Fairfax County Police Releases Body-Worn Camera Footage Of Shooting In Chantilly

CHANTILLY, VA — The Fairfax County Police Department released body-worn camera footage Wednesday showing a Jan. 4 incident where a county police officer shot and injured a man outside his Chantilly home in early January.

Also on Wednesday, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney office said it had decided not to bring criminal charges against the police officer who shot the Chantilly man.

The footage shows Fairfax County police officers arriving at the home of Robert Jablonski, 50, in Chantilly around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, where Jablonski lived with his elderly parents.

Earlier in the day, Jablonski's parents had reported to police that their son was behaving in an unstable manner and threatened them. The parents were able to get an emergency custody order to have Jablonski taken for treatment.

When the officers entered the house to take him for treatment, they urged Jablonski, who appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis, to come upstairs from the basement so that he could speak with a clinician. After about 15 minutes, Jablonski grew more agitated and threatened to kill the police officers who were asking him to come upstairs. He also threatened to kill his mother, according to the camera footage.

The officers then moved outside the house. A short time later, Jablonski exited the front door of the home and aimed a compound bow and arrow at police officers at full draw.

Police ordered Jablonski to put down the bow and arrow several times. At that point, an officer fired one shot at Jablonski, according to the camera footage. Officers immediately provided emergency medical assistance to Jablonski, who survived the shooting.

Fairfax County police detectives charged Jablonski with attempted aggravated murder of a police officer. He is currently in jail on no bond awaiting trial, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference Wednesday.

The officer who shot Jablonski on Jan. 4 “was reasonable in fearing that Mr. Jablonski intended to either kill or cause serious bodily injury to him, or the two other officers,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement Wednesday.

“[I]t was therefore legally permissible for him to use the level of force he employed,” he said. “Accordingly, I decline to bring any criminal charge against the officer.”

Descano said he reached his finding after his office reviewed police dispatch records, radio and mobile data communications, interviews, body-worn camera footage, photos, and accounts from neighbors.

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