Fairfax County police recruit, wife dead in possible double suicides; police investigating

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The police chief in Fairfax County has launched an internal investigation into the death of a police recruit and his wife over the weekend.

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The investigation not only centers around how the couple died but also how responding officers handled the situation.

FOX 5's Maureen Umeh reports that police are investigating the incident as a double suicide.

Fairfax County Police were called to a home on the 4200 block of Sonia Court in Alexandria for a person shot late Saturday night around 8 p.m.

Fairfax County Police Department recruit Matthew Farberov, 28, had called police and said he found his wife suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

She was taken to a nearby hospital by Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel, where she succumbed to her injuries.

According to reports, she was an active member of the U.S. Army and police say they are investigating her death as a possible suicide.

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Shortly after police left the home around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Farberov called 911 and asked for officers to return, Umeh reports.

When officers returned, they found him suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Police say the recruit’s death is also being investigated as a possible suicide. 

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis has ordered an internal affairs investigation into how the incident was handled by officers and whether the guns in the home should have been seized under a Virginia red-flag law that allows firearms to be confiscated from those who may be a danger to themselves or others.

Police said they are also examining why there was a delay in making the incident public, Umeh reports.

The recruit was scheduled to attend the Fairfax County police academy in the coming weeks.