Prince William County, VA… The criminal investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred on December 10, 2020, on Secret Grove Court in the Dumfries area of Prince William County has been completed.
This investigation was conducted by detectives from the Prince William County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division and was reviewed by the Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Office for a determination of criminal liability concerning the officers' actions during the incident.
In the interest of keeping the residents of Prince William County informed of significant incidents involving our officers and the community, further details of the investigation are being publicly disclosed.
On December 10, 2020, at approximately 7:14 p.m., the Prince William County Public Safety Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from a woman indicating her husband was armed and threatening suicide.
During the call, call-takers could overhear a man indicating he would shoot himself. The call was dispatched to officers at approximately 7:15 p.m. with the first responding officers arriving in the area at approximately 7:23 p.m.
Prior to officers arriving at the residence, the man left the home on foot with the weapon and was believed to be in a nearby wooded area where he was reportedly going to commit suicide. The caller was requested to remain inside the home with the doors locked while officers conducted a search of the area. Additional officers from the Co-Responder Unit and Negotiation Team were also on scene to assist as needed.
Officers saturated the neighborhood and requested helicopter assistance from Fairfax County police in an effort to locate the man and facilitate a safe approach. The police helicopter arrived and was successful in locating the man in the wooded area at approximately 7:50 p.m..
At approximately 8:24 p.m. while officers were formulating their response, the police helicopter advised officers that the man was walking in the direction of the residence. Based on this information, officers mobilized and began to head back towards the home.
As officers approached the residence, they immediately encountered the man on the front porch still armed with the weapon. Officers issued verbal commands to the man to drop the weapon and, within seconds, the man pointed the weapon towards officers.
At approximately 8:28 p.m, officers reported shots were fired. Officers further requested Fire & Rescue personnel respond to the home while they rendered the scene safe and provided immediate first aid to the man.
In total, five Prince William County police officers fired their Department issued firearms almost simultaneously in response to the threat of the firearm being pointed towards them. A neighboring home was inadvertently struck by gunfire, no injuries were reported from the residence.
The five officers involved were in full uniform at the time of the incident and were not injured during the encounter. The wife was also uninjured.
The man, identified as Kurtis Kay Frevert, age 79, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased at approximately 9:18 p.m.
Upon reviewing the facts and details of the investigation, Ms. Amy Ashworth, the Commonwealth Attorney for Prince William County, ruled the actions of the officers involved in the incident were "…justified and reasonable under the circumstances of this tragic encounter."
"In this incident, the danger posed by the decedent was real," said Ashworth. "Each of the officers expressed that they believed either they, individually, were in danger of being killed or that the other officers present were in danger of being shot or killed."
"This incident underscores the dangers officers face each day," said Jarad Phelps, Acting Chief of the Prince William County Police Department. "The officers involved were faced with an imminent deadly situation in a matter of seconds. This incident is very tragic for everyone involved and I ask everyone to keep the family and the officers in their thoughts and prayers."
The Prince William County Police Department's Office of Professional Standards is continuing an independent administrative investigation into the shooting. A final review of the incident will be conducted by the Police Department's Use of Deadly Force Review Board, which will examine all aspects of the incident. The Board will determine if the shooting was within policy and will make any recommendations as needed based on their findings.
The officers involved in the shooting were identified as;
None of the aforementioned officers have been involved in a previous officer-involved shooting. All officers have been cleared to return to duty.
The Police Department recognizes the sensitivity of officer-involved shootings and the public's interest in remaining informed as to the circumstances surrounding incidents when the police use deadly force. We remain committed to conducting a thorough investigation when these incidents occur and appreciate our community's patience while we gather and process information.
The Police Department continues to evaluate this incident and will release any additional, pertinent information related to this investigation as needed to keep our community informed.
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