Video has been released in the shooting involving US Park Police that left a 25-year-old man dead in November.
“As a matter of transparency to all in our community, especially the Ghaisar family, and as the administrative custodian of the video, I am releasing the in-car video of the U.S. Park Police shooting," Fairfax County Chief of Police, Edwin C. Roessler said.
The shooting happened on November 17, 2017 and was captured on the in-car video of a Fairfax County police cruiser.
Bijan Ghaisar, 25, was shot by US Park Police following a police pursuit along the George Washington Parkway. According to a US Park Police Spokesperson, Ghaisar never shot at officers. Ghaisar's family attorney also claims that he never had a gun.
Chief Roessler has met with the family of Ghaisar and says they have seen the video.
"The video does not provide all the answers. However, we should all have confidence in the FBI’s investigation of this matter as I know it will be thorough, objective and professional,” Roessler added.
The family's attorney released the following statement Wednesday:
“This disturbing video shows the senseless killing of a young man at the hands of those charged with protecting public safety. Bijan Ghaisar was repeatedly threatened by over-aggressive and out-of-control law enforcement officers, after he drove away from a minor traffic incident in which he was the victim and in which there was little property damage and no known injuries.
“No one was even close to being in harm’s way until a pair of U.S. Park Police officers repeatedly shot Bijan at close range as he sat, unarmed, in his Jeep on a residential street. We don’t know why the U.S. Park Police officers shot Bijan multiple times, or whether those officers are still patrolling the area’s parkways. What we do know is that justice demands that those responsible for taking Bijan’s life answer for this illegal and unconstitutional killing.
“The family is grateful to Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler for all he has done to ensure the appropriate amount of transparency throughout this process.”
