A Fairfax City police officer shot a man armed with a knife outside the Wawa at 9700 Fairfax Blvd early Saturday after the man ignored commands to drop the weapon, the City of Fairfax Police Department said in a news release.

The man was transported to a hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries. No update on his condition has been released. No officers or bystanders were hurt.

Officers were dispatched to the convenience store at approximately 12:07 a.m. after a 911 caller reported a man wielding a knife inside the business. The initial dispatch described the man as appearing intoxicated and swinging the knife around, according to the department.

When officers arrived, they found the man armed with a knife just inside the front door. They ordered him to drop it. He did not comply and walked outside still holding the blade, the department said. One officer then fired, striking the man.

The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave per department policy. Neither the officer's name nor the man's identity has been released. The department said the man's identity will be made public at a later date.

Regional investigation underway

The Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team is handling the criminal investigation. CIRT is a multi-agency body established in January 2021 by the Northern Virginia Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Committee.

“It's kind of like, enough is enough,” resident Jimmy Hudson said. “This is Fairfax City. It's supposed to be a very safe area, and yet, there's, you know, shootings and robberies and, you know, knife attacks. It's just that it's getting a little crazy.”

Once CIRT completes its investigation, it will present findings to the local Commonwealth Attorney's Office for independent review.

The Wawa at 9700 Fairfax Blvd sits on the commercial corridor between the Town of Vienna and the City of Fairfax.

What's still unknown

The man's condition has not been updated since the initial police report on Saturday morning. His identity, the officer's name and whether body camera footage exists have not been disclosed.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Fairfax City Police Department at 703-385-7924.