia Department of Transportation said the change goes into effect Tuesday, May 23. Crews were set to change road signs in the area after the morning rush hour.

Why Is the Speed Limit Being Lowered on Route 1?

VDOT lowered the speed limit on this stretch of Route 1 to try to make it safer for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

A study team recommended the change based on factors including “the high rate of crashes, the high number of pedestrian crashes and speed-related crashes, the large number of bus stops along the corridor, the frequency of signal-controlled intersections and the frequency of driveways,” their report says.

Virginia State Sen. Scott Surovell pushed for a slower speed limit and said the entire corridor needs to be redesigned.

“There’s a real lack of sort of quality pedestrian facilities. There’s not a lot of high-grade pedestrian crossings. The sidewalks are intermittent. And a lot of people tend to cross the road in weird places,” he said.

Virginia Oct 6, 2022

Police Discuss Route 1 Safety After Pedestrian Death in Fairfax County

Fairfax County Apr 7

Pedestrian Killed in Fort Belvoir Area, Route 1 Reopened: Police

What Does Data on Route 1 Show?

On Route 1 from the Beltway to the Occoquan River in the past five years:

• 1,603 crashes have occurred
• 1,051 people have been hurt and
• 16 people have died

The crashes take a toll on victims and their loved ones. After a crash that injured a pedestrian in the Hybla Valley area in October, a visibly emotional man could be seen picking up a jacket off the ground and hugging it.

What’s Next for Route 1?

There’s a plan to completely reshape the roadway, with new bus lanes in the center, but that’s still years from happening.

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Now, that new set of reform recommendations is under review by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and headed to the office of Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis before he shares his take with the Board.

The recent deadly police shooting of a suspected shoplifter, Timothy Johnson, brought attention back to police practices, as the working group began its examinations amid an uptick in police shootings in the county.

“Timothy Johnson’s unfortunate death highlights and reminds us of the urgency of this conversation,” said Pastor Vernon Walton, a member of the working group that put together the suggestions.

The group began with 300 suggestions from the community, then distilled them into a report just presented to the Board of Supervisors public safety committee.

“This report in no way indicates a lack of confidence in our Fairfax County police,” Walton said during a meeting on Tuesday. “What we do note is there are some things that need to be addressed.”

One of the biggest recommendations from the group is that anytime an officer points a gun at a civilian or suspect, the action be reported to the community as a use of force.

“We feel that when an officer points at gun at an individual, that’s an actual use of force and should be recorded and reported to the community as a use of force,” said Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, another member of the working group.

A police spokesman told News4’s Julie Carey that the department is already collecting data on any use of a firearm.

Also as a result of the deadly shooting that killed Johnson, Davis announced his department was starting work to create a foot pursuit policy. The working group has asked that the policy be fast tracked with a report to the community within 45 days.

Other specific police shootings have played a part in the working group’s recommendations: Aaron Lynch was killed in 2022 when he came at police with a wooden mask and bottle while suffering a mental health crisis.

The working group wants to see cases like that increasingly handled by clinicians and social work teams — not police officers.

Fairfax County May 11

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Fairfax County Apr 17

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Virginia Dec 8, 2022

Body Camera Video Released After Man Dies in Fairfax County Police Custody

They also suggested that the Board of Supervisors give the police civilian review panel more authority. That would be allowed under recent legislation in Virginia.

“The information they review is given to them by the police,” said Walton. “They are not allowed to subpoena or question witnesses. They can only read accounts that are provided for them. This is why we are advocating for an expansion of that authority.”

From here, Davis will look over the report and give the Board his own take on the recommendations. Davis issued a statement citing a list of improvements already made in recent years.

“The FCPD remains proud of our progress and many improvements over the last several years,” the statement reads. “The list is a long one. Our County government structure includes an Independent Police Auditor, an Executive Director of the Police Civilian Review Panel and a Police Civilian Review Panel (PCRP). Since the inception of the PRCP six years ago, the panel has disagreed with the FCPD on one singular occasion. The decision to alter or expand the powers of the PCRP is under the purview of the Board of Supervisors. In the meantime, we remain committed to creating and adopting proven industry practices that make Fairfax County safer and maintain our exceptional relationship with our community.”

Officers shot 38-year-old Brandon Lemagne of Newport News in a McDonald’s parking lot in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway, just south of the Capital Beltway and the City of Alexandria, police said after 4 p.m.

An officer investigating a stolen U-Haul found at a gas station interacted with the driver of the U-Haul, who attacked the officer, pushing him into the driver’s seat of his cruiser and assaulting him from on top of him, police said.

The officer under attack radioed he was being attacked and his assailant had his gun, police said.

“This scene was highly unusual, and I’ve been on a lot of these scenes,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. “I have never quite seen something like this. That police officer was literally inside his own police car fighting for his life.”

During the struggle, the cruiser went in reverse and spun out of control into the parking lot of the McDonald’s next door.

A 24-year veteran of the police force responded and pulled the suspect off the officer before shooting the suspect, police said.

“Officers discharged their firearms during the struggle. The suspect was declared deceased at the scene,” police said in a brief statement.

Another responding officer also fired their weapon, police said. The officer under attack did not fire his weapon.

Chopper4 footage shows a number of officers and emergency vehicles near the McDonald’s and a gas station on the east side of the roadway.

The officer who was attacked was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries and released. That officer was not shot, police said.

Internal affairs will investigate the shooting.

Several blocks of Richmond Highway were shut down during the evening rush hour. One northbound lane of Richmond Highway reopened about 6 p.m.

Police asked people to avoid the area.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The broad-daylight shooting marks the second shooting in the area within days.

Officers responded to the 3300 block of Glen Carlyn Drive, just west of Bailey’s Crossroads, after 1 p.m. Fairfax County police say a man in his 20s was walking through a parking lot when he was shot in the leg.

Police say surveillance footage shows the shooter walk in a 7-Eleven store, leave and walk past the victim in the parking lot. The two men appear to briefly exchange words, and then the suspect — also a man in his 20s — pulls out a gun and shoots the victim in the leg.

It was unclear whether the men know each other.

Detectives are interviewing dozens of people who were in the area at the time.

A trailer with surveillance cameras was placed in the 7-Eleven parking lot. Police said the store contracted a company to put the cameras there about two months ago. Every 15 minutes or so, audio can be heard announcing that the parking lot is being recorded. The hope is to deter crime.

Two people were shot nearby on Sunday, with one D.C. man killed. Another shooting occurred on April 17; police said it was gang-related. There’s no indication, though, that the shootings are connected, and police do not believe the shooting Wednesday had any link to gangs.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Rescue personnel were called to reports of a woman walking in and out of the roadway near Laurel Glade Drive and Glade Drive in Reston at about 2 a.m., according to Fairfax County police.

“She appeared to be in some sort of altered state or needed assistance from both police and fire and rescue personnel,” Fairfax County Police Lt. James Curry said. “As officers arrived, they were waved down by the complainant, with the fire engine immediately behind them. At that point the woman was struck in the roadway.”

“The fire truck actually struck this individual,” the 911 dispatch said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she died of her injuries. Her identity was not immediately released.

Officers are working to confirm if the fire engine had its emergency lights on at the time of the crash. According to police, it is not unusual for a cruiser to have its lights off for similar calls.

Police continue to investigate the crash. Firefighters remained at the scene.

“I mean, they are people too. Anyone who would be involved in this type of situation, it’s very traumatic,” Curry said.

Glade Drive between Laurel Glade Drive and Rosedown Drive were closed following the crash. The roads reopened just before 6 a.m.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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Officers found two victims in the 3800 block of S George Mason Drive at about 3 a.m., according to the Fairfax County police.

One died at the scene and the other was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Authorities shared pictures of the suspect but have yet to make an arrest.

The shooting appears to have occurred at a strip mall with several bars. Officers asked the businesses for information and surveillance footage. Police have not confirmed if the bars or their patrons were involved.

