Injured Officer has Valorous History in Arlandria

As most have already heard, Officer Peter Laboy suffered a gun shot wound to the head this past Wednesday, February 27th during a traffic stop (Update: Police Officer Shot Identified as Peter Laboy | Old Town Patch).

Officer Laboy is a decorated veteran who was honored with silver medal in 2002 responding to an October 2001 robbery in Arlandria. From the Alexandria Gazette-Packet:

OFFICERS PETER LABOY AND LUIS TORRES were on patrol, as usual, on Oct. 2, 2001, each in his own patrol car. Both officers heard the radio call that there had been a robbery at the A&A Pawnshop on Mount Vernon Avenue and that the suspects had fled. Laboy, who was on West Glebe Road at the time, saw a station wagon driving erratically going west on Glebe toward I-395. He turned around and began to pursue the vehicle, attempting to get the driver to stop. In the meantime, Torres got a description of the vehicle that had just fled the scene of the pawnshop robbery. The description matched the car that Laboy was attempting to stop. Torres got in front of the suspect vehicle and attempted to block it. The suspect swerved around Torres’ police car and the pursuit began. The two officers pursued the suspects onto I-395 and notified Arlington County. As the suspects were crossing the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia, a passenger began firing a gun at the officers. D.C police joined the pursuit, and the suspects continued firing their weapon. Finally the gunman’s hand struck a parked car, and the gun fell. The vehicle came to a stop when it struck another car at a stoplight near the D.C Armory. Torres stayed with the driver, who was thrown from the suspect’s vehicle, while Laboy pursued the gunman, who was attempting to flee the scene. No one was seriously injured, in large part due to the careful manner in which the two officers pursued the suspects. They were awarded the silver medal.

Fox 5 news has this take on the incident (Second brush with gunfire for wounded Alexandria Police Officer Laboy):

"It sounds like a movie script. Armed robbery suspects speeding down 395, across the 14th Street Bridge--taking shots at the officers in pursuit. But it really happened..."

Alexandria City Councilmember Justin Wilson recalls learning about the incident when he was enrolled in an APD-led Citizens Program:

"I remember it well. We listened to the radio recording of the chase during Citizens Police Academy. It was captivating. Laboy was amazing. I don't know how anyone being fired at out of a moving vehicle could be that calm."

The Alexandria Police Association is holding a fundraiser at Virtue Feed & Grain for Officer Laboy on Sunday, March 10th from 3:00 - 6:00 pm. 106 South Union Street. Please share the flier below or check the APA's Facebook page created for the effort.