Current:Home > MyTestimony begins in trial for ex-sergeant charged in killing of Virginia shoplifting suspect -AssetTrainer
Testimony begins in trial for ex-sergeant charged in killing of Virginia shoplifting suspect
View
Date:2025-04-16 06:33:17
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Opening statements and testimony began Wednesday in the trial of a former northern Virginia police sergeant charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man suspected of shoplifting sunglasses.
Prosecutors say former Sgt. Wesley Shifflett recklessly discharged his service gun in the killing of Timothy McCree Johnson, 37, near a busy shopping mall on Feb. 22, 2023.
Prosecutors say Shifflett and his team at the Fairfax County Police Department received a report from security guards that Johnson stole sunglasses from a Nordstrom department store in Tysons Corner Center. After identifying Johnson, Shifflett and another officer chased him into a densely wooded area near the mall, where Shifflett fired twice at the man.
Barry Zweig, the lead prosecutor, said in opening statements that Shifflett had fired two shots after ordering Johnson to get on the ground but just before he shouted, “Stop reaching.”
The other officer chasing Johnson shot at the victim after Shifflett opened fire, Zweig said, though Shifflett fired the fatal shot.
Caleb Kershner, Shifflett’s attorney, said his client feared for his life in the moments before the shooting. As Shifflett chased Johnson into the woods, Kershner said, Johnson tripped over some brush and crouched onto his knees, facing Shifflett. Kershner said Shifflett saw Johnson reaching into his waistband and believed he had a weapon. After the shooting, police searched for a weapon but found nothing.
“Unfortunately, Sgt. Shifflett doesn’t have clairvoyance, nor does he have X-ray vision,” Kershner said, adding: “His training told him to do exactly as he did.”
Following the shooting, the Fairfax County Police Department fired Shifflett. Initially, a grand jury declined to indict him in the shooting, but the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office received court approval for a special grand jury to reinvestigate. The second panel indicted Shifflett last October.
In court, Lt. Michael Connor, who also worked on the Tysons team, said officers at the mall frequently encountered people concealing guns and chased suspects daily. On the night of the shooting, Connor said he was also responding to the suspected theft when he heard gunshots outside the woods.
Connor’s body camera video, which was played in court, shows the lieutenant running toward Shifflett and checking him for injuries. In the moments after the shooting, Shifflett told him that he saw Johnson reaching, Connor testified.
The video shows people gathered around Johnson while he cries, “Hurry.”
Soon after, Johnson can be heard saying: “I’m not reaching for nothing. I don’t have nothing.”
___
Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
veryGood! (765)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Virginia judge orders election officials to certify results after they sue over voting machines
- Influencer Matt Choi Banned From New York City Marathon For Running With E-Bikes
- Pregnant Gypsy Rose Blanchard Reveals Who Fathered Her Baby After Taking Paternity Test
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Nina Dobrev and Shaun White's First Red Carpet Moment as an Engaged Couple Deserves a Gold Medal
- CAUCOIN Trading Center: AI-Driven Platform Setting a New Standard for Service Excellence
- Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler's Daughters Have Unforgettable 50 First Dates Movie Night
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Bruce Springsteen visits Jeremy Allen White on set of biopic 'Deliver Me from Nowhere'
Ranking
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- DZ Alliance: A Launchpad for Financial Talent
- Republican Rep. Frank Lucas won reelection to an Oklahoma U.S. House seat
- See Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump and More of the First Family's Fashion Over the Years
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- 15 homes evacuated as crews battle another wildfire in New Jersey
- Donald Trump Elected as President, Defeats Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris
- Mazda recalls over 150,000 vehicles: See affected models
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Tito Jackson's funeral attended by Michael Jackson's children, Jackson siblings: Reports
Jon and Kate Gosselin's Daughters Hannah and Leah Reunite in Rare Photo Amid Family Estrangement
General Hospital's Dominic Zamprogna Shares Message to Kelly Monaco After Her Exit
How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
Why AP called the Ohio Senate race for Bernie Moreno
Tom Brady Shares Quote on Cold and Timid Souls in Cryptic Post
Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler's kids watched '50 First Dates' together