A nearby resident told News4 they heard a woman’s screams, gunfire and saw people and cars leaving after the incident. They said fights and unruly crowds aren’t unusual around the bars’ 2 a.m. closing time.

During the day the area is the center of the local Ethiopian community’s restaurants and markets, but people who work and live around nearby say at night, it’s a different deal.

“I have seen a couple [disturbances]. It’s not the first time. Maybe people get into disagreements around the side of the building, or something like that,” another neighbor, Simon Alemu, said.

Others say the problems are recent, and they lament the changes.

“It is a great place to be… it’s very culturally oriented,” Alemu said.

Detectives continue to investigate the cause of the shooting.

People who left their vehicles at the area overnight returned late Sunday morning to retrieve them.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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The crash involved a teenage driver traveling over 120 miles per hour, before they spun out of control, traveled across the median, and slammed into a police cruiser and another car that had been pulled over for a traffic stop.

That parked car — pulled over so the officer could issue a speeding ticket — slammed into the metal highway barrier and the officer, who was standing at the passenger side window before he took off running to avoid the collision.

The teenager behind the wheel in the crash had only had the car for a few days. Now, the teen is facing reckless driving charges.

“High performance cars are meant for high-performance environments,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Bob Blakely. “And new drivers are not high-performance drivers.”

The road was wet, traction was reduced, and there was a curve — not the ideal conditions for driving.

Thankfully, none of the injuries were life-threatening.

“In the last couple of years, traffic fatalities have increased 17% related to speed across the United States,” Blakely said.

The total number of crashes are actually down — but the fewer crashes remaining are deadlier.

“The three leading causes of traffic fatalities in the U.S. today are speeding, alcohol impairment and occupant protection” — not wearing seatbelts, Blakely said.

The people in the two cars involved in the viral crash were wearing seatbelts, and it likely saved their lives.

The officer who was outside of his cruiser was saved by his awareness.

“When an officer pulls over a car, they have to worry about who’s in the car, could they potentially be armed,” Blakely said — and the danger that awaits anyone stopped on the side of a busy highway.

“They have to worry about the 5,000 pound steel missiles coming up behind them,” Blakely said.

The fact that everyone inside the cars survived is also likely a testament to advances in modern automotive engineering.

But despite sturdier, safer cars, it’s not a good idea to test the laws of physics with life and limb in the balance.

Police are planning on increasing their presence on Fairfax County Parkway, with more enforcement of the rules of the road and more signage in the wake of the crash.

Fairfax County police said the victim knew the suspect and was stabbed after an argument. Police called the attack “domestic-related,” but they have not yet provided information about the relationship between the victim and the suspect.

The stabbing happened about 7 a.m. Friday on the third floor of the Loren apartments. The high-rise building is located in the 6400 block of Arlington Boulevard in the Seven Corners area.

Neighbors who live on the same floor as a victim spoke to News4 about the crime.

“I heard a very loud pounding on my door, almost like a violent pounding. It went on for about 15 seconds,” resident Jordan Donner said.

Donner said he never would have expected something like this at his apartment complex. 

“So I open the door and I heard down by the elevator, but I couldn’t see,” he said. “I heard someone huffing and puffing like they were in distress, and then I looked. There was blood dripping down the wall by my door, and then I looked down, and there was blood all over the floor in my doormat.”

The victim was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A suspect is in custody.

Michelle Rosa, who also lives on the same floor, said she saw a man being walked out in handcuffs. 

“It’s heartbreaking and it’s scary at the same time, because, you know, you don’t expect to wake up to something like that,” Rosa said.

Video released by Fairfax County police on Tuesday shows an officer making a traffic stop on southbound Fairfax County Parkway near Braddock Road at about 11:40 a.m. Monday. The officer has a gray sedan pulled onto the right shoulder and is speaking to the driver through the passenger window.

Suddenly, a black sedan speeds around a curve, spins out, screams across the grass median and spins backward. The officer sees it happening and starts to run.

The cars collide head-on and the striking vehicle spins, clipping the officer’s right leg and then smashing into the police cruiser.

If the officer had not run, he may have lost his life, or at a minimum, his legs.

The officer popped back up and jumped on his radio.

“My cruiser was hit, driver was hit, trying to check on injuries,” he said.

The driver of the gray car was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The officer also had minor injuries.

A 17-year-old driver going “well over 120 mph” in a 2018 BMW M3 caused the crash, Chief Kevin Davis said. The driver, whose name was not released, was ticketed for reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor.

“It was going way too fast. It was a rocket and then it became a missile,” Davis said.

The teen driver and two passengers also had minor injuries.

Fairfax County Parkway was briefly closed after the crash.

The officer’s decision to approach the passenger side of the car he stopped may have saved his life, the police chief said.

Davis also shared why the driver of the gray car was stopped: for going 73 mph in a 50 mph zone.

A housekeeper discovered their bodies in the basement of the home on Wild Spruce Drive Thursday afternoon, police said.

Police identified them as 47-year-old Tiku Berhane Gebreeyesus; his wife, 38-year-old Meskerem Belachew Solomon; and her brother, 31-year-old Amanuel Belachew Solomon, who was visiting from out of the county.

Police said while the wife and her brother were shot multiple times, the husband had a single gunshot wound.

“There was a handgun found near the bodies in the basement level of the house,” Fairfax County police Lt. Col. Eli Cory said.

A nanny and a toddler in the nanny’s care also were in the house and were unharmed. The couple had two other children who were at school.

“It’s devastating news,” a neighbor said. “It’s young kids involve, you know, with the loss of a parent, so it’s really said to hear that, but I don’t really have any insight on what may have happened.”

“Here we’re all really close for the most part, and we’re all really shook and we really feel for the family and for these children that are connected, and just hope if people will get good mental health, and the police have been amazing,” neighbor Heidi Berio said.

Police are still working on a motive.

One neighbor said she was just at the home last weekend for a birthday party for one of the children and there was no sign of trouble.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will perform autopsies to confirm the manner and cause of death.

Ronnie Marshall was found guilty last year of shooting Dr. Edward McDaniel and Brenda McDaniel to death in the driveway of their Springfield home on May 26, 2021.

Marshall, then 20, had worked with the victims’ son at FedEx and had accused his coworker of stealing from him, police said.

Two days before the McDaniels were slain, Marshall broke into the family’s home, where Edward McDaniel met him with a shotgun and ordered him to leave.

But, prosecutors said, Marshall returned days later and killed the couple because he didn’t want them to identify him to police. The McDaniels’ son testified last week he watched out the window as Marshall approached the couple but ran to a bathroom for his safety when he heard gunfire.

Loved ones tearfully testified Friday about the devastating impact the murders had on their family.

“To this day I’m in shock and disbelief that this horrendous murder happened to me and my family,” Edward McDaniel’s sister Melodie McDaniel, testified in court on Friday. “His actions were nothing but pure evil. … I will have to live with this emptiness my entire life.”

Edward McDaniel’s mother Felice said her son was her rock and advisor in her battle against stage four breast cancer.

“Edward will not be there to hold my hand at my end of my life and make me feel comforted and loved,” she told the judge.

The judge gave Marshall the maximum sentence of life without parole for the murders in addition to eight more years on two gun charges.

“It’s just an incredible loss. I mean, we’re talking about the McDaniel famly who spent their lives and their careers helping others, serving others,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said.

During the trial, Marshall’s attorney questioned whether the masked gunman who shot the couple really was his client.

A jury found Marshall guilty in November of aggravated murder and two counts of use of a firearm in a murder. Aggravated murder applies when two or more people are killed in the same incident, prosecutors said.

“This was a highly emotional and tragic case that ended the lives of two respected members of the Army and our community,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said after Marshall was found guilty. “Mr. and Mrs. McDaniel were killed in their own driveway while taking their dog for a walk.”

“While there are no winners in a case like this, I’m glad Mr. Marshall is being held accountable for his crimes, and I hope this conviction brings some level of closure to the McDaniel family,” Descano said.

