Suspected Car Thief in Falls Church Shooting Now in Custody, Charged With Felonious

Updated 5:14 p.m. Wednesday

Joseph Lawrence Michel was released from the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 9 and Fairfax County police have charged him with felonious assault on a police officer and attempted malicious wounding of a police officer. Warrants were served for his arrest yesterday after he was released and he is currently being held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center

According to the most recent release sent out by the police, Commonwealth Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh has told Colonel David M. Rohrer, Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department that he finds no basis for criminal liability on the part of PFC Paul Cable, the officer who shot and wounded Michel on Thursday, Nov. 4. Cable is assigned to the McLean district station.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to call the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 703-246-7800. 

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A man shot by police after he allegedly stole a Mercedes Benz and a Fairfax County Police car has been charged with grand larceny.

Joseph Lawrence Michel, 50, of no fixed address, is still being treated for a gunshot wound at Inova Fairfax Hospital, police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said Friday during a phone interview.

A hospital spokesperson could not be reached by telephone Friday evening to update Michel's condition. Caldwell said Thursday that Michel was taken by ambulance to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Caldwell would not say if Michel had a criminal record. The name of the officer who shot Michel has not been released.

Officers were called to the 2900 block of Westcott Street in Falls Church Thursday at about 4:30 p.m. for a suspicious man in a black Mercedes Benz SL 500. When police arrived, Michel jumped out of the car and ran off with police chasing. Michel circled the block, jumped into an empty, unmarked Crown Victoria police cruiser and sped off.

Michel allegedly drove around the block in the police car then returned to the stolen Mercedes and sped off.

Officers tried to stop the speeding car with road spikes but Michel swerved around them. That's when the officer shot him with his service handgun, police said.
The man turned onto Arlington Boulevard and the car came to a stop in front of the Kingsley Commons townhomes.