Police shoot stabbing suspect on I-495

A Virginia State trooper shot a man who was stabbing people following a crash on the beltway in Annandale shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.

According to multiple news reports, a man involved in a crash between the Gallows Road and Little River Turnpike exits got out of his vehicle and started stabbing at least three people. He was then shot by a trooper.

“It started out as a property damage crash, and now he’s stabbing people with a knife,” a dispatcher said on the police scanner.

The Virginia State Police has not yet announced the condition of the victims or the alleged stabbing suspect, all of whom were transported to the hospital. It is not known whether they knew one another or what interaction the suspect had with police before shots were fired.

The incident led to massive traffic congestion. All southbound beltway lanes in Annandale between Gallows Road and Little River Turnpike were shut down The Virginia Department of Transportation said detours are in place near mile marker 51.6 on the outer loop, with four-mile backups.