In the immediate aftermath of the killings, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said, “We’ve lost two brave, dedicated, life-long servants to our country. Two full colonels were murdered in a residential neighborhood community.”

Col. Edward McDaniel, 55, was an internal medicine doctor in the Army from June 1995 to May 2021. He was director of executive medicine at Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital, authorities have said. Col. Brenda McDaniel, 63, was a medical-surgical nurse in the Army from September 1983 to September 2009 and had retired.

 D’Angelo Strand, then 19, was also charged in the case and testified for the prosecution against Marshall.

“It is final, of course — all these legal procedures — but it is just the beginning of spending every penny on this fund to save lives and do justice,” James Ghaisar said after he wept.

A federal court judge approved a $5 million settlement on Friday after the police killing of Bijan Ghaisar in 2017 following a pursuit on the George Washington Parkway. Ghaisar’s parents said they will use the money to fight police brutality.

They said they will put the funds into a foundation and use it for charitable causes as well as an effort to defeat the supremacy clause, which says federal law is the supreme law of the land.

Attorneys for Officer Alejandro Amaya and Officer Lucas Vinyard used the clause and got state manslaughter charges filed against them moved to federal court, where the charges ultimately were dismissed.

“For the rest of my life, as long as I live, I will fight to overturn qualified immunity. This is my goal in life,” Kelly Ghaisar, Bijan’s mother, said.

A Fairfax County police dashboard camera recorded the shooting of Bijan Ghaisar. It appears to show the accountant from McLean, Virginia, slowly driving away when he was shot.

The Department of Justice declined to file charges after an FBI investigation that lasted as long as two years.

With the settlement now in the books, Bijan Ghaisar’s mother had some choice words for the judge who dismissed the case, Claude Hilton. The same judge approved the settlement Friday.

“He made it his mission to go the extra way to say this shooting, which we all have seen, made it proper and necessary. It’s appalling. That’s appalling,” Kelly Ghaisar said.

The Park Police officers’ union says the Department of the Interior has told the officers they will be fired. The union is fighting their termination.

The child was reported missing at the mall late Thursday afternoon. Fairfax County police officers arrived shortly after 5:45 p.m. and checked security cameras, which showed a woman who stopped walking, talked with the child, and then took the child by the hand. She walked into the mall with the child, picked them up and went down an escalator.

Police say the suspect and the child were found inside Coastal Flats, a restaurant inside the mall. Police say the suspect assaulted officers when they approached her. She was then arrested.

The child was not hurt and was returned to their family.

Police identified the suspect as Jane Pyo, 33, of Washington, D.C. An official said Pyo and the family did not know each other.

Pyo is facing charges of abduction, possession of burglarious tools, assault on law enforcement and trespassing, police said. She also was served an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.

Pyo is being held without bond. It is unknown whether she has an attorney.

In June 2019, a parking lot scuffle turned violent in Chantilly, Virginia, ending in the death of 30-year-old Miguel Leiva Hernandez. The defendant, Steven A. Green, claimed self-defense.

Prosecutors said the incident began when Green, a street cleaner who was using a leaf blower, blew dirt and debris into a woman’s face. The woman confronted Green, and the two got into an argument. Green started to walk away, but when the woman followed him, he turned around and hit her with the leaf blower, leaving her with a bloody gash, authorities say.

When the woman’s husband, Miguel Leiva Hernandez, came out of a store, she told him what happened.

Leiva Hernandez and at least one other person ran after Green. Leiva Hernandez and Green got into a struggle, which escalated quickly. According to court documents, Green pulled out a firearm and said, “Stop or I’ll shoot.”

Green fired his gun one time, striking Leiva Hernandez.

The second person then jumped on Green, who broke free and ran to his truck. He called 911 and then drove to a nearby area to await police.

Green told police he shot Leiva Hernandez, who died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

In court Friday, Green pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter and malicious wounding.

The plea came after six days of jury deliberation. The prosecutor said jurors were interviewed after they could not reach a verdict at trial. He told the judge they were split evenly on conviction, but all agreed that no charge higher than manslaughter was appropriate.  

Prosecutors agreed to cap Green’s sentence at two years and six months. The judge has accepted the plea and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Sentencing is set for September.

Fairfax County police are calling it a death investigation. A firearm was found at the scene in the 8500 block of Wild Spruce Drive.

A housekeeper called 911 about 3:45 p.m. and said she found the bodies of a woman in her 30s and her brother — a man in his 20s who had just arrived for a visit — in the basement.

“I see the people in the sofa,” the housekeeper, Consuelo Martinez, told Telemundo 44.

When police arrived, they found the body of a man in his 40s also in the basement.

The man in his 40s had a single gunshot wound. The other two had multiple gunshot wounds.

Police are calling it a domestic-related incident. They are investigating whether it was a double murder and suicide.

“Right now, we’re working diligently to identify all three involved, but there are also three juveniles and a nanny that live at the home, and they’re all safe and all accounted for,” Fairfax County police Lt. Col. Eli Cory said. “Right now, we have not been able to find any signs of forced entry to the home, and our detectives … are working diligently to piece together what occurred today.”

The older children are believed to have been at school. The toddler was in the care of the nanny.

Neighbors who gathered outside, sharing hugs, said the family moved in a little over a year ago.

The family is Ethiopian, and family, friends and members of the area’s Ethiopian community arrived within minutes of hearing of the horror that took place.

Martinez said she’s worked for the couple for three years and was close to the family. 

“She and her husband, they are good,” she said. “I don’t what happened.”

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

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Bijan Ghaisar was a 25-year-old accountant from McLean, Virginia, with no criminal record when Park Police pursued his SUV after a report of a hit-and-run on southbound GW Parkway at Slaters Lane in Alexandria. Ghaisar’s SUV was rear-ended when he suddenly stopped in the left lane, the driver and passenger in the striking vehicle told police.

Officers tried to stop Ghaisar, but he “led United States Park Police officers on a vehicle pursuit,” Park Police said. The stop-and-go chase continued south on the parkway, into Fairfax County. 

Park Police said they opened fire at Fort Hunt Road and Alexandria Avenue, an area with residential streets, about 6 miles south of the initial crash scene. 

Two Fairfax County police officers responded to the scene but fired no shots, the department said. According to a Fairfax County Police Department dispatch call obtained by News4, Park Police opened fire, and then Ghaisar crashed his SUV as he tried to drive away. He was struck 10 times. 

Ghaisar, the only person in the SUV, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He died 10 days later. 

In court documents, Officer Alejandro Amaya and Officer Lucas Vinyard said they gave Ghaisar “chance after chance” to stop his vehicle. They said they feared Ghaisar would put them and others in danger. 

The FBI conducted an investigation that stretched two years before federal prosecutors declined to bring charges.

Ghaisar’s family and some members of Congress faulted the investigation for a lack of transparency and accountability.

Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano then charged both officers with involuntary manslaughter, but a federal judge dismissed the case, saying both officers reasonably feared that Amaya could be struck and killed after attempting to stop Ghaisar’s Jeep, and it instead lurched forward in the direction of Amaya.

Both officers claimed their status as federal officers granted them immunity from local prosecution, and the judge agreed.

Bijan Ghaisar May 6, 2022

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Descano and Virginia’s attorney general at the time, Mark Herring, appealed the ruling, but Herring lost his re-election bid to Attorney General Jason Miyares, who withdrew the appeal.

Ghaisar’s family continued to pursue a civil lawsuit that Park Police are settling now. The agreement still needs to go through a federal judge for approval.

“We are grateful to have reached a mutual resolution to end the litigation and we hope that closing this long chapter brings some comfort to the family,” a Justice Department spokesperson said.

The settlement hearing is scheduled for next Friday.

Officers responded about 5:20 p.m. to Bellview Drive and Glen Carlyn Drive after shots were fired, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

The teen was struck by multiple bullets and suffered life-threatening injuries, police said. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said Monday. Updates on his condition were not available, but police said he remained hospitalized Tuesday.

