Man Pointed Gun In Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting In Lake Ridge: Police

LAKE RIDGE, VA — Prince William County Police say Thursday's fatal officer-involved shooting in Lake Ridge was the result of a man pointing a gun at police and other homes.

Police had responded around 8:21 p.m. Wednesday when an out-of-state relative reported concerns about a man's suicidal statements and that he was possibly armed. Officers responded to the man's home on Caledonia Circle, but he was found instead at an acquaintance's home in the 3000 block of Bromley Court.

According to police, the man was in crisis and had a handgun. A SWAT team and drone team responded as an hours-long barricade was contained to the backyard. Efforts from a crisis negotiation team and clinician, messages relayed through the man's relative and attempts to get the man to surrender did not resolve the standoff. An emergency custody order was obtained due to mental health concerns, according to police.

Around 5:30 a.m., police say the man pointed the gun at officers and occupied townhouses. A SWAT team member shot the man in the upper body, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man was identified as Gabriel Rene Ramirez, 22, of Woodbridge.

In a news conference with reporters Prince William County Chief Peter Newsham said "none of us here in law enforcement want to see a 22-year-old person lose their life." He also explained that use of deadly force is warranted when someone's life is at risk.

"There were several homes that were within gunshot range of with where this person was contained, so there was a very high level of concern for the safety of the people, the folks who live in this community to make sure that they didn't come within [range of a] gunshot," said Newsham.

Only one officer fired a gun at the man, according to police. The officer has 4.5 years of experience, is assigned to patrol and is a part-time SWAT team member.

The police chief requested an independent investigation from the regional Critical Incident Response Team into the officer-involved shooting. The officer was put on routine administrative leave pending results of the investigation. Newsham said there is body-worn camera footage, but the police department will determine within a few weeks if it will be released to the public.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact Prince William County Police at 703-792-6500.