A man died after he was shot by police in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County on Thursday afternoon, police say, shutting down a portion of Richmond Highway during rush hour.
Officers shot 38-year-old Brandon Lemagne of Newport News in a McDonald's parking lot in the 6300 block of Richmond Highway, just south of the Capital Beltway and the City of Alexandria, police said after 4 p.m.
An officer investigating a stolen U-Haul found at a gas station interacted with the driver of the U-Haul, who attacked the officer, pushing him into the driver’s seat of his cruiser and assaulting him from on top of him, police said.
The officer under attack radioed he was being attacked and his assailant had his gun, police said.
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“This scene was highly unusual, and I’ve been on a lot of these scenes,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said. “I have never quite seen something like this. That police officer was literally inside his own police car fighting for his life.”
During the struggle, the cruiser went in reverse and spun out of control into the parking lot of the McDonald’s next door.
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A 24-year veteran of the police force responded and pulled the suspect off the officer before shooting the suspect, police said.
“Officers discharged their firearms during the struggle. The suspect was declared deceased at the scene,” police said in a brief statement.
Another responding officer also fired their weapon, police said. The officer under attack did not fire his weapon.
Chopper4 footage shows a number of officers and emergency vehicles near the McDonald's and a gas station on the east side of the roadway.
The officer who was attacked was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries and released. That officer was not shot, police said.
Internal affairs will investigate the shooting.
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Several blocks of Richmond Highway were shut down during the evening rush hour. One northbound lane of Richmond Highway reopened about 6 p.m.
Police asked people to avoid the area.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