Authorities said that at this point in the investigation, the shooting did not appear to be random. “Preliminarily, detectives believe that two suspects are known to the victim,” police said in a news release.

Police initially said two men were spotted fleeing from the scene, but later said the suspects were described as teenagers.

A gun was recovered at the crime scene.

Detectives continue to interview witnesses and review surveillance footage. Anyone with information about the gunfire is asked to call police at 703-246-7800 (option 5). Those wishing to remain anonymous may call 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477) or submit a tip online here.  

CORRECTION (April 18, 2023): An earlier version of this story said the victim was a man. In an update a day after the shooting, police said the victim was a 14-year-old.

The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office sought an indictment of Sgt. Wesley Shifflett on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm in the death of Timothy Johnson, court documents show. But the grand jury returned a “no true bill,” meaning they did not find probable cause to bring the charges.

Johnson died after police chased him and shot him in a wooded area near the Tysons Corner Center mall in Northern Virginia on Feb. 22. He was 37. 

Johnson had been suspected of stealing a pair of sunglasses, which likely was a misdemeanor offense. 

Shifflett’s attorney said his client was relieved and has fully cooperated with the investigation. Shifflett had believed Johnson was pulling out a gun, attorney Caleb Kershner said.

“The way that Officer Shifflett saw it at that moment was that he had to do this or he would almost in an instant be dead, given the circumstance. Everybody knows it’s reasonable to believe someone digging in their waistband as if they were pulling out a gun — that’s exactly what’s happening,” he said. 

Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said he had expected Shifflett to be indicted. 

“Earlier this morning I sat with Timothy Johnson’s family and told them I expected an indictment to come today in the killing of their son, so I can only imagine their pain and shock when they received the news that the officer—who shot and killed their unarmed son—was not indicted,” Descano said in a statement. “Since, by law, no prosecutors were permitted to be present in the room when the investigating officers made their presentation to the grand jury, I can’t say for sure what information was conveyed to the grand jurors. In light of this outcome, I am evaluating all options on the path forward and continue to grieve Timothy’s loss.”

Descano had been scheduled to address the public, but a press conference was cancelled. His office may try to bring the case to another group of grand jurors, which typically is only done when new evidence comes to light.

Johnson’s mother and father were at the courthouse on Monday, awaiting word on what they thought would be an indictment. 

His mother, Melissa Johnson, previously called for an independent investigation.

“Was shoplifting right? Absolutely not. But we have laws in place to address shoplifting. Should my son have been murdered because he shoplifted from the mall?” she asked. 

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Police have said that two officers shot at Johnson. Shifflett was fired from the police department about a month after the killing. His actions did not “meet the expectations” of the police department, and he did not follow use-of-force protocols, Police Chief Kevin Davis previously said.

Officer James Sadler was placed on restricted duty. 

Police body camera footage shows that soon after the shooting, Shifflett said, “He was continually reaching in his waistband. I told him, ‘Let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.'” However, Shifflett was not heard giving that command on the video.

Descano said in March that he would make a decision soon on whether to file charges against the officers. 

“I have seen and am devastated by the body-worn camera footage showing yet another death of a Black man at the hands of police,” he said in a statement.

Shifflett’s lawyer said Monday that efforts will begin soon to get the officer reinstated.

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Michael Davis, 34, was charged with felony abduction, Virginia State Police said Wednesday.

Davis is suspected of forcing Tatiana N. David into an SUV in Ithaca, New York, on April 5 and firing at Virginia police that night. He and David were previously in a relationship and had a 4-year-old child together, New York police said.

David died during the shootout, Virginia State Police and New York State Police said. She was 34.

David had been celebrating her birthday, her heartbroken brother, Emanuel Espada, said.

“I’ll never get to see who she’s really meant to be in this life, and it’s not fair. She shouldn’t have had to die so young,” he said. 

State police said Davis is in their custody as he continues to receive treatement at a hospital for injuries he suffered in the shootout.

All southbound lanes of I-95 were shut down for hours because of the incident, causing major delays.

I-95 Police Chase, Shoot-Out Near Quantico Tied to Abduction

Davis forced the mother of his child into a white SUV in Ithaca, a witness told police. State police responded at about 7:20 a.m. 

New York State Police issued a statewide abducted adult alert with information on the victim, suspect and SUV, and a search began, the department said.  

More than 14 hours later, Virginia State Police say a trooper alerted to a Jeep Cherokee headed south in Fairfax County at about 9:40 p.m. The SUV had “an improper registration — the wrong license plates were displayed on it — and was wanted out of New York for an alleged abduction of an adult female earlier in the day,” a statement from police said. 

The trooper turned on his lights and siren, and the driver of the SUV pulled onto the shoulder near exit 167. The trooper made contact with the driver, returned to his patrol car and “identified the driver as the wanted abduction suspect,” police said. 

As the trooper walked back to the SUV, the driver sped off. The trooper began to pursue him. Video footage obtained by News4 shows the chase.

The SUV crashed into a guardrail near mile marker 152 but kept going, police said. Police vehicles surrounded the SUV to try to contain it and bring it to a stop. 

Near exit 148 in Prince William County, the SUV ran off the right side of the road and crashed into the woods. 

“As troopers approached the SUV, the driver began shooting at them. State police returned fire,” police said. 

Fairfax County police said one of its officers also fired.

Gunshots can be heard on radio communications between troopers and dispatchers. 

“We need a shield! We need a shield!” a trooper can be heard shouting, followed by the sound of several shots. 

“We hear the shots fired,” a dispatcher says.

Who fired the shots at that moment was unclear.

Both David and the driver “sustained injuries,” police said. David was found wounded outside the SUV and pronounced dead. The driver was flown to a hospital with injuries believed to be life-threatening.

No state police were injured. In line with state police policy, the troopers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave. The investigation is ongoing. 

A gun was found in the SUV, police said.

David’s brother said Davis had a history of domestic violence against the alleged kidnapping victim and their son. News4 is working to learn about any criminal record Davis has.

David’s son was safe with family on Thursday, her brother said. 

Tom Lynch, Briana Trujillo and Sophia Barnes also contributed to this report.

The stabbings occurred about 6 p.m. at the Walmart in the 7900 block of Richmond Highway. However, one of the victims was found two blocks north, in a Staples parking lot in the 7700 block of Richmond Highway.

That teen, a boy, suffered life-threatening injuries to the upper body and was airlifted to a hospital.

The other teen’s injuries are not considered life-threatening, police said. She was stabbed in the face and was also taken to a hospital.

Police said two suspects are in custody. The crime was not random, according to preliminary information, police said. They believe it started with a fight among a group of teens inside the Walmart.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

The person was struck while walking and found near Route 1 (Richmond Highway) and Fairfax County Parkway (VA 286), a busy intersection with multiple lanes heading in each direction.

The driver remained on the crash site, police said.

The pedestrian was declared dead at the scene, police said. Fairfax County police didn’t immediately release their name or share details on the circumstances of the crash.

Closures impacted southbound Richmond Highway to northbound Fairfax County Parkway, police said. Richmond Highway reopened at about 10 a.m.

A person who works nearby told News4 that the speed along the stretch of Route 1 makes it very dangerous for walkers.

About a week ago, another pedestrian was killed along Route 1 in the Groveton area.

Fairfax County Police have been trying to get drivers to slow down. Last November, motor squad and patrol officers wrote more than 870 tickets in the Route 1 corridor.

Overall in the Fairfax region, 56 pedestrians were killed in 2022, up from 37 in 2021. That’s about a 51% increase, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

A person who works nearby told News4 that the speed along the stretch of Route 1 makes it very dangerous for walkers.

About a week ago, another pedestrian, 36-year-old Samantha Jennings-Jones of Alexandria, was killed along Route 1 in the Groveton area. Jennings-Jones was walking on the sidewalk when a driver in a Mercedes struck a Jeep, then spun into her, Fairfax County police said.

Fairfax County Police have been trying to get drivers to slow down. Last November, motor squad and patrol officers wrote more than 870 tickets in the Route 1 corridor.

