- Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano will not file criminal charges against a police officer who fired her rifle during a chaotic late-night response to a reported mental health crisis, determining her actions did not violate criminal law.
Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said Friday he will not file criminal charges against a police officer who fired her rifle during a chaotic late-night response to a reported mental health crisis, concluding her actions did not violate criminal law.
The decision stems from a Sept. 29, 2025, encounter in Burke that began with a 911 call from a mother who said her son was in crisis and had a chainsaw. Officers responded to a home on Church Way for a weapons call and spent an extended period negotiating with the man outside.
Police said the man was armed at various points during the standoff, including with a firearm in his waistband, and at times picked up tools such as chainsaws, an ax, and a blowtorch. Officers ultimately deployed less-lethal beanbag rounds before a police officer fired, striking the man in the lower body. He was taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening…