The Georgetown Hoyas women’s basketball team was slammed on social media for a post it shared mourning the loss of a former player after police bodycam footage was released.
The team remembered Sydney Wilson in a post on Sept. 20 after she was fatally shot in an incident with police.
Footage from the deadly incident was released Tuesday by the Fairfax County Police Department.
The video shows Wilson, 33, attacking crisis intervention officer Peter Liu during a wellness check after her doctor raised concerns about the woman’s mental health.
Wilson is first seen opening the door, then slamming it shut.
She then suddenly opens the door again and immediately slashes Liu with a knife.
The officer quickly retreats down the hallway, draws his firearm and repeatedly orders Wilson to “back up” as she chases him with the knife, the video showed.
Wilson is seen stabbing Liu in the face, prompting him to open fire, cops said, as the knife-wielding woman can be seen collapsing in the background.
Footage from two officers who responded moments after the deadly incident shows Liu’s face covered in blood from where Wilson had slashed him in the forehead.
One of the officers attempted to resuscitate Wilson but was unsuccessful.
“Our police officer acted valiantly. He certainly exhibited some grace under pressure,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a Monday press conference.
The team’s original tribute post to Wilson was flagged by X, adding the context that “Sydney Wilson attempted to stab a police officer, who then shot her in self-defense.”
The Hoyas team has since been under fire by users who reshared footage of Wilson stabbing Liu, while others were surprised the post honouring the attempted cop killer had not been taken down.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
“Any loss of life is something that we all mourn,” Davis said.
“The person whose life was lost in this particular case is no different; she has a family and friends and loved ones who love her very much, who care about her and undoubtedly are grieving and upset and we acknowledge that and we pray and our thoughts are with this particular family.”
The video of the shooting emerged just months after Wilson revealed in a post on LinkedIn earlier this year that she had become certified in “adult mental health first aid.”
“As a people manager, mentor, teammate, friend, big cousin, daughter … the list goes on, it’s important to be able to help/identify challenges in myself and others,” she wrote in the post. “I think this is the greatest act of love.”
Wilson attended Georgetown University on a basketball scholarship and played for the Hoyas from 2009 to 2012.
She averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Hoyas in her junior season, and led the team with 24 blocks.
Wilson became a motivational speaker to young female players after graduating, according to her online obituary.
“Sydney’s legacy of friendship, empathy and love will live on in the hearts of everyone who ever met her.”