Overall in the Fairfax region, 56 pedestrians were killed in 2022, up from 37 in 2021. That’s about a 51% increase, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

Tatiana N. David, of Ithaca, was pronounced dead, Virginia State Police and New York State Police said. She was 34. 

Michael C. Davis, 34, of Richmond, is suspected of forcing David into an SUV in Ithaca early Wednesday and firing at Virginia police that night. He and David were previously in a relationship and had a 4-year-old child together, New York police said.

David had been celebrating her birthday, her heartbroken brother, Emanuel Espada, said.

“I’ll never get to see who she’s really meant to be in this life, and it’s not fair. She shouldn’t have had to die so young,” he said. 

Law enforcement in New York had issued an abducted adult alert for David and told anyone who saw her or Davis to call 911.

Both David and Davis were shot, officials said. The investigation is ongoing.

All southbound lanes of I-95 had reopened as of 1:45 p.m. Thursday, state transportation officials said. All southbound lanes were shut down overnight.

I-95 Police Chase, Shoot-Out Near Quantico Tied to Abduction

Davis forced the mother of his child into a white SUV early Wednesday in Ithaca, a witness told police. State police responded at about 7:20 a.m. 

New York State Police issued a statewide abducted adult alert with information on the victim, suspect and SUV, and a search began, the department said.  

More than 14 hours later, Virginia State Police say a trooper alerted to a Jeep Cherokee headed south in Fairfax County at about 9:40 p.m. The SUV had “an improper registration — the wrong license plates were displayed on it — and was wanted out of New York for an alleged abduction of an adult female earlier in the day,” a statement from police said. 

The trooper turned on his lights and siren, and the driver of the SUV pulled onto the shoulder near exit 167. The trooper made contact with the driver, returned to his patrol car and “identified the driver as the wanted abduction suspect,” police said. 

As the trooper walked back to the SUV, the driver sped off. The trooper began to pursue him. Video footage obtained by News4 shows the chase.

The SUV crashed into a guardrail near mile marker 152 but kept going, police said. Police vehicles surrounded the SUV to try to contain it and bring it to a stop. 

Near exit 148 in Prince William County, the SUV ran off the right side of the road and crashed into the woods. 

“As troopers approached the SUV, the driver began shooting at them. State police returned fire,” police said. 

Fairfax County police said one of its officers also fired.

Gunshots can be heard on radio communications between troopers and dispatchers. 

“We need a shield! We need a shield!” a trooper can be heard shouting, followed by the sound of several shots. 

“We hear the shots fired,” a dispatcher says.

Who fired the shots at that moment was unclear.

Both David and the driver “sustained injuries,” police said. David was found wounded outside the SUV and pronounced dead. The driver was flown to a hospital with injuries believed to be life-threatening. An autopsy of David’s body will be conducted, police said. 

No state police were injured. In line with state police policy, the troopers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave. The investigation is ongoing. 

A gun was found in the SUV, police said.

Virginia State Police are working with New York authorities as related to New York’s abduction investigation. Charges are pending, police said. 

David’s brother said Davis had a history of domestic violence against the alleged kidnapping victim and their son. News4 is working to learn about any criminal record Davis has.

David’s son was safe with family on Thursday, her brother said. 

I-95 Lane Closed in Virginia: Traffic Impact

Southbound I-95 was closed through the night.

All southbound lanes of I-95 had reopened as of 1:45 p.m. Thursday. Drivers were advised to expect delays to Opitz Boulevard and Potomac Mills.

Southbound traffic was pushed off to VA-619 (Joplin Road/Fuller Road) and over to U.S. Route 1 to rejoin I-95. Northbound traffic was not affected.

Express lanes were open for northbound travel only, the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination (MATOC) Program said. Overnight, they were used to alleviate southbound traffic. Anyone directed onto express lanes by first responders will not be tolled, officials said.

Tom Lynch, Briana Trujillo and Sophia Barnes also contributed to this report.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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According to the General District Court Clerk’s office for Fairfax County, the woman’s attorney withdrew the motion for her court appearance, which was set for Friday morning. It will be up to her attorney when to file another motion.

Brittany Copelin surrendered to police just after midnight on Thursday, ending a standoff that shut down Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Hybla Valley area for nearly two days.

All lanes of Richmond Highway were blocked between Lockheed Boulevard and Boswell Avenue until early Thursday.

“The reason why it took so long is because we wanted to get to the best possible outcome for a person that was in a mental health crisis because that’s what this was,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.

She left the scene in an ambulance, and after medics assessed her, she was taken to jail.

Police confirmed the standoff was related to the missing person case involving Copelin’s ex-girlfriend, 25-year-old Lauren Kingsbury, from Laurel, Maryland.

Kingsbury had not been seen since Friday, March 24 before she was found safe earlier Tuesday in Fairfax County — not long before the standoff in the SUV began.

Kingsbury’s family says Copelin broke into Kingsbury’s condo in Laurel, threatened her, pulled a gun, fired a shot and kidnapped her.

Hybla Valley Mar 30

Woman Taken into Custody After 34-Hour Standoff on Richmond Highway

Fairfax County Mar 28

Police Standoff With Armed Woman Shuts Down Richmond Highway for Second Day

Fairfax County Mar 29

Police Using Messages From Family to Try to End Standoff With Armed Woman

Laurel police charged Copelin with kidnapping, home invasion, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, firearm use in the commission of a felony, loaded handgun on person and false imprisonment. 

Davis says Copelin is being held without bond, and that mental health services are available to her at the jail.

As Brittany Copelin emerged from the black Jeep, bystanders cheered, and one shouted, “We love you!” Copelin walked over to police and surrendered, video from the scene shows.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said crisis negotiators and clinicians were in constant contact with Copelin, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.

“She was in the car by herself. She was certainly a danger to herself and others, but no one else was with her in the car. So, there was no immediate opportunity for her to cause harm to someone else,” Davis said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Copelin left the scene in an ambulance. After medics assessed her, police took Copelin to jail and charged her with abduction and firearm charges.

For the safety of the public, part of Richmond Highway – the major artery through the area – was shut down late Tuesday morning. All lanes of Richmond Highway were blocked between Lockheed Boulevard and Boswell Avenue until early Thursday.

“The reason why it took so long is because we wanted to get to the best possible outcome for a person that was in a mental health crisis because that’s what this was,” Davis said.

Davis said Copelin is being held without bond and mental health services are available to her at the jail.

Police confirmed the standoff was related to the missing person case involving Copelin’s ex-girlfriend, 25-year-old Lauren Kingsbury, from Laurel, Maryland. Kingsbury had not been seen since Friday, March 24 before she was found safe earlier Tuesday in Fairfax County — not long before the standoff began.

Doorbell surveillance video captured Kingsbury leaving her home with Copelin on Friday, Laurel police said.

Then, on Tuesday, Kingsbury managed to get away and called police to tell them that Copelin had kidnapped her, police said. At that point, she and Copelin were in the area of Richmond Highway in Fairfax County.

“When we responded there, there was a woman who said she had been abducted, and the suspect vehicle had just fled. So we began searching the area, and that’s when one of our officers found the vehicle, and it led to a pursuit and ended here,” Lt. James Curry said. “She did display a firearm to the officers during that first traffic stop, and that’s led to the response that you see here.”

Kingsbury’s parents gave an update to members of the media during a brief Thursday morning press conference, calling the four days that their daughter was missing an “exhausting and long nightmare.”

“She always answers her texts. She answers everything,” Lauren’s father Ricardo Kingsbury said.

“Her not answering was out of the norm,” he said, voice shaking with emotion before adding that it was “the worst four days of my life.”

“Not knowing if my daughter was breathing, sleeping, eating as I was,” mom Tracy Goins said, was “excruciating.”

Lauren Kingsbury’s parents said that, with their daughter found safe, they are now on the long road to recovering from the nightmare.

Laurel police charged Copelin with kidnapping, home invasion, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, third-degree burglary, firearm use in the commission of a felony, loaded handgun on person and false imprisonment. 

