Arlington County police released footage today (Friday) of the fatal officer-involved shooting that took place on Columbia Pike in May.
Videos from officers’ body-worn cameras, released at a press conference this afternoon following repeated orders from the Arlington County Board, depict the hours-long standoff, confrontation and shooting death of 33-year-old Shawn Valn inside a 7-Eleven convenience store on the evening of May 8.
Footage showed repeated attempts by officers and negotiators to have Valn drop his weapon and exit the building, beginning with spoken warnings and later escalating into the deployment of non-lethal irritants into the room where Valn was hiding, in addition to firing Tasers, which were stymied by Valn’s heavy clothing.
The video also depicted the chaotic final moments of Valn’s life, in which police say he had a knife raised and was advancing toward officers who had breached the door.
“Any and all loss of life is tragic, and our condolences remain with Shawn Valn’s family and friends,” Police Chief Andy Penn said at the press conference.
Police were dispatched to the store at 3602 Columbia Pike around 6:30 p.m. following a report that Valn, who was homeless, had “approached and verbally threatened” a woman who was entering the building. When officers located Valn outside the store, he showed a knife and ignored officers’ commands, retreating into the store, police previously said in a press release.
Officers and negotiators spent the next several hours attempting to resolve the incident and take Valn into custody, but he barricaded himself in a back room and refused to exit.
The incident ultimately escalated into officers breaching the door to the back room twice around 9 p.m. Valn displayed a knife, resulting in two officers fatally shooting him, police previously said.
Around ten gunshots could be heard in a previous bystander video from the scene, posted by one of the numerous onlookers who gathered across the street to watch the standoff that blocked Columbia Pike for hours. Valn was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The incident rattled the surrounding community, particularly in the tight-knit Gilliam Place apartment building located across the street from the 7-Eleven.
A vigil hosted shortly after the incident attracted a crowd of family members and neighbors who shared memories of Valn, identifiable by the reflective vest and pants that he typically wore as he sat on benches along Lincoln Street and slept in the nearby parking lot.
The Northern Virginia Critical Incident Response Team began conducting an investigation of the incident immediately after it happened, but over the last several months, residents have repeatedly pressed county leaders for more information.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti announced on Sept. 24 that she was seeking a special grand jury to investigate the police shooting. ACPD’s union, the Arlington Coalition of Police, said in a statement today that it “echoes Ms. Dehghani-Tafti’s statement that the process must be fair, independent, and worthy of the public’s trust.”
“Our members look forward to being given the opportunity to serve as witnesses in front of the special grand jury to ensure a full account of the event is provided to jurors,” the union wrote.
The County Board ordered the release of available footage the day after Dehghani-Tafti’s announcement, directing County Manager Mark Schwartz to make every effort to do so by Oct. 16. Over the past week, County Board members continued to press Penn to release the footage.
ACPD does not generally release body-work camera videos of critical incidents. It has, however, in recent years released video of some incidents that garnered significant public interest, including a fatal house explosion in December 2023.
“The video and incident facts shared today are part of our commitment to transparency, accountability and communication with the Arlington community,” ACPD said in a press release.
The department said it is drafting a policy that will guide how to handle the release of footage on officer-involved shootings in the future.
The County Board released a statement (below) immediately following the police press conference, encouraging feedback from the public.
The loss of Shawn Valn’s life is a tragedy. Mr. Valn’s death has deeply impacted our community and our County government as a whole. The Arlington County Board’s direction to release the police body camera footage of this fatal shooting reflects our commitment to ensuring the public has access to available information about this incident while recognizing investigations are ongoing and pending.
Out of respect for the related special grand jury proceedings and the pending internal affairs investigations, over which the Board does not have control or authority, the Board will not comment on the possible findings or potential outcomes of those processes and will not seek to direct or interfere in them.
Currently, involved officers remain restricted to non-field duties. We remain committed to a full and impartial administrative review of the circumstances involved in the fatal use of force once the criminal processes are complete.
We take seriously the frustrations and concerns raised by community members.
The Board will continue to work over the coming weeks with the County Manager, Chief of Police, and the Independent Policing Auditor on bringing an overall body-worn camera policy to the public for review.
After reviewing the video and incident materials, members of our community may want to share their thoughts and reactions with the Board. On Monday, October 26, the Board has a previously scheduled town hall where public testimony on any topic is allowed. Board members also have routine office hours called “Open Door Mondays,”, where anyone may attend a smaller group setting and speak on any topic. Community members may also email the Board at [email protected].
