JUST IN: FCPD identifies Reston man fatally shot by police at Springfield Town Center

The Fairfax County Police Department have publicly identified the 37-year-old man fatally shot by officers at the Springfield Town Center yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.

Officers were attempting to locate Christian Parker, of Reston, around 4:30 p.m., because he was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny of a firearm, brandishing a firearm and discharging a firearm within a home, police said in a news release today (Friday).

“Detectives from our Fugitive Track and Apprehension Unit learned Parker was in the area of the Springfield Town Center,” police said. “Detectives coordinated with the Summer Crime Initiative team to help find Parker. This seasonal team of officers focuses on suppressing crime during the summer months.”

Officer-involved shooting in Springfield Town Center parking lot. https://t.co/0OhUFiB6kM #FCPD pic.twitter.com/OYY2E9jVAv

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) July 1, 2022

According to police, Parker was in a parking lot outside of Target when officers at the mall positioned their vehicles to prevent him from escaping. As the police approached, he entered his vehicle, and three officers gave him commands to show his hands, the FCPD said.

Police said it appeared that he reached across the passenger seat and retrieved a firearm, which an officer saw in his hands and told the other officers.

“The officers gave multiple commands to Parker to drop the firearm,” the release said. “Parker disregarded these repeated commands, and two officers discharged their firearms.”

Officers broke the window to his vehicle to enter the locked car and rendered aid until Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel arrived, police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The FCPD says the two officers who fired their weapons were an eight-year veteran of the Franconia Police District Station and a two-year veteran of the Mount Vernon Police District Station.

The department’s policy requires that their names be released within the next 10 days “unless there is a credible threat to the safety of those involved or if additional time is required to thoroughly complete the risk assessment process.”

A criminal investigation by the Major Crimes Bureau is underway. All three officers present at the shooting were wearing body cameras, according to police. The video and audio recordings will be released publicly within 30 days of the shooting.