During the standoff on Route 1, Copelin’s uncle confirmed that she was posting to social media from inside the SUV, and family members sent her audio messages encouraging her to get out of the vehicle.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

Police are in a tense standoff on Richmond Highway (Route 1) in the Hybla Valley area with an armed woman in an incident that may be connected to the case of two missing Maryland women.

For the safety of the public, part of Richmond Highway – the major artery through the area – has been shut down since late Tuesday morning. All lanes of Richmond Highway are blocked between Lockheed Boulevard and Boswell Avenue. Alternate routes include Telegraph Road and Fort Hunt Road.

The closure is affecting traffic Wednesday, and Fairfax County police advised commuters to avoid the area.

Authorities said they were asked by another law enforcement agency to perform a welfare check in an area just up the street at about 11 a.m. Tuesday. They said they were checking for a missing person in potential danger. 

Outside a Quality Inn Motel, they encountered a distraught woman.

“When we responded there, there was a woman who said she had been abducted, and the suspect vehicle had just fled. So we began searching the area, and that’s when one of our officers found the vehicle, and it led to a pursuit and ended here,” Lt. James Curry said. “She did display a firearm to the officers during that first traffic stop, and that’s led to the response that you see here.”

A crisis team made up of a mental health clinician and a police negotiator have been trying to communicate with the woman, who is in a black SUV.

A negotiator approached the SUV under the cover of an officer with a rifle but soon backed away, saying the woman was not communicating with them.

A man who said he is the woman’s uncle told Northern Virginia Bureau Reporter Drew Wilder police asked the family to record audio messages for the woman.

“The negotiator at this point is attempting to make this person as comfortable as possible,” said John Villanueva, an adjunct lecturer in George Mason University’s criminology department.

He said the messages from the family is a de-escalation tactic.

“They want to pull them back from the edge and humanize the situation,” he said. “Look, there are people that love you, alright. There are people that you love. This need not turn fatal.”

Sirens continued to blare and police were using a megaphone to communicate on Wednesday morning, telling the woman to get out of the car. The woman has shown a gun multiple times.

Earlier, an officer was heard saying, “Put your hands up. You are under arrest.”

Onlookers told News4 they saw police bring the woman meals.

Police said they can’t release many details because they’re trying to get the woman safely out of the vehicle. Authorities also said they would be there as long as it takes to resolve the situation safely.

Earlier Tuesday, 25-year-old Lauren Kingsbury was found safe in Fairfax County after she’d been missing since Friday. The woman’s uncle told News4 she did have a connection to Kingsbury, and police confirmed the investigation started with a missing woman report out of Maryland.

“This started as an investigation, a welfare check for a woman who was reported missing out of Maryland,” Curry said. “It was that point in time when we were approached by a second woman who stated that she was abducted. During that, we were directed to a car that was possibly involved, and it led to where we are today.”

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Veronica Youngblood shot 5-year-old Brooklynn and 15-year-old Sharon in their McLean apartment in 2018 just days before Brooklynn was supposed to move to live with her father, prosecutors said.

The jury recommended a sentence of 36 years for each killing, totaling 78 years. A judge will decide Youngblood’s sentence in September. The minimum sentence Youngblood could receive is 46 years.

Crime and Courts Mar 21

Police Interview Released in Trial of Virginia Mom Accused of Killing Daughters

Fairfax County Mar 22

Virginia Mother Found Guilty of Killing Her Two Daughters

Sharon was still alive when police arrived, and that officer testified in the trial.

“She said her mom came into the room and said, ‘I’m gonna take you to see God,’ and then shot her,” the officer testified.

Youngblood was arrested after calling her ex-husband and leaving him a voicemail confessing and telling him she hated him.

In an interview with police in the hours after she shot her daughters, she referenced her plan to buy a gun and kill her daughters and herself.

The defense painted the father as abusive and controlling, partially why Youngblood was driven into major depressive disorder.

A doctor described Youngblood’s depressive psychosis, in which she claims she heard voices that told her to kill her kids and herself.

The jury was left to decide whether Youngblood was legally insane the moment she pulled the trigger. They found her guilty on both counts of murder and both counts of use of a firearm to commit a murder.

Marquse Lucas, 24, of D.C. and Benea Smith, 32, of D.C. face several charges including robbery with a firearm and child endangerment, according to an update from a Saturday release.

The couple allegedly shoplifted armloads of Tide detergent products from a Safeway on Georgetown Pike in Great Falls about 12:30 p.m. and pulled a gun on the store manager who tried to stop them.

The couple left in a silver Honda with a child in the backseat.

After police attempted a traffic stop, the suspects led them on a chase on several roads and highways in the Tysons area.

Video recorded from an apartment building shows the suspects leading police into oncoming traffic on Route 7 at one point.

Police cars blocked exits in hopes of getting the Honda to stop, which it eventually did on Interstate 495 near Lewinsville Road. 

The child is safe and with caregivers.

Lucas and Smith are being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. Police said they also had outstanding warrants for robbery in Prince William County.

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A family member of the victim, 20-year-old Javier Gomez, heard a gunshot and called 911 at about 8 a.m. The responding officers found Gomez with a gunshot wound at an apartment on the second floor in the 10400 block of Viera Lane off Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax County Police Department said.

The family member tried helping Gomez, who was shot in the upper body, before first responders arrived, but he was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries, according to police.

Following the shooting, officers were looking for a man seen running from the area. Authorities said a few hours after the incident, 18-year-old Darren Cruz Colindres, of Vienna, gave up peacefully, after police made contact with him in a home on Pleasant Dale Road in Vienna.

“UPDATE: Thanks to the hard work of our officers and detectives, the suspect from this morning’s homicide is in custody. Follow our blog, fcpdnews.wordpress.com, for updates when available,” @FairfaxCountyPD tweeted.

Police said the shooting does not appear to be a random act and believe Colindres and Gomez knew each other.

Residents of the apartment complex said the incident was troubling.

Fernando Vasquez said he moved there several years ago because it felt like the kind of place where violence wouldn’t be a problem.

“Somebody got shot a couple months ago broad daylight,” he said. “The cops are good to show up quick, but I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s the economy or people are broke, doing crazy stuff.”

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

Virginia Mar 24

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Crime and Courts Mar 24

Husband Kills Wife, Self at Reston Park: Police

A passerby found the unconscious couple Wednesday along a trail around Stratton Woods Park in Reston. They had gunshot wounds to the upper body, Fairfax County police said.

Patricia Garverick, 69, and Richard Garverick, 75, of Herndon, were pronounced dead on the scene after Fairfax County police responded about 3 p.m.

Cartridge cases and a firearm were found near the bodies, and the couple’s car was found in the Stratton Woods Park parking lot, police said.

An autopsy will confirm the cause and manner of death.

A victim specialist has been assigned to help the family involved.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

The crash investigation is snarling traffic at Wilson Boulevard and John Marshall Drive in Seven Corners, Fairfax County Police said shortly after 7 a.m. Commuters are advised to use another route.

After the crash, the driver remained on the scene, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, then pronounced dead, police said. Information on her identity was not immediately released.

Detectives from the Crash Reconstruction Unit are set to investigate.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

A couple allegedly shoplifted armloads of Tide detergent products from a Safeway on Georgetown Pike in Great Falls about 12:30 p.m. and pulled a gun on the store manager who tried to stop them.

The couple left in a silver Honda with a child in the backseat.

After police attempted a traffic stop, the suspects led them on a chase on several roads and highways in the Tysons area.

Video recorded from an apartment building shows the suspects leading police into oncoming traffic on Route 7 at one point.

“Well, I heard all the sirens, and at first I didn’t think much of it, but then I heard the helicopter,” said Akbar S., who recorded the video. “And I work from home. My desk is right by the window, and I took a peek outside and I just saw, right over there, just a huge group of cop cars.”

Police cars blocked exits in hopes of getting the Honda to stop, which it eventually did on Interstate 495 near Lewinsville Road. 

