Shocking police body camera video shows the moment an officer shot and killed a Virginia woman after she attacked him with a knife.
Sydney Wilson, 33, a commercial real estate manager in the D.C. area, was visited by an officer for a welfare check at her apartment in Reston on Sept. 16 at 10 a.m.
Officer Peter Liu, who had 14 years of crisis intervention experience, knocked on the door and Wilson answered.
When the officer identified himself, he slammed it shut.
For the next three minutes, the police officer continued knocking, only for the 6ft 6in Wilson to open the door and charge him with a knife.
Shocking police body camera video shows moment officer shoots Virginia woman dead after she attacks him with knife
Sydney Wilson, 33, a commercial real estate manager in the D.C. area, was visited by an officer for a welfare check at her apartment in Reston on Sept. 16 at 10 a.m.
Wilson is accused of stabbing the officer several times in the face until the officer fired his gun.
Liu backed down the hallway before firing three more shots and calling for help.
Wilson received CPR at the scene, but was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said Liu did the best he could and prevented the situation from becoming more unpleasant.
“It could have been much, much, much worse. The cut, gash and wound he received was on the top of his forehead.”
A mental health professional asked police to conduct a welfare check on Wilson.
Davis admitted that these types of checks are usually done in conjunction with another mental health professional.
However, the usual co-responder was not available at that time as they were on another call.
For three minutes, the police officer continued knocking, only for the 6ft 6in Wilson to open the door and charge him with a knife.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said the officer did the best he could and prevented the situation from becoming more unpleasant.
Davis believes the doctor’s failure to show up at the scene prevented the incident from becoming more deadly.
‘Doctors absolutely expose themselves to an element of danger every time they get out of a police car and approach a door or an accident scene or an outdoor setting with a police officer, and there is an element of risk associated with it. ‘
He added that he doesn’t know that a mental health professional could have prevented the incident from ending the way it did.
Wilson, a former Georgetown University basketball player, was remembered by her former school in a instagram mail.
‘Georgetown women’s basketball mourns the tragic loss of Sydney Wilson (C’13). Forever a Hoya.’
Officer Liu remains on administrative duty as an internal investigation into the shooting continues.
