Man allegedly armed with crossbow shot, killed by police at Potomac Mills outlet mall
Armed man shot, killed near Potomac Mills outlet mall: police
A man who police say went running toward Potomac Mills outlet mall armed with a crossbow was shot and killed by officers Thursday.
PRINCE WILLIAM CO., Va. - A man who police say went running toward Potomac Mills outlet mall armed with a crossbow was shot and killed by officers Thursday.
What we know:
Around 2:45 p.m. on July 17, Prince William County police officers found a man in the area of Garza Way and Potomac Mill Circle who was wanted for allegedly brandishing a firearm the day before.
Police had received a report on Wednesday that the suspect had pointed a gun towards an unknown victim who was walking along Colchester Road in Woodbridge, unprovoked. No injuries were reported, and the suspect left the area in a vehicle.
Officers had been trying to find the man since that incident, and police say the same man was reportedly involved in a separate, similar encounter today on Birchdale Avenue.
Police eventually found the suspect on Thursday, sitting in a parked car in the roadway on Potomac Mills Circle, which circles the Potomac Mills shopping complex.
Standoff begins:
Officers tried to negotiate with the man for multiple hours for a peaceful surrender. At one point, officers surrounded the suspect’s vehicle to take him into custody.
They say the suspect then got out of the car and began running towards the mall, armed with a crossbow. He was then shot and killed by police.
No officers or uninvolved community members were injured during the encounter. Police say the incident was contained to the roadway.
The deceased was identified as a 52-year-old man of the Woodbridge area. His name has not been released.
There is no active threat to the community at this time.
What's next:
The regional Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) will oversee an independent investigation into the shooting. No additional information is available at this time.