WASHINGTON -- A second video was released Wednesday in a 2017 fatal U.S. Park Police shooting following the pursuit of a 25-year-old man.
The latest video is from another Fairfax County cruiser that responded to the pursuit of Bijan Ghaisar on Nov. 17, 2017. The video was released by Fairfax County Police, whose chief continues to criticize U.S. Park Police for its lack of transparency.
"I think it's unfortunate that I, as the police chief in Fairfax County, am the only person that providing information on a shooting of a federal agency and/or the investigation conducted by the federal bureau of investigation," said Fairfax County Police Ed Roessler.
He released the video after the Washington Post filed a Freedom of Information Act request. He said the second video provides "no new information" beyond what was learned in the first video Roessler released in January.
Both videos are from Fairfax County police dash cams. The new one shows the the officer arriving as the two U.S Park police officers began firing at Ghaisar, an unarmed motorist. The officers fire on Ghaisar nine times.
Ghaisar had left the scene of an fender bender, in which he had been rear-ended on the George Washington Parkway. U.S. Park police officers began chasing him. Twice, Ghaisar pulled over and then took off.
The third time he stops, Ghaisar appears to drive around the officers. Suddenly, U.S. Park police officers open fire, repeatedly striking Ghaisar. His Jeep then rolls away, crashing into a ditch.
The new video appears to show one of the U.S. Park police officers shining a light into Ghaisar's car, then firing the last two shots.
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Roessler's credits his officers for their actions that night.
"My officers did not fire a single round. And that is because of the way we train...One of my officers attempted to deploy stop sticks which deflate the tires. Which is another tactical decision effort to deescalate the situation by stopping the pursuit," said Ghaisar.
No one knows why Ghaisar wouldn't stop. Nor do we know what those U.S. Park police officers saw or were told. Arlington County has refused to released the 911 call.
"I don't know what was in the eyes of the U.S. Park police officers. I cannot answer why they shot," said Roessler.
The investigation, now in the hands of the U.S. Justice Department, is now in it's 13th month, with no decision on whether charges will be filed.
"I believe more transparency is needed to at least inform the community and the United States of America--what is the status of this investigation. Where are we at. I'm the only person that's become a spokesperson for this and the profession needs to change."
The Ghaisar family has filed a civil suit in federal court, despite not knowing the names of the U.S. Park police officers.
A Fairfax County police report released in November confirmed what Bijan’s family has said from the start, that he was not armed and that there were no drugs in the vehicle.
