Fairfax County police officer shot reportedly armed man in Lorton

(updated at 4:05 p.m.) A Fairfax County Police officer shot a 34-year-old man in Lorton this morning (Tuesday) after responding to a call for a suspicious van in a neighborhood.

At a press conference, Police Chief Kevin Davis said the man inside the van raised a rifle in the direction of police when one of the two responding officers shot him. He is in stable condition at a local hospital, Davis said.

The van’s occupant, who has not been identified by police, is wanted in Fairfax County for not appearing in court for charges related to firearm and drug offenses.

Someone appeared to be living in the van for an extended period. The minivan’s windows were heavily tinted, and the interior of the van was difficult to see because of items and curtain rods that were assembled inside, according to Davis.

“I have personally never seen so many things inside of a minivan,” Davis said. “This man was clearly living in this minivan.”

Officers arrived in the 8300 block of Fitt Court at 8:12 a.m. after a caller reported a suspicious van parked on a residential street off of Telegraph Road for an extended period. Responding officers found that the tag on the van was stolen out of North Carolina and called for a tow truck.

As the tow truck driver was collecting information after opening the driver’s door, the door behind it opened, and a man came out holding a loaded short-barreled rifle, according to police, citing footage they’ve reviewed from officers’ body-worn cameras.

One officer asked the man to drop the weapon before firing his gun several times, Davis said. The man was shot at least once. Police then also found a replica style pistol in his pocket.

The other officer assisted in getting the tow truck driver to safety during the incident.

Fairfax County Police Department policy requires the names of officers involved in shootings and related body camera footage to be released. The footage, which will be released within 30 days, shows “police officers confronted with a deadly threat and they acted,” Davis said.

“Thank God our profession has body-worn cameras,” he said. “They really put police leadership, and detectives, and residents, and the local media in a position to see, touch and feel what officers were experiencing at the moment where they made a decision to use potentially deadly force.”

Ofc Involved Shooting: Officers responded for a suspicious van parked in the 8300 blk of Fitt Ct, Lorton. Prelim, they encountered an armed man which resulted in an ofc-involved shooting. Man taken to hospital w/life-threatening injuries. More details to follow. pic.twitter.com/14xqYkPkB3

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) February 15, 2022