Law enforcement officials say Va. man shot by police in Martinsburg after he stabbed officer

Police shot a Virginia man multiple times during an altercation with police in downtown Martinsburg Wednesday night along Queen Street, the city’s police department announced Thursday afternoon.

Wayne Arnold Jones, 50, of Stephens City, Va., was pronounced dead at the scene in the 100 block of Queen Street, police said in a news release.


Police said they used projectile stun guns twice on the man and he was later shot after stabbing an officer in the torso with a knife.

The officer’s stab wound was later determined to be minor, and he did not need medical attention, police said.

The police department said officers encountered the man about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday when he was walking in the roadway.

While speaking to the man, officers asked if he had any weapons and Jones told them he had “something,” but would not say what he had, police said in the news release. 

The man then refused to place his hands on a police cruiser so the weapon could be removed and refused to follow any of the commands given by the officers and began to back away, police said.

The man became increasingly angry and did not comply with subsequent orders by the officers, who then shot him with a stun gun, police said.

The stun gun had little effect and a second stun was fired with “minimal” effect, police said.

At that point, the man fled into a doorway entrance in the 100 block of South Queen Street, according to the release.

Once at the doorway entrance, officers continued to give verbal commands to the subject, but he failed to comply, police said.

Officers then attempted to physically restrain the man and forced him to the ground, police said.

“While on the ground, the (man) actively fought with the officers and would not comply with verbal commands,” police said.

In the course of attempting to restrain the man, he retrieved a knife and stabbed an officer in the torso.
 
Officers at that point backed off and ordered the man to drop the knife, which police said he did not do, according to the news release.

While the man was attempting to get on his feet, officers fired multiple rounds with their duty weapons at the man “to neutralize the threat,” police said.

Medics were immediately contacted and officers attempted life saving techniques but were unsuccessful, police said.