Fairfax County Grand Jury Charges Two U.S. Park Police Officers with Manslaughter in Fatal Shooting of Bijan Ghaisar

Strategic Insights -

A Fairfax County special grand jury has charged two U.S. Park Police officers, Alejandro Amaya and Lucas Vinyard, with manslaughter in the November 2017 shooting of unarmed motorist Bijan Ghaisar. The case has been marked by protests, congressional inquiries, an FBI investigation, civil suits, and little official explanation for Ghaisar's death.

Key Takeaways:

  • The manslaughter charge carries a 10-year maximum prison sentence, and the firearm charge has a 5-year maximum.
  • The officers have claimed that Ghaisar drove his Jeep Grand Cherokee at Amaya while attempting to pull away from them, and that they shot him both in self-defense and to protect public safety.
  • The fatal shooting of Ghaisar was captured on video by cameras inside two Fairfax County police cruisers that followed the Park Police officers to the intersection of Fort Hunt Road and Alexandria Avenue.
  • The video shows Ghaisar slowly driving around the Park Police SUV, and the officers firing 10 times into Ghaisar's Jeep Grand Cherokee, striking him four times in the head.
  • The Park Police have not yet begun an internal investigation, waiting instead for criminal charging decisions to be made by federal and local prosecutors.
  • The officers were not taken into custody Thursday and prosecutors expected them to make arrangements to surrender.
  • Descano met with the Ghaisar family before he announced the charges Thursday evening, stating "Justice has not yet come for the Ghaisar family, but today's a major step forward in that journey."
  • The Ghaisar family has welcomed the charges, saying "Our heavy hearts are a little lighter tonight, knowing that the police officers who murdered our son and brother are closer to being held accountable for what they did."
  • Lawyers for Amaya and Vinyard did not respond to requests for comment, but it is expected that their lawyers will challenge the charges in federal court.

Statistics:

  • 10: The number of times the officers fired into Ghaisar's Jeep Grand Cherokee.
  • 4: The number of times Ghaisar was struck in the head by the officers' bullets.
  • 10 years: The maximum prison sentence for the manslaughter charge.
  • 5 years: The maximum prison sentence for the firearm charge.

Sources:

  • Fairfax County Circuit Court filings
  • FBI investigation documents
  • FBI statement from 2019
  • Virginia Commonwealth University records
  • Fairfax Police Department reports
  • Justice Department statement from 2019
  • U.S. Park Police statement
  • Article by Tom Jackman, The Washington Post.