SPRINGFIELD, Va. — Authorities have released bodyworn camera footage of a deadly shooting in the parking lot of a Springfield shopping center on June 30.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis says the video shows the two officers who fired did so "lawfully," and in compliance with department policies and community expectations.
According to Fairfax County police, officers attempted to stop a "wanted man" in a Target parking lot near Springfield Mall. Three officers were involved in trying to stop the man, who was later identified as 37-year-old Christian Parker.
In the video released by Fairfax County Police Friday, dashboard camera footage shows the final moments that lead up to the deadly shooting. Police can be seen approaching the suspect as he was entering a car near the the shopping center and repeatedly asking the man to "show me your hands" and "put your hands up."
The video captures Parker raising his hand with a gun, while still sitting in the vehicle. Immediately, police ask Parker to drop the gun. According to Davis, the three officers involved told Parker at least 30 times to show his hands and drop his weapon.
"I think the video speaks for itself," Chief Davis said. "We were interacting with a man who was armed with a gun and in spite of at least 30 demands to drop the gun, he never did. We will never know why. We just aren't. We can speculate all day long."
Fairfax County NAACP President Karen Campblin attended the news conference where police released the video, but said she was still reviewing what she saw and declined to comment.
Officers witnessed the man swinging the gun side to side with the barrel pointing in the direction of the officers. The released videos includes footage from the body-worm camera of two of the three officers who fired their guns.
In the video, you can hear at least eight shots being fired with Parker still in his car. Six of the rounds hit Parker. Officers requested medics to the scene after shots were fired, and then they were seen moving towards the locked car to take Parker out and provide medical aid. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers said they retrieved a stolen firearm from inside the car.
"The officers were faced with a very dangerous situation," Davis said. "One they couldn't turn and run from. There's no U-turns. They are protecting the community and dealing with a person who is armed and dangerous in a crowded shopping parking lot filled with mothers, fathers, and children.... He could have got out of the car, he could have carjacked someone, he could have taken someone hostage. He could have run inside the mall and done a lot of damage, and then we would have had an active shooter situation. "
None of the officers were injured during the shooting, and all three were placed on administrative leave pending investigation, per department policy. The officers who fired are Police Officer First Class Daniel Houtz and Officer Ryan Sheehan, according to police.
"Some will say you asked him to drop his gun 30 times, why not ask him 40 times or 50 times," Davis said. "I think the officers showed a lot of restraint. And they are begging him to drop his gun."
This was the fourth shooting of the year in Fairfax County that involved at least one or more officers, according to Davis. In a press conference Friday afternoon, Davis said at least three out of the four people involved in the shootings had some sort of crisis including mental health or behavioral crises.