Officer Fatally Shot Outside Police Station

"This is crazy," said Laurie O'Bryan, who lives near the station. "It's just insane. Nothing like this has ever happened in Fairfax. You'd think this is a safe neighborhood because it's so close to the police station."

Donald Lawson, a network engineer at a Chantilly business, was driving past the Sully station on his way home from work about 3:40 p.m. when he heard gunshots and something hit his front passenger door, he said. His engine shut off. As he tried to restart it, he heard another round of shots, and his passenger side window was hit.

"I hid behind my car. . . . Cops were flying around everywhere," he said. "I kind of felt safe behind my truck." After a few minutes, an officer came over to him, helped him into a police car and drove him to a corner. He was treated for a cut on his face and called his wife. "The Fairfax County police were very professional; they were very calm," he said. Police kept his sport-utility vehicle, a Ford Explorer, for tests.

Armel's neighbors in Rappahannock County, Va., described her as fun and bubbly and devoted to her family and church.

Tammy Kerr, who lives across the street, said she often baby-sits Armel's children. "Vicky would call us and say, 'I'm on a stakeout. Can you come watch the kids?' " Kerr said. "Vicky wasn't afraid of anything."

Kerr said Armel and her husband -- when they were explaining their jobs to the kids -- would say, "We're going to get the bad guys."

She described Armel as an all-around mom: "I really admired her. She was a woman who worked hard and loved her kids. I adored her. I would have given her mother-of-the-year awards every day."

Armel often would celebrate with "French Fridays" -- taking her children to McDonald's and treating them to french fries. Neighbor Stephanie Loos said Armel painted murals in each of her children's rooms -- a safari theme for her son and mermaids for her daughter.

Kerr said Armel's husband also is involved with the children. "He'll be able to step up to the plate, if anyone can," she said.

The Rev. Mark DeCourcey, associate pastor at Mountain View Community Church in Culpeper, Va., said Armel was "a tireless laborer" at the church, where she was in a pastoral care group. He said she did a great deal of the thankless behind-the-scenes and administrative work in the church, which meets at Culpeper County High School.

The pastoral care group performed Bible study and outreach, which meant relationship building and inviting people to attend services.

Kennedy, the shooter, was charged with carjacking April 18 in Rockville. Montgomery police said a 33-year-old Germantown man was driving out of a parking lot in the 9900 block of Blackwell Road when he stopped his vehicle to let Kennedy walk in front. Kennedy approached the car on the driver's side and, implying he had a gun, told the man to get out.