“That car was tossed around quite a bit,” Akbar S. said. “It could not have been comfortable for anybody inside.”

The suspects are in custody, and the child is safe and with caregivers.

There were no crashes or injuries.

Charges are pending.

A rise in organized shoplifting of Tide detergent has been documented by the National Retail Federation. 

Sgt. Wesley Shifflett’s actions did not “meet the expectations” of the police department and Shifflett did not follow use-of-force protocols, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a news conference Thursday.

The department released surveillance and body camera footage of the incident, 29 days after Timothy Johnson was shot and killed.

Johnson, 37, was suspected of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses when police chased him to a wooded area by the Northern Virginia mall on Feb. 22. He died a short time later at a hospital.

Surveillance video shows Johnson going into the Nordstrom store at the mall that evening and looking at designer sunglasses.

An employee with Nordstrom Asset Protection saw Johnson act suspiciously and believed he was about to steal some sunglasses when they called the Tysons Urban Team, who responded to the store, police said.

An officer in plain clothes saw Johnson near the anti-theft alarm at one of the store’s exits when the alarm went off, police said. Johnson then turned and walked toward the parking garage exit, according to police.

**WARNING** The video below could be disturbing to some viewers and includes graphic language.

A few moments later, police say an officer in plain clothes saw Johnson set off a second alarm as he went through it and left the store near the parking garage, which can be seen on surveillance video.

Officers then followed Johnson into the parking garage and saw him go down a stairwell. Video from the parking garage shows an officer running to the stairwell to try to catch up to Johnson.

One uniformed and one officer in plain clothes chased Johnson as he exited the parking garage stairwell, ran through the parking garage and toward Route 7.

Body camera video from the uniformed officer, Sgt. Shifflett, shows the officer running through the parking lot At one point, the Shifflett can be heard saying “He’s crossing over! He’s crossing over, guys.”

Officers continued to pursue Johnson as he changed direction and ran across Fashion Boulevard toward a wooded area.

“Going into the woods, through the woods,” Shifflett says. He then shouts to Johnson, “Get on the ground! Get on the ground!”

While following Johnson into the wood line, both officers fired their guns. Johnson was hit in the chest one time.

Three pops can be heard in the video, and the third apparent gunshot is heard as one of the officers yells, “Stop reaching! Stop reaching!”

Virginia Feb 28

Mother of Man Fatally Shot by Officers Outside Tysons Mall Calls for Independent Investigation

Virginia Feb 23

Unknown Whether Tysons Shoplifting Suspect Fatally Shot by Officers Was Armed: Police

Virginia Feb 22

Police Shoot, Kill Man Near Tysons Corner Center After Shoplifting Call: Officials

Johnson cannot be seen on camera during that time.

After the officers fired, Johnson can be seen in the distance laying on the ground and he doesn’t appear to be moving. Officers then do CPR on him until paramedics arrive.

Soon after the shooting, Shifflett says to a responding officer, “He didn’t get any rounds off. I don’t know if he’s armed. He was continually reaching in his waistband. I told him, ‘Let me see your hands. Let me see your hands.'”

However, the officer is not heard giving that command on the body camera video.

Davis said Shifflett was served a notice Thursday that he was fired. The second officer who shot at Johnson, James Sadler, remains on “modified restrictive duty.”

Davis didn’t offer any opinion on the body camera video, saying it could compromise the integrity of the ongoing criminal investigation.

“The administrative separation of the officer by Chief Davis corroborates what I saw in footage which was several violations of police procedures. However, Justice for Timothy continues. No one has been charged with his murder,” the Johnson family’s attorney Carl Crews said in a statement to News4.

Fairfax County police are now monitoring and tracking all foot pursuits in light of the shooting, Davis said.

“Anytime a foot pursuit occurs it’s now mandatory that it be documented, reviewed by a supervisor and reviewed by a commander,” he said.

Johnson’s family viewed the body camera video on Wednesday.

“No parent, no parents should not have to view the killing of their child and then be asked to give remarks,” Johnson’s mother, Melissa Johnson, said. “However, here we are, and here I stand.”

Melissa Johnson and the family attorney said the video confirmed what they’ve believed ever since Timothy Johnson was shot last month at Tyson Corner Center — that he was unarmed, and he posed no threat.

“The only thing they knew was that he was black and male and had allegedly triggered an alarm at a store for some sunglasses,” she said.

“If the video would have exonerated the officer we would have seen it before now. It does not. He was not vindicated at all,” said family attorney Carl Crews.

“More often than not the body camera footage speaks for itself. This time, it does not,” Davis said Thursday after reporters viewed the body camera video for the first time.

Melissa Johnson previously spoke out about the shooting, and said in late February that she wants to know why deadly force was used for someone accused of shoplifting and whether police violated department policy.

“Was shoplifting right? Absolutely not. But we have laws in place to address shoplifting,” she said at the time. “Should my son have been murdered because he shoplifted from the mall?”

“He could have been apprehended without a shot being fired,” Crews said. “There were several police officers present, that this could have been done. That’s why there was no imminent danger to the officer.”

The family said police provided no information to them about why officers might have fired their weapons.

“No apology was given, no explanation was given either,” Crews said.

Steve Descano, Virginia’s Commonwealth Attorney, says he expects to make a decision on filing charges against the officers in the near future.

“I have seen and am devastated by the body-worn camera footage showing yet another death of a Black man at the hands of police,” Descano said in a statement shared with News4.

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Prosecutors said Veronica Youngblood shot 5-year-old Brooklynn and 15-year-old Sharon in their McLean apartment just days before Brooklynn was supposed to move to live with her father.

Sharon was still alive when police arrived, and that officer testified in the trial.

“She said her mom came into the room and said, ‘I’m gonna take you to see God,’ and then shot her,” the officer testified.

Youngblood was arrested after calling her ex-husband and leaving him a voicemail confessing and telling him she hated him.

In an interview with police in the hours after she shot her daughters, she referenced her plan to buy a gun and kill her daughters and herself.

The defense painted the father as abusive and controlling, partially why Youngblood was driven into major depressive disorder.

A doctor described Youngblood’s depressive psychosis, in which she claims she heard voices that told her to kill her kids and herself.

The jury was left to decide whether Youngblood was legally insane the moment she pulled the trigger. They found her guilty on both counts of murder and both counts of use of a firearm to commit a murder.

Jury sentencing will be Thursday at 10 a.m.

That man, Timothy Johnson, was suspected of shoplifting a pair of sunglasses when police chased him to a wooded area by the mall on Feb. 22. He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

Johnson was 37 years old.

Johnson’s family and their attorney were not inside police headquarters for long on Wednesday. The bodycam video of the gunfire that killed their loved one was just eight minutes long.

“No parent, no parents should not have to view the killing of their child and then be asked to give remarks,” Johnson’s mother, Melissa Johnson, said. “However, here we are, and here I stand.”

Her conclusion: the shooting was not justified.

“The only thing they knew was that he was black and male and had allegedly triggered an alarm at a store for some sunglasses,” she said.

Melissa Johnson and the family attorney say the video confirmed what they’ve believed ever since Timothy Johnson was shot last month at Tyson Corner Center — that he was unarmed, and they say, posed no threat.

Melissa Johnson previously spoke out about the shooting, and said in late February that she wants to know why deadly force was used for someone accused of shoplifting and whether police violated department policy.

“Was shoplifting right? Absolutely not. But we have laws in place to address shoplifting,” she said at the time. “Should my son have been murdered because he shoplifted from the mall?”

Johnson’s family and their attorney also say police shouted at Johnson to stop and lay down, but gave no verbal warning of gunfire.

“If the video would have exonerated the officer we would have seen it before now. It does not. He was not vindicated at all,” said family attorney Carl Crews.

“Timothy had no gun. He didn’t have anything that appeared as a gun. He had nothing that appeared as a gun where he was.”

