11 a.m. Friday, July 28, 2025 update – Prince William County police have identified the man who died during an officer-involved shooting on July 17 near Garza Way and Potomac Mills Circle in Woodbridge as Harrison Charles Deppe, 52, of Woodbridge. The investigation remains active and is being led by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). More information will be released as it becomes available.
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WOODBRIDGE, Va. – A 52-year-old man was shot and killed by police Wednesday afternoon near Potomac Mills mall after officers say he ran toward the shopping center armed with a crossbow.
According to Prince William County Police, officers found the man around 2:45 p.m. inside a parked vehicle on Potomac Mills Circle while searching for a suspect wanted in connection to a brandishing incident on Colchester Road the day before. In that earlier encounter, police say the man pointed a gun at someone during an unprovoked confrontation and fled the area in a vehicle.
The same man was reportedly involved in a similar incident earlier Wednesday on Birchdale Avenue, police said.
Officers spent several hours trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender, but the suspect exited his vehicle and ran toward the mall with a crossbow, police said. Officers opened fire, killing him.
No officers or bystanders were hurt. Police said the incident was “contained and isolated to the roadway” and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The suspect was identified only as a 52-year-old man from Woodbridge. His name has not been released.
Chief Peter Newsham has requested the regional Critical Incident Response Team to conduct an independent investigation. More information is expected as the investigation continues.
