Crime & Safety

Officer Peter Laboy in Critical Condition After Shooting

The Alexandria resident allegedly was shot by Woodbridge resident Kashif Bashir, the driver of an Alexandria Yellow Cab minivan, during a routine traffic stop.

An Alexandria police officer remains in critical condition after being shot in the head Wednesday morning during a routine traffic stop, according to a police department statement.

Motorcycle Officer Peter Laboy, 45, of Alexandria, was responding to a look out from the department for a yellow cab minivan for a minor offense.

Laboy is a 17-year veteran of the department, and has worked for the past six years as a motorcycle officer in the Motor Unit.

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The suspect is Kashif Bashir, 27, of Woodbridge, Va. He is in custody and has been charged with malicious wounding of a law enforcement officer and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. He is being held without bond.

Soon after Laboy approached the cab, the Department of Emergency Communications began receiving emergency calls reporting an officer down, said city spokesman Tony Castrilli.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Laboy was flown to Medstar Washington Hospital Center from the fields outside of Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy and had several hours of surgery. He was wearing a bulletproof vest when shot. First graders from the Alexandria City public school were playing on the playground at the time and the school went into lockdown mode.

See: Lyles-Crouch in Lockdown Mode During Police Shooting

The driver of the cab fled the scene at Wilkes and St. Asaph streets when a patrol officer spotted the vehicle going south on Washington Street into Fairfax County, according to a city news release.

A police chase ensued and Fairfax County Police took over the situation when the cab entered their jurisdiction. The cab crashed off Fort Hunt Road and the driver was arrested, according to Fairfax County Police Department spokesman Don Gotthardt.

Alexandria Yellow Cab General Manager Kyle Summers told Patch that neither of the two drivers assigned to the cab involved in the incident was working at that time.


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