The officers who fired their weapons have been identified as Wesley Shifflett and James Sadler. They began chasing Johnson after he was suspected of stealing a pair of sunglasses, likely a misdemeanor offense.

Crews says the video also shows police had a chance to arrest Johnson before the gunfire.

“He could have been apprehended without a shot being fired,” Crews said. “There were several police officers present, that this could have been done. That’s why there was no imminent danger to the officer.”

During Wednesday’s meeting with police, they provided no information about why officers might have fired their weapons.

Virginia Feb 28

Mother of Man Fatally Shot by Officers Outside Tysons Mall Calls for Independent Investigation

Virginia Feb 23

Unknown Whether Tysons Shoplifting Suspect Fatally Shot by Officers Was Armed: Police

Virginia Feb 22

Police Shoot, Kill Man Near Tysons Corner Center After Shoplifting Call: Officials

“No apology was given, no explanation was given either,” Crews said.

The eight minute video viewed by the family and security camera video will be played for reporters on Thursday, and released to the public shortly after that. The Fairfax County Police Chief will also provide an update on the investigation.

Steve Descano, Virginia’s Commonwealth Attorney, says he expects to make a decision on filing charges against the officers in the near future.

“I have seen and am devastated by the body-worn camera footage showing yet another death of a Black man at the hands of police,” Descano said in a statement shared with News4.

“My heart grieves for the Johnsons, who lost a beloved family member over an incident involving a pair of sunglasses. Like many members of our community, I sincerely hope to see the day when police shootings are a thing of the past.”

“As the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, it is my responsibility to proceed with a comprehensive and independent investigation of this incident, and that’s what I’ve been doing since the night of February 22nd,” Descano continued. “I expect to make a decision on how best to proceed in the coming weeks.”

It started Friday with a Jeep carjacked in Fairfax County that was driven to Falls Church where it struck a pedestrian while making a U-turn, then slams into cars at an auto shop.

“Well, I was just standing here next to the street when the car just came right on top of me,” Rico Cortez Amaya said. “I’m banged up but I’m good.”

Witnesses say the suspect ran into a parking lot, hit an older man over the head and stole his vehicle.

“The driver of that stolen vehicle had taken a soup can and threw it at another driver,” Falls Church Police Chief Mary Gavin said.

The suspect proceeded to Arlington, where he struck another pedestrian near the intersection of Spout Run Parkway and Langston Boulevard and got away.

On Sunday, there was another violent attack just blocks from Friday’s crash.

“He came up behind a gentleman loading items into his car,” Gavin said. “He violently slams that gentleman onto the ground and tries to steal his car keys and his car.”

Police said good Samaritans jumped into action, helping the victim and guiding police to where the suspect ran. Officers soon cornered and arrested him.

“I am so profoundly proud of the residents and the citizens of this community that came in to help their fellow citizen but also the officers,” Gavin said. “The officers were not going to give up.”

The suspect, who hasn’t been identified, is not cooperating with police.

The charges against the suspect are still being determined.

Troopers responded to reports of the shooting at about 5 p.m. The Sedan was driving on Interstate 495 near Exit 52 towards the Little River Turnpike, according to the Virginia State Police.

A bullet hit one car. No one was injured, troopers said. 

The northbound travel lanes were closed Sunday while troopers searched for shell casings.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Virginia State Police at 703-803-0026 or by email at questions@vsp.virginia.gov. 

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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A grand jury indicted Troy Reynolds on 12 charges after police said he crashed a school bus with 44 kindergarteners in October.

Critics accuse the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office of botching the case. They say Reynolds could have faced almost 50 years in prison, but now he may soon be a free man.

Reynolds’ defense attorney told the judge Reynolds was drinking for his birthday the night before he drove the bus off the road. He was over the legal alcohol limit with a 0.2 blood alcohol content.

Nine kids were treated for minor injuries. Each of those kids led to a felony child endangerment charge against Reynolds.

But earlier this month, Reynolds’ defense attorney submitted a motion to dismiss all of the charges, claiming prosecutors “violated Mr. Reynolds’ rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth amendments, as well as the discovery order.” The motion says Reynolds originally faced a “potential sentence of 47-and-a-half years.”

Shortly after the motion was submitted, prosecutors offered Reynolds a plea deal, dismissing all nine felonies and asking the judge to sentence him to about 240 days on the three misdemeanors, the defense attorney said.

Ed Nuttall, who is running against Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, says Descano’s poor management is ultimately why Reynolds’ felonies were dropped.

“I can only imagine the outrage these families have,” he said.

The prosecutor in court Thursday was the third prosecutor assigned to the case since January. She told the judge she just was assigned the case Feb. 27 and said she made “reasonable efforts … to notify parents” but was only able to contact some of them.

“And now these parents, it sounds like, don’t have any idea, may not have any idea, what’s even happened in this case,” Nuttall said.

A spokesperson for Descano released a statement to News4, saying, in part, the outcome “reflects the wishes of the vast majority of the families of the children who were injured in the incident.”

The judge did not sentence Reynolds but approved a motion for bond. He’s not allowed to drive in Virginia, but he has a Maryland license and there isn’t an automatic notification process from Virginia’s DMV to Maryland’s.

If the judge accepts the prosecutor’s proposed sentence, Reynolds will get credit for time already served and won’t spend another day in jail.

The judge also could choose to sentence him to more than 240 days. Reynolds is expected to be sentenced in early July.

The public defender claims charter bus driver Troy Reynolds, jailed without bond since his arrest after an Oct. 27 bus crash, is being denied his right to a fair and speedy trial.

The motion also claims some evidence that prosecutors will use to support the charges against Reynolds, which include child endangerment and driving under the influence, was not turned over to defense attorneys in the time period required by law.

Zach Thrun’s daughter was one of the 44 kindergarten students from D.C.’s Murch Elementary aboard the bus when the driver crashed into a ditch coming back from a field trip to a Chantilly, Virginia, pumpkin patch. 

“My thoughts are that the right to a fair and speedy trial is sacred, and if that can’t happen, then there shouldn’t be a trial. That said, children are sacred too, and if a person who puts many children in danger is not adjudicated, that is a travesty of justice,” Thrun said. 

The public defender’s motion references previous, similar accusations against the office of  Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and asks that the judge not postpone or continue the trial. 

“In case after case, discovery violations have ground the effective administration of justice in this court to a halt. Continuing this trial while Mr. Reynolds is incarcerated is not the answer,” Senior Assistant Public Defender Amy M. Jordan wrote in the motion. 

The motion also asks the judge not to allow the Commonwealth’s attorney to withdraw the charges so they can be refiled.

Rescue crews rushed to the high school after a male student was suspected of overdosing on fentanyl, according to 911 dispatch. Sources from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue confirmed to News4 that student was hospitalized.

“We can’t go a week without an issue around this topic in our young people, and so it’s critical as we approach spring that we have more education and a sense of awareness,” Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said.

The meeting was the first of several town halls the school district and Fairfax County police plan to hold to raise awareness about the risks of opioid use.

Chandra Ozkan, who has three sons in elementary school, said when it comes to the dangers of drugs such as opioids and fentanyl, she wants to be prepared.

“As I see it more and more, I see the older kids getting exposed, and I’ve already started talking to my boys,” Ozkan said. “Only a small small tiny dose or exposure to it is going to ruin your life.”

A team of medical experts along with representatives from the DEA and U.S. Attorney’s office made detailed presentations at the meeting. They spoke about addiction and the deadly consequences of just a small amount of fentanyl.

For parents like Ozkan, it was the personal stories on stage and comments from the audience that had the biggest impact.

“I lost my son to an unintended overdose,” one parent said.

“I lost my son about a month ago,” another parent said.

“I had friends tell me I was being severe by telling my kids this young, but now I think it’s gonna be a weekly discussion with my kids,” Ozkan said.

Reid said this meeting was a first in a series and there will be another community conversation in April. The school district will also present the dangers of opioids to high school students over the next two weeks.

Reid declined to share the number of overdoses in the school district this year but said the data will be released soon.

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