On February 23, Chhatra Thapa fatally stabbed his wife and daughter in their Mantua apartment before police shot him dead. Body camera footage captures the chaotic confrontation amid a snowy morning scene. The son-in-law survived initial attacks but was hospitalized in critical condition.
The incident unfolded around 5 a.m. on February 23 at the Margate Manor apartment complex on the 3900 block of Persimmon Drive in Mantua, Virginia. Chhatra Thapa, 54, allegedly stabbed his wife, 52-year-old Binda Thapa, and 33-year-old daughter Mamta Thapa to death. He also attacked his son-in-law, who had stepped outside to clear snow from his car and heard a commotion inside the home they shared with Thapa's 1-year-old grandson, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a press conference. The son-in-law called 911 and re-entered the apartment, where he encountered Thapa wielding a 10-inch curved dagger resembling a meat cleaver. Thapa was in the process of stabbing his daughter and then turned on the son-in-law, according to police. A neighbor, Ariana Eddleman, heard Mamta Thapa banging on her door and screaming for help. Eddleman recounted to WUSA: 'That poor woman was banging on the door with all her force and screaming for help... I just immediately called 911 as quick as I could.' Officers arrived amid heavy snow. Body camera video released by Fairfax County Police shows one officer approaching the blood-smeared apartment door while hearing screams and a child's cries. 'Fairfax County police, open the door!' the officer shouts before entering. He confronts Thapa across a blood-covered living room, yelling, 'Hey, put the knife down! Drop the knife! Do it now!' As Thapa raises the blade and swings, the officer fires five shots, killing him. The unharmed 1-year-old was taken into protective custody. Binda and Mamta Thapa were pronounced dead at a hospital; the son-in-law's current condition remains unclear.