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Video shows an officer shooting and killing a woman during a psychiatric evaluation in Virginia

Video shows an officer shooting and killing a woman during a psychiatric evaluation in Virginia

Fairfax County police have released body camera footage from an incident last month in which an officer shot and killed a woman during a welfare check in Reston.

The footage shows the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Sydney Wilson, who was reportedly in an agitated state.

On Sept. 16, crisis intervention-trained officer Peter Liu responded to Wilson's Sunrise Valley Drive apartment after her doctor raised concerns about her mental health.

According to police, when Liu arrived, Wilson initially opened her door but closed it again after a brief interaction, leaving the officer to wait outside for nearly 10 minutes.

When Wilson finally reappeared, she was holding a knife and immediately attacked the officer.

Body camera footage shows Officer Liu repeatedly telling Wilson to stand back as she approached him and struck him with the knife. Despite multiple warnings, Wilson continued to move forward, forcing the officer to exit the hallway.

When Wilson struck Liu again, he fired three shots, hitting her. The footage also shows the officer bleeding from a wound to his forehead after being injured during the struggle by Wilson.

Additional officers soon arrived to assist and Wilson was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

When it happened, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis described Liu's actions, saying, “Our officer acted bravely. He certainly showed some grace under pressure.”

Davis noted that Officer Liu Wilson gave at least eight verbal warnings before firing his weapon.

Wilson, who was 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 330 pounds, had a history of mental health issues and had previous contacts with police.

Davis confirmed that the officer involved, Liu, has been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of a criminal and administrative investigation.

Check out the full bodycam footage below:

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