A 36-year-old man, Jamal Wali, was pulled over by Virginia police in Fairfax for an expired safety inspection. Wali, who refused to cooperate, went on a violent rant, saying that he “should have served with the f–king Taliban.” He was eventually shot dead by police after he shot his gun at two police officers.
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Bodycam footage released by the Fairfax Police Department via Fox 5 shows an officer pulling Wali over on April 23, at around 2:35 p.m. From the get-go, the 36-year-old appeared in distress, as he violently slammed on his brakes.
As soon as he is approached by the police officers, Wali says, “I have a gun and I’m armed.” The officer, who tried to de-escalate Wali’s demeanor at all times, asked for ID or a driver’s license.
“I don’t have a driver’s license. Go back, sit in the f–king car, and leave,” Wali answered.
What followed was a series of incoherent statements made by Wali, who claimed to have served with “special forces” in Afghanistan. He also ranted against the United States, expressing feelings of being trapped in the system.
“You f–king people brought me to this goddamn country and I’m dying every f–king single day,” Wali added. “I can’t get a job. I can’t get a disability. And they took my f–king license because I’m not able to pay the insurance. So why are you f–king trying to kill me?”
When the officer said that he wasn’t trying to kill Wali, the suspect answered, “I already died.”
Reaching And Fatal Shooting
At that point in the conversation, Wali is seen reaching for something in the passenger’s seat. According to the officer, he was reaching for his gun, which he reported. Shortly before things turned deadly, Wali said, “I should have served with f–king Taliban. They’re better than you.”
Two police officers eventually arrived after the officer reported Wali’s constant reaching. Two officers locate themselves outside the driver’s window, with a third one outside the front passenger’s window on the right.
Shortly after the backup officers arrived, one of them grabbed Wali as he reached. As per Fox 5, he pulled away and grabbed his gun. He fired several shots at the officers standing outside his vehicle’s driver’s window. As a result, the officers were hit in the upper arms and elbows.
The officer standing outside the front passenger’s window fired back at Wali, hitting him four times. After he was given life-saving measures by police, he was transported to a local hospital. Jamal Wali was declared dead shortly after.
The two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at a local hospital.
Wali moved to the United States in 2014 alongside his four children, in his own words.