This week, Virginia’s Fairfax County Police Department released bodycam footage of a September police shooting that left a former member of Georgetown University’s women’s basketball team dead.
Fairfax County officer Peter Liu was called to perform a wellness check on Sydney Wilson, 33, on Sept. 16. The 14-year department veteran, who is also trained in crisis intervention, knocked on Wilson’s apartment door, and after a short interaction, she slammed it in his face. Liu knocked a second time, and a fatal encounter followed.
Months before the shooting, Wilson excitedly posted on LinkedIn about being certified to provide adult mental health first aid. “I’m proud of this!” wrote Wilson. “As a people manager, mentor, teammate, friend, big cousin, daughter.. the list goes on, it’s important to be able to help / identify challenges in myself and others. I think this is the greatest act of love.”
Five months later, the Fairfax County Police Department released Liu’s bodycam footage from the night of the deadly shooting. In the disturbing video, Officer Liu tries to convince the 33-year-old woman to open her door for the second time. Almost three minutes pass before Wilson finally emerges from her apartment and asks the officer “How are you?”
In the same breath, Wilson unveils a kitchen knife and lunges at the officer. Liu dodges Wilson’s first attack and quickly backs up. The woman, clearly not in her right mental state, follows the officer to the end of the dead-end hallway before Liu pulls out his gun, points it at her, and repeatedly tells her to “back up.”
Wilson, who is dressed in a bathrobe, doesn’t obey Liu’s commands. And once again, she charges at the officer with the knife, this time cutting him in the face. At this point, Liu fires his weapon at her twice. Wilson, seemingly unfazed by the bullets, continues to attack Liu, which leads the officer to shoot at her three more times.
The woman eventually collapses at the end of the hallway, and Liu calls in the shooting. Also in the footage, blood is seen rapidly dripping from the officer’s head and onto his hand and the floor. Police said his wounds were not life-threatening.
Wilson was then taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead, according to officials.
Police Chief Kevin Davis said Officer Liu did everything he could to de-escalate the situation. “Any loss of life is something that we all mourn,” Davis said. “The person whose life was lost in this particular case is no different; she has a family and friends and loved ones who love her very much, who care about her and undoubtedly are grieving and upset and we acknowledge that and we pray and our thoughts are with this particular family.”
Directly following news of Wilson’s death, her alma mater Georgetown University posted a tribute tweet in her honor. Since the body camera footage has been released, many online are calling for the university to take down their post. A community note was also posted providing details of what led to the former college basketball player’s death.
Her online obituary reads, “Sydney was a fierce competitor even though her outward demeanor has been described as ‘girly’ and ‘fancy,’ and she genuinely loved the game of basketball and all her teammates throughout the years, creating lifelong bonds.”
Wilson’s funeral was held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5. According to Newsweek, her family asked for donations to be made in Wilson’s honor to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.