Body-Cam Footage In Fatal Shooting Of Reston Man Released: Video

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County Police released body-cam footage on Friday in connection with the fatal police-involved shooting of 37-year-old Christian Parker of Reston in the parking lot of Springfield Town Center.

"Our police officers in this particular scenario made the right decision, in my opinion, not to tactically reposition themselves because it would have afforded this gunman an opportunity to either get out of the car and potentially do a lot of harm to a lot of innocent folks or use his car as a battering ram and make his way out of the parking lot," said Chief Kevin Davis, during a press conference Friday afternoon.

Parker was wanted on charges in connection with an incident at his home on June 26, was holding a gun while seated inside his car around 4:30 p.m. on June 30.

At first, the video shows officers locating Parker near his car in the shopping center parking lot. As they moved to box in Parker with their cruisers, the he hopped back behind the wheel and attempted to drive off. The officers then exit their cruisers, pointing their weapons as they shout at Parker to show his hands and drop his gun.

A portion of the video shows the interior of Parker's car viewed through the rear window. It appears to show him holding a handgun up. After several minutes of shouting, two officers fire eight shots at Parker. Six of which hit him, according to police.

The video then continues for another five to six minutes, showing the officers attempting to get Parker to hold up his hands and throw his weapon out of the vehicle. Eventually, one of the officers is heard saying Parker is slumped over the steering wheel.

Using a tool to break the driver's side window, several officers lift Parker out of the car and lay him down on the pavement. They then begin to administer aid.

All during the incident, people continued to walk by in the parking lot, and officers shouted at them to keep walking, according Davis.

"Thankfully, no civilians were hurt," he said. "But the person involved in this incident, if we weren't backed up, if we hadn't tactically repositioned ourselves, it would have afforded him an opportunity to do a number of different things that would have been very, very dangerous to the community at large."

Police recovered a Glock 30 45-caliber gun from the car. Davis confirmed that it was the same gun Parker had taken from his brother several days before.

RELATED: Fairfax County Police Fatally Shoot Man In Springfield Parking Lot

An arrest warrant was obtained for Parker after an incident on June 26 at his home in the 2000 block of Royal Fern Court in Reston. A family member told police that Parker stole a firearm from the home and pointed the weapon at a relative. Parker then fired the gun inside the home. No one was injured in the incident at Parker's home.

Officers from the department's Fugitive Track and Apprehension Unit worked during the following week to locate Parker, eventually finding him in the Springfield parking lot. Parker was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny of a firearm, brandishing a firearm and discharging a firearm within a home, police said.

The two officers involved in the shooting had previously been identified as Police Officer First-Class Daniel Houtz, an eight-year veteran of the Franconia Police District Station and Officer Ryan Sheehan, a two-year veteran of the Mount Vernon Police District Station. Both officers were assigned to the Summer Crime Initiative Team.

Houtz and Sheehan were placed on restricted duty pending the outcome of an administrative investigation by the department's internal affairs bureau. An independent review will also be conducted by the police auditor. Davis confirmed that the investigation is still underway.

"Police chiefs in 2022 are now afforded the opportunity to respond to officer involved shooting scenes and immediately review body worn camera footage," Davis said. "That's a good thing for our community and a good thing for our police officers. There now exists in absolute expectation that police chiefs do two things that we never before were afforded the capacity to do. Number one, provide an assessment regarding the performance and conduct of police actions in real time. And number two publicly released body worn camera footage to the community and media in a timely manner."

This was the fourth officer-involved shooting of 2022.