On September 1, members of a multi-agency narcotics task force were conducting an undercover operation into Fentanyl distribution in the 14700 block of Fox Glove Ct in Woodbridge. Member agencies of the task force included the Prince William County Police Department, City of Manassas Police Department, the Manassas Park Police Department, and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
During the operation, at approximately 7:00 PM, there was an exchange of gunfire between members of the task force and individuals involved in the operation. Preliminarily, during the exchange, four members of the task force discharged their weapons, two are detectives with the Prince William County Police Department and two are detectives with the City of Manassas Police Department. No members of the task force were struck or injured during the exchange. Two individuals, a 30-year-old man and an unidentified man, who were the subject of the operation, were struck and transported to an area hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds to the upper body. Their current condition is unknown at this time. A third person, an 18-year-old man, was also present during the exchange and was uninjured. It is not currently known if the rounds fired by police struck the men. No other injuries were reported.
At the direction of Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham and Manassas City Police Chief Doug Keen, the regional Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) was activated to conduct the criminal investigation into the officer’s actions during the incident. The Arlington County Police Department will lead the criminal investigation along with other members from agencies in the region serving on the team. Once a thorough investigation is complete, the matter will be reviewed by the Honorable Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth Attorney for Prince William County, for determination of criminal liability regarding the actions by police. No agency involved in the shooting will be a part of the criminal investigation. The Prince William County Police Department will remain the lead with regard to the release of information to the community and news media, in consultation with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and CIRT. Further details surrounding what occurred during this incident will be released when available. In addition to the independent criminal investigation, both involved agencies will conduct separate administrative investigations. The detectives involved in this incident will be placed on routine paid leave by their respective agencies as both investigations continue. At this time, investigators with CIRT are seeking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the incident.