Police shot and killed a Reston woman during a wellness check on Monday after she attacked officers with a knife. 

An officer knocked on the door of Sydney Wilson’s 11800 block, Sunrise Valley Drive apartment Monday morning. It is unclear how many other officers were with him. Wilson refused to open the door. After police continued to try and talk to her, she returned to the door with a knife, opened it, and attacked the officer. 

After being cut at least once, the officer repositioned himself away from Wilson and warned her to “back up” at least eight times according to the Chief of Police, Kevin Davis. After she continued trying to attack him, he opened fire.

Wilson was pronounced dead at the hospital. The police officer who was attacked was taken to the hospital, but his wounds were not life-threatening.

The woman, 33, was described by Davis as “6 foot 5 (inches), 330 pounds”. She had interacted with police over her mental health concerns in the past. This visit was prompted by her mental healthcare provider contacting the police and asking them to perform a wellness check. 

The officer who was injured is on administrative leave while an investigation into the incident and his actions is performed. Leaves like this are common in events where officers open fire. Davis stressed that the officer had been trained in crisis-intervention. 

The 11800 block, home to establishments like MyHome Thai and Reston Kebab, was the site of another shooting in August at Gold’s Gym. The two events are not related. According to Davis, this is the first officer-involved shooting in Fairfax County in a year and a half. 

“This officer protected himself. Arguably, he protected other residents as well,” Davis said.

More details on the shooting, including bodycam footage and the names of the officers involved have yet to be released.