ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Virginia police officers shot and killed a man who had attacked a third police officer inside his cruiser, the police chief said.
A Fairfax County police officer was investigating a U-Haul truck at a gas station in the Alexandria area that had been reported stolen and approached a man standing beside the truck Thursday, police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference.
Police say the officer informed the man that he was going to be detained in connection with the stolen truck. The man then shoved the officer through the open door of his cruiser and got on top of the officer, attacking him, Davis said. The cruiser then reversed out of control into the parking lot of a neighboring McDonald’s restaurant, where it hit a parked car.
At that point the officer broadcast calls for help saying the man had his gun, Davis said.
Two uniformed officers arrived. One fired several rounds and the other ran toward the vehicle, pulled the man off the officer being attacked and fired, striking the man, who died on the scene, Davis said.
“This scene was highly unusual and I’ve been on a lot of these scenes. I have never quite seen something like this,” Davis said. “That police officer, this was literally inside of his own police car fighting for his life.”
The officer had cuts, scrapes, bruises and a bloody right eye. Police said Friday that he has been released from the hospital.
On Friday, police identified the man who died as Brandon Lemagne, 38, of Newport News. He died at the scene Thursday.
Davis said investigators were reviewing body camera footage of the incident. The two officers who fired their weapons had 24 and eight years of service, respectively. They have been placed on restricted duty while the shooting is investigated.
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