Man shot by security guard at Gum Springs Community Center charged with assault

October 20, 2017 Police and Fire

Police tape is seen near a shelter at the Gum Springs Community Center after a man was shot by a security guard last month. (Fairfax Police image)

A man shot by a security guard at the Gum Springs Community Center last month after allegedly approaching the guard with a knife has been charged with assault.

Jamon Downing, 37, faces a misdemeanor assault charge for the Sept. 14 incident, which began after the guard told Downing to secure his two dogs, which were allegedly running loose near a baseball field by the center. The Gum Springs Community Center, located at 8100 Fordson Road (see map), is home to the Greater Mount Vernon Community Head Start program, and the guard was concerned since the children would soon be leaving the building, according to the police.

Downing headshot

Downing (Virginia State Police image)

Downing took his dogs back to his vehicle and then allegedly approached the guard with a knife. The guard shot Downing once, and Downing then fled the scene in his vehicle. Police found Downing laying on the ground in the 2800 block of Joseph Makell Court (see map). Downing’s address is listed in that same block. 

A police spokeswoman was unsure of the extent of Downing’s injuries, but said that he was no longer in the hospital when charged. 

The security guard, who is an employee of SOS Security, was not charged. A guard is present at the Gum Springs Community Center Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

An email to SOS for more information on the guard was not returned. 

Downing is a registered sex offender, according to the Virginia State Police. He was convicted of sexual penetration and attempted rape in 2001. Downing also has a previous conviction in 2015 for misdemeanor assault, according to Fairfax County court records. 

In 2000 Downing was charged after two of his dogs allegedly attacked a neighbor in his yard, according to a story on WashingtonPost.com. The dogs were euthanized after the incident, according to the article. It’s not clear if Downing was convicted.