Police Bodycam Video Released In Fatal Fairfax Shooting That Injured 2 Officers

FAIRFAX, VA — Fairfax County Police released bodycam video footage on Friday of last month's police-involved shooting in Greenbriar that left a Fairfax man dead, while two police officers were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

On April 23, an officer assigned to the Fair Oaks Station conducted a traffic stop in the 4000 block of Meridian Lane after noticing an expired safety sticker on the front window of a 1999 Toyota Corolla. The car was being driven by 36-year-old Jamal Wali of Fairfax.

The bodycam video released shows Wali becoming agitated, refusing to identify himself, and warning the officer that he was armed.

"He's wearing a gun belt, not unlike the gun belt that I'm wearing," Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said Friday at public safety headquarters. "His holster is outside of his clothing. It's a gun belt, and his holster is on the right side. His magazine pouch that was carrying two magazines was exactly where mine is, on the left side, and it was visible."

After radioing for backup, the officer stayed at the open driver-side window, talking to Wali and trying to de-escalate the situation.

Related: Driver Dead, 2 Police Officers Wounded By Gunshots In Fairfax County

Other officers soon arrived, including Officer Ian Lachapelle, who walked up to the open passenger side window with his service weapon pointed at Wali.

The video next showed Wali grabbing for his firearm and pointing it at the first officer, which is when Lachapelle shot him. Wali was taken to a nearby hospital, and was later declared dead.

The bullet fired from Wali's gun passed through the elbows of the officer who initiated the traffic stop and another officer who responded, according to Davis. The bullet then traveled across the street and shattered the windshield of a parked car.

Prior to the April 23 traffic stop, Wali had been charged multiple times in Fairfax and Prince William counties, mostly for traffic violations, according to court documents. All of those charges, including a 2018 felony charge for eluding police, were either dismissed, not prosecuted or diverted to the mental health docket, Davis said.

Questions On Weapon Carried, Officers On Leave

Given Wali's criminal history, many of the questions police received since the April 23 shooting were how Wali was able to openly carry a firearm.

"The answer is, lawfully he can. Mr. Wali was lawfully openly carrying a firearm," the chief said, adding that the shooter was not a convicted felon.

The two officers with gunshot wounds were taken to Fair Oaks Hospital to be treated. They remained on leave recovering from their injuries, Davis said, on Friday.

A two-year FCPD veteran, Lachapelle was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an administrative investigation conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau. Davis said Lachapelle was temporarily reassigned to the police academy.

DISTURBING VIDEO WARNING: Fairfax County Police released bodycam video on Friday from the April 23 police-involved shooting that killed 36-year-old Jamal Wali of Fairfax and injured two officers. The video includes footage taken from Wali's Go-Pro camera, which was on the front seat of his vehicle.

"The performance review board has already met," Davis said. "They'll probably meet again, but the criminal investigation regarding the lawfulness of the deployment of deadly force is underway. That will eventually go to the Commonwealth's Attorney, and they'll ultimately make a decision to decline to prosecute or not, and the administrative investigation is underway as well."

Per department policy, FCPD had 30 days to release the bodycam footage, but chose to release it on Friday after the families of the three officers involved shooting and Wali's family had an opportunity to view it.

All through the investigation, FCPD was in contact with the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and the FBI Washington Field Office, who confirmed that Wali had been lawfully in the U.S. since 2014, according to Davis.

Suspect Worked As Military Translator

"He did work with American military forces overseas prior to 2014 and I believe that's what gave him the pathway to be lawfully present in the United States," he said, adding that Wali served as a translator.

A resident of Fairfax, Wali lived with his wife and four children close to where the shooting had occurred, according to Davis.

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