Additional Coverage:
- Ex- Virginia cop who killed shoplifting suspect acquitted of manslaughter, guilty on firearm charge (newsbreak.com)
A former Virginia police officer, Wesley Shifflett, has been acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed shoplifting suspect, Timothy McCree Johnson, outside a shopping mall.
However, the jury convicted Shifflett of reckless handling of a firearm. Shifflett claimed self-defense, stating that he believed Johnson was reaching for a weapon after falling during a foot chase.
Prosecutors argued that Shifflett’s actions, including chasing Johnson into a wooded area at night without backup or a flashlight, and firing two shots while running in a crowded area, constituted recklessness.
The dimly lit bodycam footage of the incident was inconclusive, but it showed Shifflett shouting “get on the ground” before firing. Johnson’s dying words were “I wasn’t reaching for nothing.”
Prosecutors initially struggled to build a case against Shifflett, as a grand jury initially declined to indict him. A special grand jury later returned indictments, including involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm.
The trial faced delays due to a medical issue with the lead prosecutor and the inadvertent playing of an unentered video clip during closing arguments. Shifflett will be sentenced for the reckless discharge of a firearm charge in February, which carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison.