Body camera footage captured the harrowing moments when a routine traffic stop turned deadly after an armed Afghan ranted about the Taliban and what the United States had cost him. Abiding by their self-imposed transparency policy, the Fairfax County Police Department released footage taken from the scene on April 23, 2025, when 36-year-old Jamal Wali was fatally shot by officers. That footage revealed the agitated state of the former translator for the U.S. military and the attempts at de-escalation as the father of four railed that he would have been better off had he served with the “f*cking Taliban.” After slamming on his brakes to come to a stop, Wali was approached by an FCPD officer and immediately alerted the cop to the fact that he was armed before asking why he was pulled over. Made aware of his expired inspection sticker, the agitated driver expressed, “Call Joe Biden or call George Bush.” Throughout the interaction, Wali was heard refusing to give his name, said his license had been taken away because he couldn’t pay his insurance, and said he had no registration while the officer called for a supervisor’s assistance as the man allegedly continually reached for his firearm. Police in Fairfax, Va. have released the footage showing an armed Afghan migrant trying to kill police on April 23. “You brought me to this country, I served with special forces, I lost my f*cking brother, I lost … everything. I have nothing,” he expressed before backup arrived. When the two additional officers arrived at the traffic stop, Wali proceeded to hand over his identification before he could be seen reaching for his firearm and discharging the weapon before he himself was struck by shots from the officer on the passenger side of the vehicle. Speaking at a press conference Friday, FCPD Chief of Police Kevin Davis detailed that Wali had fired a single bullet that struck both officers on the driver’s side through their arms before his gun malfunctioned. Addressing the apparent firearms training that the former translator had, as he could be seen on footage from his personal camera attempting to correct the issue, Davis proceeded to credit the youngest officer on the scene for his actions in neutralizing the threat. “We also realize in this particular scenario that we’re very fortunate that we didn’t have two police funerals,” explained the chief as the injured police had been taken to the hospital and treated for their wounds. As for Wali, first aid had been insufficient to save his life, as he was pronounced deceased upon arriving at the hospital. “It’s always regrettable when a life is lost. It is regrettable that Mr. Wali is no longer with us,” said Davis. “The impact on those children is unimaginable.” As for Wali’s background, the chief confirmed that references to the Taliban were said to have been in regard to the man’s time prior to coming to the United States, as federal officials confirmed there were no open investigations into Wali. After working as a translator for the military, Wali had come to the United States legally in 2014. Davis also explained that Wali was lawfully carrying a firearm in Virginia, as previous charges of crimes, even those “diverted to the mental health docket,” did not restrict his Second Amendment right, as he had not been convicted of a felony.
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