FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Officials with the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) released bodycam footage Thursday of officers shooting a man to death outside Tysons Corner Center last month.
In a press conference following the release of the video, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said one of the officers involved is no longer with the department.
Timothy Johnson, 37, was shot as officers chased him from Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22. Investigators say two officers, identified as Sgt. Wesley Shifflett and Officer First Class James Sadler with the Tysons Urban Team, chased Johnson for allegedly stealing a pair of designer sunglasses from Nordstrom.
The chase, which lasted for about a quarter of a mile, snaked its way through the parking garage, across a parking lot and into a wooded area.
The footage from Shifflett's camera released Thursday begins with Shifflett running through the mall, asking an asset protection officer if Johnson set off sensors. The officers are seen chasing Johnson through the parking garage. As the chase moves toward a wooded area, Shifflett can be heard on video telling Johnson to get on the ground.
While running toward the tree line, both officers discharged their firearms. Johnson was struck in the chest one time, according to police narration that accompanies the video.
Immediately following the shooting, several other responding officers ask if the officer was hit, and render first aid to Johnson. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police have not said exactly why the officers opened fire. Investigators searched for about two days but found no weapon that may have belonged to Johnson at the scene. Sadler reportedly shot one round, while Shifflett fired two rounds.
Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said in a press conference Thursday that Sadler remains on administrative leave, while Shifflett, who fired the fatal shot, was "administratively separated" from the department.
"He will no longer be a Fairfax County Police officer," Davis said. “The officer's actions do not meet the expectations of our agency."
Davis said the shooting is still under investigation, and questions remain, even after the release of the video.
"More often than not the police body camera footage speaks for itself. This time, it does not,” Davis said.
Johnson's family was shown the video before it was released to the public. The family questioned why the officers fired their guns and shot him in the first place since it was only a misdemeanor crime. They accuse the department of violating its use of force policy.
FCPD said its Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting an administrative investigation in accordance with policy, along with an independent review by the police auditor.
The criminal investigation into this use of force incident is being conducted by the Major Crimes Bureau. The results of the criminal investigation will be presented to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano met with Johnson's family two weeks ago. His office provided WUSA9 with the following statement following the family's viewing of the bodycam footage:
“I have seen and am devastated by the body-worn camera footage showing yet another death of a Black man at the hands of police. My heart grieves for the Johnsons, who lost a beloved family member over an incident involving a pair of sunglasses. Like many members of our community, I sincerely hope to see the day when police shootings are a thing of the past.
As the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, it is my responsibility to proceed with a comprehensive and independent investigation of this incident, and that’s what I’ve been doing since the night of February 22nd. I expect to make a decision on how best to proceed in the coming weeks.”
>Watch the full body-worn camera video below. Warning: The video is of a deadly police shooting and contains graphic language.