Arlington police release bodycam video of fatal 7-Eleven standoff

Arlington County police have released body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of a man who barricaded himself inside a 7-Eleven on Columbia Pike in May, WTOP reported. The incident began after officers responded to a call about a man threatening a woman outside the store.

The video, covering about three hours on May 8, shows officers negotiating with the man, identified as Shawn Valn, who had a knife and eventually locked himself in a storage room inside the store, FOX 5 DC reported. Most customers and employees evacuated, with one employee briefly hiding before escaping.

Police used multiple less-lethal methods including tasers, irritant sprays, soft-tipped projectiles, and a police K-9 to try to get Valn to surrender, but he did not comply, according to WTOP. Around 9 p.m., officers breached the storage room door but backed off after seeing Valn with the knife.

The footage shows Valn advancing toward officers with the knife raised, leading two officers to fire their weapons. The shooting occurred in less than 20 seconds, FOX 5 DC said. Paramedics treated Valn at the scene and transported him to a hospital where he later died.

Arlington Police Chief Andy Penn said both officers involved are corporals with six and seven years of service and are currently on restrictive duty, WTOP reported. The Office of the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney is investigating and a grand jury inquiry is underway.

The Arlington County Board is holding a town hall meeting to discuss this incident and related concerns, and police are considering changes to the policy on releasing body camera footage, which is currently at the discretion of the police chief, WTOP added.