Crime & Safety
Police Identify Man Killed at Alexandria Homeless Shelter
An officer shot and killed James Bryant, 28, last week after Bryant assaulted him and another officer.
FCPD detectives recently identified the man who was shot and killed during an officer-involved shooting last Wednesday at Eleanor U. Kennedy Shelter as James Bryant, 28, of no fixed address.
An ongoing investigation has revealed that Bryant was a resident at the shelter and began assaulting other residents Wednesday evening. Fairfax County police officers responded around 6 p.m. and two officers arrived. Bryant assaulted an officer and managed to wrestle away his baton and use it to assault the second officer, police said.
According to a recent news release, officers tried multiple levels of non-deadly force to try to end the assault; however, these methods failed to stop Bryant's assault. The officer previously struck by the baton discharged his service weapon to stop another assault by Bryant, according to the continuous FCPD investigation. The officers then provided aid until medical personnel arrived on scene.
The officer struck by the baton — a 35-year-old, 11-year-veteran of the department — was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is assigned to the Patrol Division in the Mount Vernon Police District. Both officers have been placed on routine administrative leave as the investigation of the shooting continues.
There were at least four other victims from the original fight, according to police. Three victims were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Other victims didn't require transportation.
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