Sad Day. We lost a police officer in the line of duty here in Fairfax County today. There are two more who have been hospitalized in critical condition. Please pray.

More. Here is an article on the officer, Vicky Armel, who was shot and killed. An excerpt:

Vicky Armel made a life-changing decision about two years ago, and she wanted everyone to know it.

“She was on fire for the Lord,” said Julie Higdon, part of a home-based Bible study with Armel in Jeffersonton.

Armel, an outgoing mother of two young children and a resident of the Quail Ridge subdivision in northern Culpeper County, was killed Monday afternoon in Chantilly when a gunman opened fire on the Sully District police station.

She was a nine-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department. Her husband, Tyler, also worked with the FCPD.

Armel leaves behind a 4-year-old girl, Mason, and a 7-year-old boy, Thomas.

“She accepted Christ within the last couple of years,” said Mark DeCourcey, assistant pastor at Mountain View Community Church. “It was fairly new to her, which is what made her so exciting to be around. The new relationship with Christ was just energizing to her.”

Church members say Armel performed several behind-the-scenes roles such as painting, planning a family retreat, folding bulletins, making decorations and doing administrative tasks.

“Knowing that she had given her life to Chirst,” DeCourcey said, “that’s something we’ll be able to celebrate soon once we get through the shock and the loss.”

Word spread quickly that the Mountain View Community had lost a loved one. Lead pastor Mark Jenkins and Bible study leader Dwayne Higdon were in Chantilly Monday night and could not be reached for comment.

Members of the Mountain View congregation did not know Armel’s age or when she moved to Culpeper, but Julie Higdon said she had lived here “for a while.”

“She was probably one of the nicest people you’ll ever want to know,” said church member Kim Elias. “Great mom.”

This is so sad -- to leave behind young children.

I live in a neighborhood with a lot of police officers and they're really great men and women -- this loss affects us all.

A few months ago I was in a McDonalds with my son out in Chantilly and a very beautiful female police officer came in and was keeping an eye on some [probable] gang members. My son was very impressed with her -- her uniform and of course the pistol. She struck up a conversation with my son and he was just so impressed. She was 30-ish and had a boy about his age. The thing that really impressed me was that she could be so gentle with my son and yet, I could see her tough vigilance of the gang guys. It was like being in two worlds at once.

And that's the way most of the force that I encounter seem -- they walk in two worlds and do so with skill. It's gut-wrenching to think of one of these women or men cut down in the prime of life with young kids.

Pray for Tyler, Mason, and Thomas.

Still More. I don't mean to imply that the police officer I met was Officer Armel; it's possible, but doubtful. While that McDonalds was in Chantilly (Greenbriar Shopping Center, for those familiar with the area), it's kind of far from the police station and may be in another district. I just meant that, well, we have some really good folks on the force and I appreciate them.